The Sumerian Culture - The First Urban Civilization The story probably begins in the Middle East around 4000 BC (6000 BP). The village settlements were growing in size and prosperity. A new phase in man's development was happening. In what is today southern Iraq, or Ancient Mesopotamia, the first urban civilization was being created; villages grew into towns and then towns into the great city states: Ur, Uruk, Ubaid, Eridu, Lagesh etc. By 3000 BC. the people of these cities, the Sumerians, had already established a sophisticated trading commercial culture. This was the first town and city based civilization on this planet. New crafts and occupations evolved. More skills and tools were invented. The Effects of Specialising To a great extent all was triggered as a result of increased division of labour and job specialisation within earlier small communities. Of course some men still hunted and fished, but others now planted crops and reared animals and, as they became more experienced, farming methods improved, food production increased and so did the population. Trade expanded over the whole region. More pots were needed and various ways were tried to speed up all the pottery techniques: making, decorating and firing. Who did what - Men or Women? Most of these changes affected the work and life style of the men much more than their womenfolk. Most women were already almost fully occupied and "specialising" in the vital task of bearing and rearing children. Any other tasks done by the women must therefore have been part-time and close to the home. Women almost certainly developed the techniques of sewing, weaving and basket making in most prehistoric communities. They were probably also the first real potters - the makers of bowls, dishes, jugs etc. so it is not surprising that in these early village societies building a basket and coiling a pot had a lot in common. Coiling Pots The ancient technique of building a coiled pot involves squeezing, squashing and smoothing the successive layers of coils into a thin even wall which swells or tapers as it grows and encloses a shape. To do this you need to turn the pot around slowly as you work. Early potters soon learned to make the task of periodically turning the pot much easier and more efficient by beginning their coiling on a dish or bowl, or even a flat plate or smooth platter they could twist round as they worked. Most early coiled pots are round bottomed. They were probably started in a bowl which could be easily turned or rolled around whilst adding and smoothing the clay coils. Other coiled pots taper downwards to a small base. This would make the pots easier to turn whilst coiling. The base was probably started by pressing a lump of soft clay or a spiral of coils into a shallow round bottomed bowl and smoothing it out with the fingers or a piece of wood or a bone rib. Coils were then added progressively. The shallow bowl gave support to the soft clay as first coils were added. The rounded bottom made it easy to pull the pot around bit by bit. As the base and lower coils gradually dried and hardened progressively they gave firmer support to the soft coils being added above. In more remote regions of the world women are probably still coiling pots in this way. These illustrations show these methods still being used within the last century in some African villages. Squatting down with the bowl between the legs. It is easy to turn such a bowl as each coil is added and squeezed and smoothed into the wall. Making a round base. A pancake of clay about to be pressed into a fired clay bowl. Sausage-like coils in the foreground. Adding and squeezing a coil as the wall is built. Adding small coils at the neck of the pot. Ready to build out the rim. Thinning and opening to make a rim. Drying the pots. Finished pots have been allowed to dry completely in the sun, piled up in a heap on brushwood and bundles of dried grass. An open bonfire of the finished pots. More brushwood piled around the dried pile of pots, the bonfire lighted and then fed with more bundles of dry grass. Platters and bowls for faster coiling. Innumerable ways developed of using a platter or bowl to speed up coiling. Here is an example found in the Indian subcontinent. However, soon after 4000 BC. in Mesopotamia a new discovery/invention was being exploited... The Arrival of the Wheel The principle of the Wheel was discovered earliest in southern Iraq(Mesopotamia). By discovering the principle of the wheel, the Sumerians were able to give up pulling provisions or people along on sledges or dragging heavy objects over a series of logs. They devised how to construct the first carts and chariots. This strange wedge shaped object c. 3000 BC. was found in an ancient Sumerian royal grave at Ur in Iraq. (It may have been a sounding box for a harp). It includes perhaps the earliest drawings of wheeled carts or chariots. The whole surface is covered with a decoration made up of tiny carved pieces of lapis, ivory and limestone stuck together on the wooden box with bitumen; a sort of mosaic with engraved drawing. There are two main rectangular panels illustrating a great battle and then the plunder and celebration. This is a detail from the Battle scene: Warriors in a horse drawn cart or chariot. This new weapon of war has four wooden wheels made out of two semicircular pieces bolted together. It must have been a deadly weapon at the time. Soon potters and other craftsmen found more peaceful uses for the wheel... Faster Coiling on a Turntable... Eventually a small turntable or "tournette" was developed. With this a pot could be turned around much more easily and quickly. The pot making technique in Mesopotamia now gradually gradually changed during the third millennium BC as the more potters adopted the turntable for making and decorating. However, it took a long time for free running steady turntables to be developed, therefore "throwing", as we understand the technique today, did not