Special Topic Guide: The Art & Craft of Ceramics, with Spotlight on Women in Clay

A collection of ceramics from the lands of Islam, providing a new framework for the understanding and study of Islamic ceramics, their traditions and technical inventiveness.

Over the last three hundred years traditional folk pottery in Southeast Asia has changed very little. Simple and practical earthenware pottery has been produced by small family groups using the traditional hand techniques passed down over several generations. This book offers a broad survey of the ceramic craftspeople of Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar(Burma). The work, life, and history of individuals and their communities is portrayed in a rich and fascinating tale that combines color photographs of potters at work and text that describes a potter's life a small, rural villages. Not only a beautifully illustrated and useful reference book for potters, the book also provides documentation of the traditional craftsmanship and a way of life that appears about to disappear with the current generation of potters. In a region eager to embrace change and readily absorb Western influence, the use of traditional pots is rapidly declining and creating these wonderful ceramic pots is considered of little value by potters' children who have little interest in learning the craft as they become Westernized. The book is a final opportunity to read about cultural insights into the life and work of rural craftsmen and is essential reading not only for working potters, but for anyone with an interest in the anthropology and sociology of Southeast Asia.

An introduction entitled Meaning and Memory: The Roots of Postmodern Ceramics, 1960-1980 by Garth Clark - probably the best-known ceramic historian in the world - is followed by an international overview by Mark Del Vecchio of ceramic art since c. 1980, with the work of more than 130 artists, from more than 25 countries, discussed and illustrated. The main text is divided into 12 sections (see contents below), into which artists are grouped, according to the style of their work, their influences, etc. The reference section contains more than 130 biographies and a detailed bibliography.

Get Inside the Minds of 36 of Today's Leading Ceramic Artists In "Ceramics - Ways of Creation," noted ceramist Richard Zakin shares insights from 36 contemporary ceramic artists, exploring the ideas that rive and inspire them to create and the way they make their visions real. By following the work and ideas of these artists, readers will gain an understanding of the inspiration that drives the creative process - from its beginning stages to the removal of the piece from the final fire. Zakin addresses both the intangible and material aspects of ceramic creation. Because the featured artists represent the broad spectrum of contemporary ceramic creation - from pottery to sculpture - the book is a comprehensive and fascinating study of the current ceramic art scene. Illustrated with more than 200 exciting color photographs of the artists and their work, it is sure to inspire and delight anyone interested in ceramic art.

During the second half of the twentieth century, Scandinavian potters and glassmakers drew on elements present in China and Japan during the period of the Sung Dynasty to produce pieces of beauty and elegance that combined subtle glazes and classical shapes. The qualities came to characterize Scandinavian design in combining the fundamentals of craftsmanship, quality, subtlety, and a relationship to the natural surroundings. With 380 color photographs to illustrate the work, this book is a must for the ceramics and glass collector as well as those who appreciate the results of a collaboration between artist and nature. Concentrating on designs produced in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland following World War II, the book presents the works of ceramics companies such as Rö**rstrand, Gustavsberg, Arabia, Saxbo, and Palshus, as well as the glass of Orrefors, Kosta, and Iittala. Designs by some of the greatest names in contemporary Scandinavian ceramic and glass design, including Berndt Friberg, Stig Lindberg, Gunnar Nylund, Wilhelm Kå**ge, Edward Hald, Sven Palmqvist, Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva, and Vicke Lindstrand, will be appreciated by all students of twentieth century design. The guide to current prices will please the collector.

Treasures of Japanese Ceramics celebrates the 120th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Hawaii. It presents a wide range of exceptional Japanese ceramic ware from a number of institutions in Japan, representing a broad time span, different aesthetics, and multiple techniques. The earliest objects are two middle Jomon period earthenware (c. 25th-15th century bce). Both show strong sculptural forms and mysterious designs. Yayoi and Haji ware (c. 2nd-4th century ce) demonstrate simpler and more functional designs. Sue ware (c. 6th-8th century ce) are examples of the first Japanese stoneware dervied from Korean techniques. Ceramics from the Nara and Heian periods (c. 7th-12th century ce) display early glaze techniques employed by Japanese craftsmen. Objects are included from all six old kiln sites (Tokoname, Seto, Echizen, Tamba, Bizen, and Shigaraki), dated from c. 12th to 15th century ce. Other exceptional examples of Japanese ceramics are from the Momoyama period through contemporary time (c. 16th-20th century ce).

