Collecting Ceramics ~ What is my pot made of?

What is a pot pade of? This is one of the basic questions to answer when you are looking at a piece of ceramics.

The basic types of ceramics can be categorised as:

•  Porcelain ( Made with the inclusion of China Clay in the body). It is finer and more translucent than pottery. Pots tend to be lighter weight and more delicate. The easiest distinction is to shine a light into a pot. If you can see the light though it it is most likely to be Porcelain. There are two main types:
  • Hard Paste ( most porcelain found today). This is used for most ” China” produced in Britain examples of which can be found from many of the best manufactures and seen on www.AntiquesAvenue.co.uk Fine China pages. A chipped piece can have a shell like edge which helps to determine that the piece is porcelain.
  • Soft Paste ( early European porcelain)

•  Pottery. Thicker walled and more solid than porcealin. Light does not show through a pottery body. Pottery needs to be glazed before use with liquids as it is pourous in its unglazed state. The main types are:
  • Earthenware. Lightly fired and unglaze it is known as “Terracotta”. Earthenware pots were the earliest type of pots produced in Britain. The clay is quite coarse. These examples of Devon and Cornwall pottery are made of Earthenware. This is quite a soft body and chips easily.
  • Stoneware ( fired at a very high temperature) is harder and more durable than Earthenware. A good example of Stoneware used today can be seen in Denby Pottery.