develop for a long time to come. It would be more accurate to describe this turntable making process as "fast coiling" . And Men Became The Potters... Until the arrival of the wheel, the women usually made the pots - by coiling. With so many other responsibilities they could only be part-time potters. With the invention of the wheel, men appear to take over from their womenfolk the task of making pottery in most ancient cultures. The villages of the Near East were now growing into towns. More pottery was needed. Probably this need for increased pottery production proved impossible for the women to do with their considerable commitments to child rearing and food preparation. Although one person can make pots more quickly with a wheel, still more full-time labour is needed to decorate, finish and fire this increasing amount of pottery. Clearly, in all communities many people now became full-time potters from the third millennium BC. onwards. It appears that predominantly Matriarchal village societies gradually became dominantly Patriarchal as bigger urban communities became more organised and complex. (These important social changes could be studied elsewhere in more detail.)

Tabletop accessories, serveware and adornments help create an appealing environment for outdoors activities, be they special occasions or just relaxing with a cup of coffee. Pottery Barn offers a number of excellent items to enhance any patio table. Our all-melamine dinnerware collections have an elegant appearance and can also be used year-round and are remarkably solid. Sets are sold in groups of four dinner plates, four salad plates or four bowls, which makes creating color combinations simple and enjoyable. Mix white Sonora Blanca Melamine dinner plates and bowls with a set of blue or turquoise Swirl Melamine salad plates to add something special to a tabletop. For other colorful ideas, see our full list of outdoor servingware. A beautiful table runner creates a sense of style and serves as an attractive base to highlight dinnerware or other table decorations. Our table runners are available in a variety of distinctive designs and are long enough to easily accommodate standard table sizes. An elegant vase can add long-lasting personality to any tabletop. Of course, since what we drink is one of the most important aspects of any outdoor activity, no table would be complete without a set of drinkware. Veranda Floral Hand-etched Glassware or Library Smoke Glassware give place settings an air of elegance, while our Coral Barware is perfect for relaxing afternoon drinks. And for creating a rare ambiance in any outdoor area, try one of our lighting options.

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Absorbency The ability of porous materials to attract a liquid (water) into its air spaces. In the production of pottery this is useful for the application of glaze to bisque ware in preparation for the glaze firing. The absorption rate of finished pieces (after firing) should be of concern to the consumer. Pieces with lower absorption rates tend to be more durable. See also . Bisque This term may also be seen as bisc, biscuit, bisqueware, bisquefired, biscuit. Refers to both a preparation firing process and the pottery piece that has undergone the firing. The firing is to a temperature that brings about a physical and chemical change to clay. Atomically attached molecules of water are driven off the individual clay particles and they are fused together transforming them into one piece. This intermediate step in glazed ceramics gives bisque ware the ability to absorb water of the glaze solution causing the glaze materials to adhere to the piece while it maintains its shape. Considered to be in the "low-fire" range, some pieces are never fired above this and are therefore usually less durable. See also . Black core Occurs during the firing process when carbon inside the clay body has not been sufficiently eliminated. All clays contain some carbonaceous matter, which oxidizes during firing at approximately 1400 F producing carbon dioxide that escapes from the claybody. If the presence of oxygen is insufficient in the kiln atmosphere, the carbon cannot be eliminated from the clay and it is left in a weaker state. This tends to occur more during a "reduction" firing where oxygen in the kiln atmosphere is reduced. See also. Blackhard A stage in the drying of a piece of pottery where it is no longer malleable, but it has not yet dried out completely. The moisture content still in the piece gives is a dark tone. See also, , , . Bone china A clay body created 18th century Britain as an attempt to duplicate the translucent ability of Oriental Porcelain, whose formula was kept secret form Europe. This claybody is difficult to work with on a potter’s wheel and is most conducive to slip-casting or press-molding. The names is derived from the fact it is an attempt to reproduce porcelain from China using Bone Ash as a primary ingredient. It is still in use today and, because of its durability, it is considered an excellent claybody for use in dinnerware. See also. Burnishing A process by which leatherhard or blackhard clay is made smooth by rubbing it with a hard smooth object like a stone, spoon or piece of glass. This procedure gives the piece a polished look. Burnished pots are usually unglazed but sometimes fine slips are applied to add to the decorating. Burnishing not only adds a glossy surface, it also contributes to the durability of the clay by making it more resistant to water absorption. See also, . Casting slip A cream-like mixture of clay and water used in the process of producing ceramic objects by means of pouring the slip into a porous mould. Water is drawn from the slip and into the mould, leaving a thin shell of soft but non-liquid clay around the inner surface of the form. When the slip achieves the proper thickness, the excess liquid is poured out and the remaining slip is left to dry completely. It is...