This richly illustrated portrait of North Carolina's pottery traditions tells the story of the generations of "turners and burners" whose creations are much admired for their strength and beauty. Perhaps no other state possesses such an active and extensive ceramic heritage, and one that is entirely continuous. This book is an attempt to understand both the past and the present, the now largely vanished world of the folk potter and the continuing achievements of his descendants. It is a tribute that is long overdue. From the middle of the eighteenth century through the second quarter of the twentieth century, folk potters in North Carolina produced thousands of pieces of earthenware and stoneware -- sturdy, simple, indispensable forms like jars and jugs, milk crocks and butter churns, pitchers and dishes, ring jugs and flowerpots. Their wares were familiar and everyday, not innovative or unusual, because they were shaped through generations of use for specific functions. The utilitarian forms were so commonplace and embedded in daily life that few individuals documented the craft. Turners and Burners is the first book to chronicle these pottery traditions, with close attention to distinct regional and temporal patterns and the major families involved. It explores in detail the traditional technologies used, from the foot-powered treadle wheel to the wood-fired groundhog kiln. Terry Zug became interested in North Carolina pottery in 1969 shortly after moving to Chapel Hill. In 1974 he began documenting the craft and traveled throughout the state recording the reminiscences of potters, former potters, and members of potters' families who recalled the old craft in remarkable detail. He systematically photographed and cataloged old pots, located early shop sites, and carefully recorded the remaining waster dumps of broken shards and decaying equipment. His primary source, however, was the potters themselves. Their tape-recorded interviews provide an insider's view of their world and reveal the powerful underlying logic and autonomy of their craft.

The Craft and Art of Clay, by leading ceramics teacher Susan Peterson, is the most comprehensive available guide to modern ceramics, packed with step-by-step illustrations of ceramic techniques to guide the beginner as well as inspirational ceramic pieces from contemporary potters from around the world. This completely revised fourth edition contains more than 150 new illustrations and includes profiles of key ceramists who have influenced the field, new material on marketing ceramics on the internet, and added coverage of paperclays, using gold, and alternative glazes. This is the one book no ceramist, whether novice or expert, can do without.

This comprehensive guide to yellowware and spongeware features more than one hundred photographs of such objects as bowls, pie plates, jelly jars, gravy boats, and tooth brush holders.

From press-molded pieces to carved works showcasing spectacular surface treatments, these magnificent tiles will inspire beginners and professionals, as well as collectors and enthusiasts. Some of the larger handcrafted displays here were made to decorate public and private spaces; others use single tiles to interpret nature, tell a story, or make a bold cultural observation. As always in this acclaimed series, all the contributors are accomplished artists, renowned in the field. Mary Lynn Buss creates the ultimate kitchen backsplash: a field of mosaic-tiled long-necked irises. Peter King and his wife and working partner Xinia Mar#65533;n fashion large, expressively rendered, and sculptural installations. And Melody Ellis’s low-relief earthenware tiles pack intriguing narratives into every tile.

More than a third of the houses in the world are made of clay. Clay vessels were instrumental in the invention of cooking, wine and beer making, and international trade. Our toilets are made of clay. The first spark plugs were thrown on the potter's wheel. Clay has played a vital role in the health and beauty fields. Indeed, this humble material was key to many advances in civilization, including the development of agriculture and the invention of baking, architecture, religion, and even the space program. In Clay, Suzanne Staubach takes a lively look at the startling history of the mud beneath our feet. Told with verve and erudition, this story will ensure you won't see the world around you in quite the same way after reading the book.

