Slip, a form of liquid clay, has been used since ancient times to add color and texture to ceramics. This method of clay decoration, practiced from Rome to Mesoamerica, continues to develop internationally. Slips allow ceramicists to give their works rich, intriguing surfaces in a range of hues. In "Techniques Using Slips," expert potter John Mathieson explains how to formulate and apply slips successfully to embellish earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain."Techniques Using Slips" gives step-by-step lessons on working with slips alone or with glaze using a range of firing methods. Beginning with a brief history of decorative slips over the millennia, this handbook guides readers through basic slip mixing and application methods, including sponging, marbling, stenciling, trailing, sgraffito, and inlay. Mathieson and forty of the world's best ceramic artists open their studios as they complete inspiring projects, revealing everything from the clays they use and englobe recipes to firing temperatures. Their artwork and techniques come to life in dozens of full-color photographs. In addition to creative approaches, "Techniques Using Slips" covers practical aspects of slip work, including equipment recommendations, supplier contact information, and important safety guidelines.With more than 170 illustrations and clear, encouraging instruction, "Techniques Using Slips" is a must for any potter's library. Ceramic artists and educators will turn to this handbook again and again for direction and insight.

A growing number of ceramic artists now choose not to glaze their work. Instead, they use an unglazed-naked-surface to express their ideas and concerns. From slips and terra sigillata to burnishing, engobes, oxide washes, and additions to the clay body, there is a wide range of techniques artists can employ to achieve the finishes they desire. As these techniques are suitable for a broad spectrum of processes, subject matter and context (from slipcasting to handbuilding, from high to low firing temperatures, from figurative to conceptual, from domestic to public), the scope of the work produced by the artists represented in this book is enormous. In Naked Clay Jane Perryman not only presents the finished ceramics and techniques of an international group of artists, she also investigates their ideas and areas of inspiration to further an understanding of their work. Each artist presented here has a unique style and way of working, but they are all connected through their committed relationship to the material and their desire to express their ideas using "naked" clay. This beautifully illustrated book will inform and inspire not only students, professionals, and teachers, it will fascinate collectors and, indeed, anyone with an interest in contemporary ceramics.

Let go of your pretensions squeeze, shape, knead & play your way to spiritual growth.

I am being formed by the clay. I am reconnecting with the earth, and with the other basic elements, too air, water, fire and life itself. Every gesture leaves its trail in the clay. Every fingerprint, a message. My breath fills the cavity. My touch curves the wall of a bowl. And inwardly, I am being formed by the outward practice. I am learning to trust the process, to lean into the possibilities rather than striving for some predetermined goal. I am being hollowed out, stretched and constricted, trimmed and sometimes reworked entirely. from the Prologue

Drawing from her first-hand experience of working with clay, Marjory Zoet Bankson takes you through the seven-step process of making clay into a pot, drawing parallels at each stage to the process of spiritual growth: Grounding Connecting with our core elements Kneading Awakening to the inner realm Centering Gathering everything togetherShaping Focusing inner and outer pressures Finishing Trimming away the excessDecorating Adding a playful touch Firing Committing to transformation

This simple connection with the earth has the potential to put you in touch with the whole of creation and, at the same time, your soul s longing to participate as an artist, creating something new and unique.

Through reflective questions in each chapter along with a wealth of unique clay projects that even beginners can do Bankson invites you on a journey of spiritual discovery, a path of reconnecting with your body and spirit, and with the earth itself."

Written by Bernard Leach, the father of British studio pottery, this seminal book is the first treatise to be written by a potter on the workshop traditions handed down from the greatest period of Chinese ceramics in the Sung dynasty. With this book, potters can learn everything from how to adapt recipes for pigments and glazes to designing kilns.

A major figure in the Arte Povera movement of the late 1960s, the renowned Italian artist Giuseppe Penone is known for his exploration of the relationship between art and the natural world in a body of work that includes sculpture, performance, works on paper, and even garden design. His first works in porcelain, the exquisite disks presented here draw attention to the moment of touch—the convergence of surface and skin—that underpins so much of his work. Published to accompany The Frick Collection, New York’s temporary installation of works by Penone, this new volume comprises eleven porcelain disks that the artist made during his 2013 residency at the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, the influential porcelain factory founded in the 18th century. A continuation of his Propagazioni (Propagations) series, begun in 1995, which includes various media, each disk bears the imprint of one of the artist’s fingertips. One of them is in gold, its imprint a variation on the artist’s index finger. Never before presented to the public, the installation of the disks in a gallery adjacent to the Frick’s early Italian paintings on gold grounds and the porcelain room kindles a rich artistic dialogue with both porcelain and gold.