This dinner plate is handmade on the potters wheel from tan coloured speckled stoneware clay and glazed with a white rim. The plate is 9 1/2" in diameter. This plate is food, dishwasher and microwave safe. It is perfect for weekend brunches or family meals. Mix and match with other pieces from the 'Homestead' series. As each piece is handmade there may be some minor variation in size and finish. This is part of the joy of artisan pottery. If you'd like a custom message on the underside of the piece, just ask! I can scribe in wedding couple initials, special dates or any short message you'd like. I can also include a handmade watercolour gift card with a message if the piece is a present. Message me your specific needs and I'll be happy to accommodate you. The studio is nestled in the rugged hills outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The shipping charges for these bowls are for USPS priority shipping within Canada and for First Class International for the USA. Please contact me before purchasing if you need shipping to countries other than U.S. and Canada so that those charges can be incorporated into the listing. Thank you!

Clay by itself is tons of fun, but adding do-dads and trinkets will make this art project a favorite! Your child will be inspired by the shapes and colors of fall with this fun clay mosaic art project. This project has it all; messy sensory play, colorful do-dads and a new art term for your child’s art vocabulary! Art Kidbit: Mosaic A MOSAIC is an art form consisting of patterns of small pieces of tile or glass inlaid in cement or grout. Materials Needed: Natural color air dry clay (you can purchase this at any craft or art supply store) Wax paper and/or cardboard Miscellaneous items to use as mosaic pieces such as: beads, foam squares, rock and mosaic tile pieces. No beads or tile pieces at home? Look to nature! Rocks, sticks, and acorns all make great mosaic pieces! Tools (toothpick, craft stick, plastic fork, and rolling pin) Directions: Roll the clay into a slab. For your clay newbies, a slab is a piece of clay that is rolled out flat like a pancake. Keep the slab thick, so you can push the mosaic pieces into it, and make sure it is BIG, so there is plenty of room for the mosaic. Use wax paper or a piece of recycled cardboard (or both) under the slab to make it easier to move. Once your slab is ready, lightly draw the shape of a leaf out on the surface. If you don’t like your leaf shape, smooth it out and start again. When you are happy with your leaf drawing, go ahead and cut it out. A toothpick or craft stick works great for that. Now comes the fun part! Start decorating your leaf shape with beads, rocks, tiles, or any do-dad that strikes your fancy! Once complete, allow your mosaic to dry. Kidcreate Studio is an art studio just for kids that offers children’s art classes, camps and art-themed birthday parties for children ages 18 months through 12 years.

