The word pottery comes from the Arabic alfahar and could be translated as "clay" or "ceramics". The terms pottery and ceramics are used interchangeably and both refer to the same activity, that is, the handling of fired clay in order to obtain utensils for the storage of food or for decorative purposes. Despite their similarity, there is a difference between the potter and the potter: the former works the clay into a ceramic piece and the potter continues to make the piece using enamels and other techniques.
The elaboration of a ceramic piece
Ceramic is the product of mixing clay with a certain proportion of water and mineral degreasers. Clay is normally obtained in the vicinity of rivers and must have plasticity for later manipulation and firing. When the clay is already moistened and kneaded, it begins to be molded into a certain shape, for example a bowl, a jug, a plate or any type of utensil.
The raw object is subsequently cooked at a temperature higher than 450 degrees Celsius. In this way the object reaches its final rigid consistency. In some cases the pieces are drawn or carved to enhance their artistic value. Most ceramic utensils have a practical functionality and, at the same time, an ornamental and artistic component.
Pottery is properly the technique of modeling clay manually, which can be done without mechanical elements or by using a rotating plate (the ceramic wheel), which allows the creation of symmetrical or round pieces. After turning, the pieces are subjected to different stages until they reach the ceramic object. The ceramic lathe is the most widely used technique for creating serial pieces.
The origins of pottery
Pottery is one of the oldest artisanal processes. From a historical point of view, the invention of agriculture in the Neolithic era was accompanied by a series of complementary activities, among them pottery. Ceramic containers were used to store food for long periods of time, to cook, or to transport water from rivers to villages.
Apart from domestic use, the pieces created were used as funerary containers or as decorative elements for the home.
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