“Roll-up-your-sleeves advice on throwing pottery, growing dahlias, cooking her tried-and-true recipes, and everything in between.”—Martha Stewart Living“Suited to any type of creative, offering up lessons on inspiration and creativity that are sure to bring out your inner talent.” —House Beautiful, Best New Design Books What makes a creative life? For an artist like Frances Palmer, it’s knitting all of one’s passions—all of one’s creativity—into the whole of life. And what an inspiration it is. A renowned potter, an entrepreneur, a gardener, a photographer, a cook, a beekeeper, Palmer has over the course of three decades caught the attention not only of the countless people who collect and use her ceramics but also of designers and design lovers, writers, and fellow artists who marvel at her example. Now, in her first book, she finally tells her story, in her own words and images, distilling from her experiences lessons that will inspire a new generation of makers and entrepreneurs.Life in the Studio is as beautiful and unexpected as Palmer’s pottery, as breathtakingly colorful as her celebrated dahlias, as intimate as the dinners she hosts in her studio for friends and family. There are insights into making pots—the importance of centering, the discovery that clay has a memory. Strategies for how to turn a passion into a business—the value to be found in collaboration, what it means to persevere, how to develop and stick to a routine that will sustain both enthusiasm and productivity. There are also step-by-step instructions (for throwing her beloved Sabine pot, growing dahlias, building an opulent flower arrangement). Even some of her most tried-and-true recipes. The result is a portrait of a unique artist and a singularly generous manual on how to live a creative life.

Clay body additions can introduce remarkable new forms and textures in ceramic work. With an emphasis on creativity and experimentation, ceramicist Kathleen Standen reveals a range of possible effects, and profiles the extraordinary work of contemporary makers using additions in their practice. Beginning with an introduction to collecting local clay and making your own clay bodies, the book moves on to cover the array of additions being used by artists today, from hard materials like stones, glass and rust, to combustible matter and fibre, metals including wire and mesh, and colour in various forms. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout with both unique making methods and the beautiful finished works of ceramic artists from around the world. Additions to Clay Bodies is an inspiring introduction to the art of using additions and an essential companion for any artist wishing to expand their practice.

Greek myth-makers crafted the downfall of Troy and its rulers into an archetypal illustration of ruthless conquest, deceit, crime and punishment, and the variability of human fortunes. This book examines the major episodes in the archetypal myth - the murder of Priam, the rape of Kassandra, the reunion of Helen and Menelaos, and the escape of Aineias - as witnessed in Archaic Greek epic, fifth-century Athenian drama, and Athenian black- and red-figure vase painting. It focuses in particular on the narrative artistry with which poets and painters balanced these episodes with one another and intertwined them with other chapters in the story of Troy. The author offers the first comprehensive demonstration of the narrative centrality of the Ilioupersis myth within the corpus of Trojan epic poetry, and the first systematic study of pictorial juxtapositions of Ilioupersis scenes on painted vases.

The evolution and proliferation of plain and predominantly wheel-made pottery presents a characteristic feature of the societies of the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean since the fourth millennium B.C. This plain pottery has received little detailed archaeological attention in comparison to aesthetically more pleasing and chronologically sensitive decorated traditions. Yet, their simplicity and standardization suggest they are products of craft specialists, the result of high-volume production, and therefore important in understanding the social systems in early complex societies. This volume-reevaluates the role and significance of plain pottery traditions from both historically specific perspectives and from a comparative point of view;-examines the uses and functions of this pottery in relation to social negotiation and group identity formation;-helps scholars understand cross-regional similarities in development and use.