Process & Design: Hand Building Slab Pots Instructor: Sam Chung August 7–9, 2009 Exploration of the relationship between the making and the designing of pots will be the focus of this three-day workshop. Students will learn new ways to create form by working with slabs and custom templates. Drawing will play a large role, not only in working through ideas, but also in designing patterns that will make up the actual forms. The teapot, ewer, and vase will be highlighted in demonstrating this slab building process. Chung will demonstrate how to plan and assemble individual components of pouring forms (body, handle, and spout) and more complex vertical forms (vases). Students will be encouraged to experiment with their own ideas, and through utilizing some simple methods; almost any shape can be realized through these techniques. Patience and persistence is required. The goal will be to acquire more freedom in the ways to design hand-built pots through adopting drawing into the process. Chung will also present images on the development of his own work as well as images of various functional objects having unique design qualities. This workshop is open to all levels. Sam CHUNG received his BA in ceramics from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He pursued additional studies in ceramics at the University of Minnesota, and received his MFA from Arizona State University. From 1998-2007, he taught ceramics at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, and in 2007, moved back to Tempe where he is assistant professor of ceramics at Arizona State University. Sam has exhibited, lectured, and presented workshops both nationally and internationally. His works are included in the collections of the Everson Museum, Guldagergaard in Denmark, and Incheon World Ceramic Center in Korea.

Bagwall - The wall on the inside of a fuel burning kiln which deflects the flame from the wear. Bat - A flat disc made out of plaster, wood, or plastic which is affixed to the wheel head with clay or pins. Bats are used to throw pieces on that would be difficult to lift off the wheel head. Batch - A mixture of weighed materials such as a batch of glaze or slip or a clay body. Banding Wheel - A revolving wheelhead which sits on a pedestal base. It is turned by hand and used for finishing or decorating pottery. Bisque - Pottery which has been fired once, without glaze, to a temperature just before vitrification. Bisque Fire - First firing, without glaze. Slips can be used in a bisque firing. Bone Dry - Completely air dried. Burnishing - The ancient rubbing process of burnishing polishes the outside skin of a clay pot while greatly reducing its porosity. This finishing is done by hand, using a stone or a metal piece which is usually embedded in a wad of wet clay that perfectly fits the burnisher's hand. Calipers - A tool used to measure the diameter of round forms, for example calipers are used to get lids to fit just right. Centering - Technique to move the clay in to a symmetrical rotating axis in the middle of a wheel head so you can throw it. Chuck - A piece used to aid the potter in trimming. A chuck is a form that can hold a pot upside-down above the wheel head while the potter trims it. Chucks are thrown and bisque fired clay cylinders which are open on both sides. Clay - Alumina + silica + water. Clay body - A mixture of different types of clays and minerals for a specific ceramic purpose. For example, Porcelain is a translucent white clay body. Coil - A piece of clay rolled like a rope, used in making pottery. Compress - Pushing the clay down and together, forcing the particles of clay closer. Composite Pots - Pots that were thrown or hand built in separate pieces and then assembled. Cone - Pyrometric - A pyramid composed of clay and glaze, made to melt and bend at specific temperatures. It is used in a kiln to determine the end of a firing or in some electric kilns it shuts off a kiln setter. Crazing - The cracking of a glaze on a fired pot. It is the result of the glaze shrinking more than the clay body in cooling process. Crawling - A bare spot (from the shrinking of a glaze) on a finished piece where oil or grease prevents the glaze from adhering to pottery. Damper - A slab of refractory clay that is used to close or partially close the flue of a kiln.

At Providence Center, we are dedicated to providing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to learn, grow, and better establish themselves within our community. Many of our artistically-inclined individuals find that personal growth in pottery. Through our pottery program, we can simultaneously stimulate personal growth and development, build strong work habits, and provide beautiful pottery for sale. You can support our programs and those we serve with each purchase of our one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pieces! Every day, online or through retail stores, we sell unique pieces of pottery created by Providence Center artisans! Our artists gain financial independence with each sale and a measure of personal development important to self-worth and confidence. Our Vocational Training programs, which include producing beautiful pottery, create a path to help the men and women we serve attain the growth and independence they need to become confident, productive members of our community. As part of our Gifts that Give product line, all available items are hand-crafted, with an added personal flair. All items are microwave, dishwasher and oven safe. Our pottery for sale includes: Dishware including plates, bowls, mugs and platters Napkin rings Vases and pitchers Soap dishes And more! Our pottery products make fantastic additions to any home, and are excellent as gifts! You can get your pottery, hand crafted by our artisans, either through our very own retail store, various local retailers, or online! Our Pottery Availability Includes Gifts That Give- 1254 Ritchie Highway South in Arnold, Maryland Local participating vendors and retail stores Wholesale pricing for our pottery and products is available for retail partners; for more information, or to make a wholesale purchase, contact Jacqueline Short, Sales and Community Relations Representative, at 410-766-2212 ext. 409. At Providence Center, we are proud to offer pottery as one of many programs that promote growth, independence, and a way to contribute to our community. Support our artists and programs by taking advantage of our pottery for sale and find the perfect piece for your Maryland home.