For over 25,000 years, humans across the globe have shaped, decorated, and fired clay. Despite great differences in location and time, universal themes appear in the world's ceramic traditions, including religious influences, human and animal representations, and mortuary pottery. In Global Clay: Themes in World Ceramic Traditions, noted pottery scholar John A. Burrison explores the recurring artistic themes that tie humanity together, explaining how and why those themes appear again and again in worldwide ceramic traditions. The book is richly illustrated with over 200 full-color, cross-cultural illustrations of ceramics from prehistory to the present. Providing an introduction to different styles of folk pottery, extensive suggestions for further reading, and reflections on the future of traditional pottery around the world, Global Clay is sure to become a classic for all who love art and pottery and all who are intrigued by the human commonalities revealed through art.

Ceramics give pleasure to our everyday lives, from the beauty of a vase's elegant curves to the joy of a meal served upon a fine platter. Ceramics originate in a direct engagement with the earth and maintain a unique place in the history of the arts. In this book, Allen S. Weiss sharpens our perception of and increases our appreciation for ceramics, all the while providing a critical examination of how and why we collect them.             Weiss examines the vast stylistic range of ceramics and investigates both the theoretical and personal reasons for viewing, using, and collecting them. Relating ceramics to other arts and practices--especially those surrounding food--he explores their different uses such as in the celebrated tea ceremony of Japan. Most notably, he considers how works previously viewed as crafts have found their rightful way into museums, as well as how this new-found engagement with finely wrought natural materials may foster an increased ecological sensitivity. The result is a wide-ranging and sensitive look at a crucial part of our material culture.  

A lucrative trade in Athenian pottery flourished from the early sixth until the late fifth century B.C.E., finding an eager market in Etruria. Most studies of these painted vases focus on the artistry and worldview of the Greeks who made them, but Sheramy D. Bundrick shifts attention to their Etruscan customers, ancient trade networks, and archaeological contexts. Thousands of Greek painted vases have emerged from excavations of tombs, sanctuaries, and settlements throughout Etruria, from southern coastal centers to northern communities in the Po Valley. Using documented archaeological assemblages, especially from tombs in southern Etruria, Bundrick challenges the widely held assumption that Etruscans were hellenized through Greek imports. She marshals evidence to show that Etruscan consumers purposefully selected figured pottery that harmonized with their own local needs and customs, so much so that the vases are better described as etruscanized. Athenian ceramic workers, she contends, learned from traders which shapes and imagery sold best to the Etruscans and employed a variety of strategies to maximize artistry, output, and profit.

Ancient ceramics are a mainstay of archaeological assemblages, second to nothing in their sheer number of finds at almost all sites and in all cultures pertaining to the last ten thousand years, and as such unsurpassed in their information potential. The authors summarise the development of ceramic technology throughout the Old World during Neolithic/ Chalcolithic/Bronze Ages. They base their study on mineralogical and chemical analyses of typical pottery fragments collected by the first author, Walter Noll during the last quarter of the past century. Readers and reviewers of the original German edition have often suggested the need for an updated English edition ofthis important work, finally undertaken by Robert B. Heimann. Chapters one to four comprehensively describe - in a very readable way - the principles of ancient ceramic technology largely based on Walter Noll's own work, demonstrating the chemical, mineralogical and materials science background of this subject matter. Chapter 5 discusses the results of Noll's analytical work on a limited number of ancient ceramic objects from Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, Sistan, the Indus Valley, and Egypt to complement the scientific foundation laid down in the first chapters. The authors describe and explain in an intuitive and plausible way the sometimes very complex and erudite physico-chemical relationships among minerals during processing of clays and the firing of ceramics. Thus, they unravel the intricate interplay of the mineralogy of clays, and their processing, shaping, firing and painting to arrive at ceramic masterpieces handed down to us from the distant past. In a logical manner, the authors present many procedural details about the making of ancient ceramics by addressing geographical, local geological, stratigraphic, and socio-economic constraints the ancient potters faced. By considering these environmental factors, an appreciation is won of all human, collective and collaborative processes needed to create and transmit the light of understanding of past societies. 93 figures, 16 colour plates and 36 tables as well as an extensive reference list, and exhaustive subject and location indices supplement the text this book which should is of widest interest not only to the ceramics specialist but also to everybody fascinated by the material witnesses of the technological achievements of ancient artisans.

