About Ceramic Art
Ceramics are objects made of clay that is hardened by heat. The word ceramics can be traced back to keramos, the ancient Greek word that is translated to mean "pottery" or "potter." Clay forms cannot be considered as ceramics or pottery until they have been placed in a kiln or fire pit and hardened to transform from hardened clay into one of the types of ceramics.
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History
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Archaeologists believe that pottery and ceramics were invented as long ago as 5000 B.C. in the midst of the Neolithic period. Ceramics changed when ancient Chinese people discovered ways of painting, glazing and carving the ceramic pieces to make them appear glossier and to use them to depict images of current events to preserve them for future populations.
Types of Ceramics
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The type of ceramic a clay piece becomes depends upon the temperature used to harden the clay. Porcelain, terra-cotta, stoneware, earthenware and high-tech ceramics are the various types of ceramics. Certain types of ceramics are harder and more durable than others, and those are used for heavier duty applications.
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Uses
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Along with serving as art and home decor accent pieces, ceramics may also be used in various other applications. In industrial applications ceramics are used to move objects from one place to another. Ceramics also house food and plants and cover surfaces like floors and counter tops. In art, ceramics go beyond vases and bowls to include tiles used in mosaics, statues and busts.
Historical Creations
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Long ago ceramics were produced by first finding naturally occurring clay. The clay had to be gathered and sifted to remove twigs and rocks that made the clay impure. The clay was turned into functional pottery pieces for gathering, cooking in and eating from with primitive tools or by hand. To harden the clay into a ceramic piece, an early potter had to build large pits to fire and harden the pieces.
Modern-Day Creations
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Modern ceramic creators, or potters, have the option to purchase powder form clay that they mix with water to produce soft, malleable clay. The clay is then formed into both pottery and ceramic pieces by hand or with ceramic tools or pottery wheels. When the pottery pieces are complete, they are allowed to dry and then placed in large kilns for firing. Pit firing of ceramics is still done today, but is not as convenient as kiln firing.
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References
Resources
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