If you have purchased a pot to use on the stovetop, you need to season it before you use it for the first time. Please see Clay Cooking 101 for detailed instructions. If you have a baking dish or something for oven use only, seasoning is not necessary; however, we recommend you soak your dish in plain water for 2 hours before its first use. We recommend hand washing. A dishwasher won't damage or break your clay pot, but clay is a very porous material, even when it is glazed. The heat of a dishwasher will cause the clay to absorb dishwashing detergent - this detergent will then leach back into your food when you cook in your pot. Because of this, we highly discourage the use of a dishwasher with anything that is earthenware. All our products clean very easily by hand; please see Clay Cooking 101 for instructions. All our products have been tested for and are free of leachable lead and cadmium. In addition to our own tests, the FDA inspects and conducts periodic random tests on all shipments of earthenware intended for food use when these shipments enter the United States. Please be assured, we actually cook in and use our own clay pots and we have gone to great lengths to make sure our pots are safe for food use. All of the pots listed under our section "for the stovetop" are designed for stovetop use as well as for use in the oven. These pots are high-fired, at 2000º F, terra cotta and the type of clay used to make them allows them to be used on a direct heat source. These pots should be used on low to medium heat, but you will find they easily get hot enough to boil their contents, even on low heat. They do take more time to come up to temperature than a traditional metal pan would and they should be taken up to temperature gradually. Please see Clay Cooking 101 for more details. Our clay cookware is fired at over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. After firing, it becomes a hard, durable earthenware piece that can tolerate high oven temperatures. Our earthenware can take the heat of any residential or commercial oven - as high as they will go - easily over 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Our clay cookware works beautifully in wood-fired ovens as well. In fact, people that actually teach wood-fired oven cooking classes have been using our cookware to rave reviews! This is an effect commonly known as "crazing." With clay cookware, this is not considered a defect; it is just something that is impossible to avoid. This occurs when the clay body of the pot and the glazed surface expand and contract at different rates when they are heated and cooled. This will always happen with a glazed earthenware. Some clay pots, especially those made of stoneware do not do this. You will see the cracks when the pot is exposed to water and how they will disappear when you dry the pot. Yes, it can. The only thing we suggest is until you know how your clay pot heats in your microwave, use it on low settings only. This is because clay can develop "hot spots" in a microwave and this can cause it to crack. Also remember, the clay pot can easily become as hot as the food in it so remove your pot from the microwave with hot pads. Yes you can, but you may notice a slight leakage or dampness on the bottom of the pot, especially when it is new. Over time, when your pot becomes stronger and the clay is a bit sealed from use, it will rarely occur. This is something you may hear, especially with newly fired earthenware. It will disappear with time and it is simply a natural settling of the clay that occurs after temperature changes. We are always sorry to hear this, as we take great pains in packaging to make sure your shipment arrives safely. However, accidents do happen. Please be assured we will do everything we can to make sure you are happy with your purchase. If you receive your package and the merchandise is damaged, please contact us within 7 days. We will be happy to send you a replacement. Please keep the broken piece and all packaging materials, as we ship with FedEx, and they sometimes will want to come and inspect the package when we file a claim for damages. It takes about 5-7 days for FedEx to contact us. Please do not contact FedEx and file the claim yourself. This usually happens for one of two reasons: the pot was not seasoned properly or it got too hot in one spot. Sometimes you can still use your pot. (We have been using one for years with two cracks on the bottom. Over time, they have become sealed from the liquid and cooking juices that have seeped through them and it has been working perfectly, no leaking.) Another trick is to boil the pot in milk. Immerse the pot in milk in another stovetop-safe cooking vessel, slowly bring the milk up to a boil, let the pot gently simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let the pot and milk return to room temperature. This sometimes seals the crack and prevents it from "growing."