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.

The life and times of Alabama folk potter Jerry Brown, as told in his own words Born in 1942, Jerry Brown helped out in his father's pottery shop as a young boy. There he learned the methods and techniques for making pottery in a family tradition dating back to the 1830s. His responsibilities included tending the mule that drove the mill that was used to mix clay (called "mud" by traditional potters). Business suffered as demand for stoneware churns, jugs, and chamber pots waned in the postwar years, and manufacture ceased following the deaths of Brown's father and brother in the mid-1960s. Brown turned to logging for his livelihood, his skill with mules proving useful in working difficult and otherwise inaccessible terrain. In the early 1980s, he returned to the family trade and opened a new shop that relied on the same methods of production with which he had grown up, including a mule-powered mill for mixing clay and the use of a wood-fired rather than gas-fueled kiln. Folklorist Joey Brackner met Brown in 1983, and the two quickly became close friends who collaborated together on a variety of documentary and educational projects in succeeding years-efforts that led to greater exposure, commercial success, and Brown's recognition as a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. For years, Brown spoke of the urge to write his life story, but he never set pen to paper. In 2015, Brackner took the initiative and interviewed Brown, recording his life story over the course of a weekend at Brown's home. Of Mules and Mud is the result of that marathon interview session, conducted one year before Brown passed away. Brackner has captured Jerry Brown's life in his own words as recounted that weekend, lightly edited and elaborated. Of Mules and Mud is illustrated with photos from all phases of Brown's life, including a color gallery of 28 photos of vessel forms made by Brown throughout his career that collectors of folk pottery will find invaluable.

"Hooray for clay! Projects that put clay and ceramics centre stage are invaluable - be it in architecture, public sculpture, cups and saucers on your breakfast table, passing on an understanding of the material is invaluable. Clayground Collective are true clay ambassadors. Their extraordinary work is exemplary."--Kate Malone, Ceramic Artist; Judge, BBCTV Great Pottery Throw Down *** "This is not a "how to" book but a "Can you?" book. There is a real passion to discover though materials. This book challenges those with specialist skills to engage the public in that discovery and provides a route to get started."--Amanda Bright, Head of School of Art, U. of Brighton *** "If you're a practitioner setting out to work with schools and the public where do you go for advice? Clay in Common is a great starting point."--Steve Moffitt, Chief Executive, A New Direction *** As clay and ceramic courses decline in schools, craft and hand skills risk being lost. Clay in Common makes a strong case for the vital role of clay in schools and wider society. For teachers, parents, school governors, artist-facilitators and education policy-makers, the book has detailed case studies with ideas for projects and activities that can bridge school and community life. [Subject: Art Studies, Education]