the pottery

This pottery was hand made. No jiggery/jolly system, ham press or casting process was used. An electric wheel was used to produce all of the round pieces and a hand cranked slab roller to form the slab for the shaped pieces. The kiln used to fire this work is a by-product of the space program in that the fiber insulation is the same product that is used in the nose cone tiles of the space shuttles. It is highly refractory absorbing very little heat in the firing process to 2,300° Fahrenheit. The fuel used is propane and the kiln is outside the shop to vent exhaust gases that contain carbon monoxide and carcinogens.

The clay used in the ware is a highly vitreous stoneware. This means that the clay has come close enough to a melt to form glassy crystals in the body. It will retain liquids even if there was no glaze on the ware. Because of the high temperature used in firing the ware, no lead or other toxic fluxes are needed. This clay is also free of barium -- the latest questionable chemical in the pottery industry. It is oven, dishwasher and microwave safe.

The white glaze used also is of interest in that these colors are virtually impossible to achieve at this temperature. The glaze is very unique. At this high temperature the glaze does not flow allowing the fine brush lines to retain their crispness. It also means the hand dipped marks are still visible for all to see and attest to the hand made qualities of the ware. Like the clay body care has been taken to not include any dangerous chemicals in the formulation like lead and barium.

The absence of glaze on the bottom is another way of recognizing that the ware has been fired to a very high temperature. Firing this high the clay approaches a melt and cannot, therefore, be glazed and put on stilts as with earthenware. The bottoms of these pots have been burnished in the drying state to insure that there are not any rough spots.

Waterford Crystal is said to tell their customers that if they receive pieces that are the exact same size and shape they do not have hand made pieces. For perfection the machine is a much better producer. Due to the hand made character of the work shapes and colors may vary. If the you desire a perfect set matching in color and shape you will need to buy molded and decal decorated pieces.

The true value of this ware is solely based on the simple fact that the number of craftsmen producing ware is growing smaller each year. You are buying today an item that is very limited and may not be possible to buy in just a few years. "Tomorrow's heirloom today" is an investment that can yield returns in pleasure as well as profit.

Number of times this page has been visited: Hit Counter