POTTERY (from the Latin potum, a pot) ; any article made with clay and fired. The or igin of the formation of vessels from clay is lost in antiquity. It was the product of no one nation or people, but resulted from the neces sity which arose for articles of domestic use when humankind emerged from savagery to barbarism and communal life was instituted. It required the aid of no metal tool; the fingers of the primitive potter were sufficient to fashion it. Its history cannot be related chronologically and the stages that mark its progress are few. First came the knowledge that clay could be formed into any desired shape and that it hard ened by exposure, that this hardness could be materially increased by fire and then some genius discovered the potter's wheel. How long ago is unknown. The Chinese and Egyptians claim its invention and to the latter at least it was legendary, for they represent their god Ptah as creating the egg of the world upon it. There is a long hiatus before another stage is reached, the production of porcelain by the Chinese early in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Followed the use of flint by Astbury (1720) and printing from copperplates (1752).
Ceramic authorities differ considerably in their classification of pottery but it may broadly be divided into three groups: (1) Porcelain (a hard or natural; (b) soft or artificial. White and translucent with a vitrified break and a glaze not easily scratched with a knife. Examples: Chinese, Japanese and European porcelains; European potters, unaware of the composition of Chinese porcelain, tried by the mixing of various materials to imitate it, the Medici porcelain (1574) being the first of which we have specimens. The only artificial porcelain to survive is the English bone china. The glaze, fired at a less heat than the body, is softer and more velvety than that of hard porce lain, the colors applied to it sink in the glaze and have not the applied look of those on hard porcelain. Examples: Early Sevres, Capo di Monte, English bone china. (2) Bodies made wholly or partially from clay, opaque with a non-vitrified break. This includes (a) wares
made entirely from clays in their natural state which are found sufficiently pure to use without levigation, which, owing to the presence of iron, manganese or other impurities, cannot be used for white wares and which are termed un washed clays. Examples: Terra cotta, yellow ware and some ornamental wares where the color of the body is concealed by a glaze or engobe; (b) Faience; the body covered with an opaque (tin) enamel, decorated on either the raw or fired enamel. The term came into use when Italians of Faenza introduced its manu facture at Nevers in the 16th century. When its manufacture ceased toward the end of the 18th century and earthenware made on the English plan took its place, the use of the term ceased, the new body being termed terre de pipe or faiences fines. Examples: French pot tery from 16th to 19th century; Delft, Alcora, etc.; (c) Mezza-majolica and majolica. The former had an engobe of white clay on its surface, the latter corresponded to faience ex cept that it was enriched with metallic lustres. It is so termed because of the supposition that it was made on the island of Majorca, but this is disproved by M. Van de Put, who claims that the trade between Spain and Italy was con ducted by Majorcan vessels and traders, the ware taking its name from this fact. Ex amples : Hispano-Moresque, Italian 15th and 16th centuries. The term is now erroneously applied to wares covered with one or more colored glazes which might be properly called such; (d) white and decorated household wares masquerading as Queensware, white granite, semi-porcelain, ironstone, etc. 3. Stoneware: Opaque with a vitrified break. Examples: Gres des Flandres, Hair and Grenzhusen wares. Doulton's Lambeth ware. Before quitting the subject it may be well to consider what part clay forms in these divisions. The lowest con tent is that in English bone china which rarely exceeds 30 per cent; hard porcelain about 40; earthenware from 50 to 60 and stoneware from 70 to 80.