The History of the Potter's Wheel
The potter's wheel is perhaps the most important tool for creating handmade clay pottery. The potter's wheel is not a tool that developed suddenly in human culture--the use of a wheel was a slow development, as potters used various materials to help aid them in making pottery. By the mid-1800s, potters had developed a wheel almost identical to the ones in use today.
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Origins
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The origins of the pottery wheel are not very clear, but many art historians believe the ancient Sumerians used tools to help them create round pieces of pottery. The Sumerian people settled in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 4000 B.C. According to CeramicsToday.com, early potter's "wheels" were plates or bowls. Potters placed their work on a plate or inside of a bowl, which then allowed them to turn the pottery around to work on all sides evenly.
Turntables
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Around 3000 B.C., Mesopotamian potters had developed a rudimentary turntable, which is the earliest example of a potter's wheel, according to Ceramic-Studio.net. These small turntables are known as "tournettes." Most pottery of the time was made using a coiling method, in which coils of clay are placed on top of each other and smoothed out. The invention of the tournette helped ancient potters develop fast coiling processes.
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Changes
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As time went, on the basic turntable began to evolve, allowing potters to make more complex pieces. Two thousand years of Egyptian history depicts several versions of the original tournette table, according to CeramicsToday.com. Potters were able to develop stands for their wheels, allowing them to turn more quickly. As a result, pottery became more advanced and artifacts show the development of stemmed glasses, handled jugs and curved shapes that could not be created prior to the invention of the pottery wheel.
Modern Advances
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Despite the advancement of the tournette, modern potter's wheels did not develop until the 16th century. In the Mediterranean region of Europe, potters developed a table with a bench seat and heavy flywheel at the foot level, which they could press to turn the tabletop wheel. By the 19th century, French potters had improved upon the design of the 16th-century flywheel table, allowing it to turn faster and smoothly. This helped potters transition from creating pieces using a coiling technique to using the modern throwing technique.
Mass Production
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The development of the potter's wheel led to machinery that allowed pottery to be mass produced, according to ArtisticTile.net. While this allowed ceramics to become more readily available to the public, it also had its drawbacks. As pottery became more readily available, many artisans felt that their creativity began to decline. However, the mass production of pottery also helped create an interest in taking up pottery as a hobby.
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References
- Photo Credit pottery image by Avesun from Fotolia.com