This is the first volume to bring together archaeology, anthropology, and art history in the analysis of pre-Columbian pottery. While previous research on ceramic artifacts has been divided by these three disciplines, this volume shows how integrating these approaches provides new understandings of many different aspects of Ancient American societies. Contributors from a variety of backgrounds in these fields explore what ceramics can reveal about ancient social dynamics, trade, ritual, politics, innovation, iconography, and regional styles. Essays identify supernatural and humanistic beliefs through formal analysis of Lower Mississippi Valley "Great Serpent" effigy vessels and Ecuadorian depictions of the human figure. They discuss the cultural identity conveyed by imagery such as Andean head motifs, and they analyze symmetry in designs from locations including the American Southwest. Chapters also take diachronic approaches--methods that track change over time--to ceramics from Mexico's Tarascan State and the Valley of Oaxaca, as well as from Maya and Toltec societies.This volume provides a much-needed multidisciplinary synthesis of current scholarship on Ancient American ceramics. It is a model of how different research perspectives can together illuminate the relationship between these material artifacts and their broader human culture.Contributors: | Dean Arnold | George J. Bey III | Michael Carrasco | David Dye | James Farmer | Gary Feinman | Amy Hirshman | Yumi Park Huntington | Johanna Minich | Shelia Pozorski and Thomas Pozorski | Jeff Price | Sarahh Scher | Dorothy Washburn | Robert F. Wald

The peoples of the American Southwest during the 13th through the 17th centuries witnessed dramatic changes in settlement size, exchange relationships, ideology, social organization, and migrations that included those of the first European settlers. Concomitant with these world-shaking events, communities of potters began producing new kinds of wares--particularly polychrome and glaze-paint decorated pottery--that entailed new technologies and new materials. The contributors to this volume present results of their collaborative research into the production and distribution of these new wares, including cutting-edge chemical and petrographic analyses. They use the insights gained to reflect on the changing nature of communities of potters as they participated in the dynamic social conditions of their world.

In Colours and Contrast Clarence Eng covers the social history of architectural ceramics in China, their development both aesthetically (as ornament) and technically (as durable, protective components) in ancient Chinese architecture from palaces and temples to pagodas and screen walls.

Traces the craft of pottery making among the Catawba Indians of North Carolina from the late 18th century to the present When Europeans encountered them, the Catawba Indians were living along the river and throughout the valley that carries their name near the present North Carolina-South Carolina border. Archaeologists later collected and identified categories of pottery types belonging to the historic Catawba and extrapolated an association with their protohistoric and prehistoric predecessors. In this volume, Thomas Blumer traces the construction techniques of those documented ceramics to the lineage of their probable present-day master potters or, in other words, he traces the Catawba pottery traditions. By mining data from archives and the oral traditions of contemporary potters, Blumer reconstructs sales circuits regularly traveled by Catawba peddlers and thereby illuminates unresolved questions regarding trade routes in the protohistoric period. In addition, the author details particular techniques of the representative potters--factors such as clay selection, tool use, decoration, and firing techniques--which influence their styles.

This volume emphasizes the complex interactions between ceramic containers and people in past and present contexts. Pottery, once it appears in the archaeological record, is one of the most routinely recovered artifacts. It is made frequently, broken often, and comes in endless varieties according to economic and social requirements. Moreover, even in shreds ceramics can last almost forever, providing important clues about past human behavior. The contributors to this volume, all leaders in ceramic research, probe the relationship between humans and ceramics. Here they offer new discoveries obtained through traditional lines of inquiry, demonstrate methodological breakthroughs, and expose innovative new areas for research. Among the topics covered in this volume are the age at which children begin learning pottery making; the origins of pottery in the Southwest U.S., Mesoamerica, and Greece; vessel production and standardization; vessel size and food consumption patterns; the relationship between pottery style and meaning; and the role pottery and other material culture plays in communication. Pottery and People provides a cross-section of the state of the art, emphasizing the complete interactions between ceramic containers and people in past and present contexts. This is a milestone volume useful to anyone interested in the connections between pots and people.