Ceramic History

Ceramic History

 

The use of ceramics is believed to date back to 24,000 BC and was used in developed countries around the world, especially Egypt, Rome and Greece which are well known for ancient ceramics and are seen in many museums around the world, however the very early findings of ceramics were in east Asian, China and Japan where they used ceramics to create ornaments and figurines that would worship animals and important human figures in their own cultural styles. Clay was later used in industrial uses, making tiles and bricks, it was also a key element in the discovery of glass. It was round 10,000 BC that pottery became more understood and people would create vases and bowls and decorate them with symbols and figures to do this they used the 'coiling' techniques which is still used today, they later discovered the potters wheel which was widely known across Asia and much of Africa.

Here are some pictures of the different styles of ceramics and pottery throughout different countries

Dating back to the 13th century these ceramic pieces come from China and were brought throughout Asia and Europe and much loved by many kings for their beauty and their resemblance to Chinese Jade.

 

This Ceramics piece comes from Japan.  Japan created a lot of plate style pieces that were decorated in delicate cultural styled designs which we can still find being produced today.  What I like most about this style is the simplicity and its ability to bring a sense of calm and relaxation.  For me this design brings a sense of peace.
 

During the 8th to 18th century in Islamic art, glazed ceramics were at their peak.  The pottery created by Islamic artists was highly decorated, portraying figurative scenes and elaborative script.  Iraq was the first to discover tin opacified glazing dating from the 8th century.  For me these ceramic pieces are very strong and hold a heavy presence and I think for me that represents the country itself and shows the kind of power that they possess.




Tin glazing, first discovered in Iraq then spread through the world to countries like, Egypt, Persia, Spain, Italy, Holland, England and France.  There were different styles that people created, using the tin glazing technique, some of which were Moresque, Delftware and English Delftware.  The Moresque design was the most popular throughout Europe and was considered the most sophisticated at the time, which lead to household decorative ornaments and tiles.  However, because of this, it meant there was less demand for Delftware.  Tin glazing is now expensive to use compared to other glazes available and is mainly used by studio potters, fired in specialised low temperatures; in fact Pablo Picasso produced ceramic pieces using tin glaze.