This one-of-a-kind book describes some 1400 different glass cutters collected from around the world by the author during the past 35 years. A brief history of flat window glass describes its manufacture, application, taxation, etc. from the time of the Romans, through France and England to the United States. The early use of flint tools and grozing yrnes for cutting and shaping the glass is noted. These tools were used for shaping the stained glass in the early cathedrals. Five hundred U.S. glass cutter patents and 28 U.S. glass cutter design patents beginning in 1860 through 2009 are listed by date, inventor, and title. A list of corporate, product line, distributor, etc. names are also described further as being in one or more of the 23 "Style Categories" the author has set up that show pictures of 600 cutters and detailed descriptions of all 1400 different glass cutters. An extensive bibliography is included.

When your favorite cup is broken, kitsugi can bring new life. Instead of lamenting the breakage embrace and love the opportunity to create something new and beautiful through mending. This is the appeal of kintsugi. Kintsugi is the mindful Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics and glassware by appreciating the cracks and chips as design elements--bringing new life to cherished items. Kintsugi:The Wabi Sabi Art of Japanese Ceramic Repair shares traditional methods you can practice in your own home. Step-by-step lessons in repairs suited to every level of experiences--filling cracks to completely rebuilding and finishing a broken piece--fill the pages of this in-depth yet unintimidating guide. Ceramics and lacquer guru Kaori Mochinaga offers a complete course in using urushi lacquer and metallic powder in the traditional Japanese way. Your broken piece soon becomes whole again, and more meaningful than ever before. From assessing the damages and selecting the repair methods, to applying the finishing touches, you'll learn all the essential kintsugi techniques, including: How to seal a fine crack or repair a chipped rim Techniques for rebuilding a shard, restoring a handle, even reconstructing a multi-shard piece And much more--and all of it with the use of non-toxic lacquers and powders There's something here for every type of repair--from clean, simple breaks to more challenging reconstructions as you learn the techniques. Assemble your tools, set up your workspace, and let this book guide you through the mindful art of kintsugi!

The total number of extant Apulian red-figured vases cannot fall far short of 10,000, and the present work (the first of two volumes) is the first attempt to survey the history and development of the fabric as a whole, from its beginnings in the later fifth century BC to its end around 300. It does not attempt to give a complete corpus, but the authors have tried to include all the more significant workshops and to give a representative selection of the minor pieces. Many Apulian vases display a very high level of technical and artistic competence, and the representations upon them are often of remarkable interest, not only for their illustrations of mythological and theatrical themes but also for the light they shed upon the daily life, customs, and religious beliefs of the Greek colonists and native inhabitants of Apulia.

The ultimate guide to understanding and creating dry glazes. This book covers everything you need to know to understand and create dry glazes. Dry glazes are used by many potters - Lucie Rie and Hans Coper are well-known examples - and often by ceramicists creating sculpture, where a shiny glaze is not appropriate. Learn all about slips and engobes, oxides and stains, matt glazes and low alumina surfaces, textured and pitted glazes as well as what makes up dry glazes and how to create them. The book is beautifully illustrated with famous artists' work, as well as many test tiles of examples of dry glazes with their corresponding recipes, making it a valuable resource for ceramicists working in this area or anyone curious to explore the medium.

This rich account of potters in a southern Catalan village traces the history of pottery production and marketing and the responses of the potters to changing contexts of consumption. By juxtaposing the local, micro-history of a small group of producers (numbering no more than fifty people) with that of Spain's changing economic and social climate, the author presents a local perspective of producers as affected by and acting upon global developments, ultimately localizing the European transition to one single integrated market economy. Maintaining a dual focus on subject and object, and thereby combining social and material history, this book demonstrates how physical transformations in the pottery resulted from and affected its role in the social relations people formed as they produced, marketed and consumed it. Rob van Veggel obtained his PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago and has since been applying his insights into material culture in product development research, marketing, brand strategy and governmental policies.

Conservation and Restoration of Glass is an in-depth guide to the materials and practices required for the care and preservation of glass objects. It provides thorough coverage of both theoretical and practical aspects of glass conservation. This new edition of Newton and Davison's original book, Conservation of Glass, includes sections on the nature of glass, the historical development and technology of glassmaking, and the deterioration of glass. Professional conservators will welcome the inclusion of recommendations for examination and documentation. Incorporating treatment of both excavated glass and historic and decorative glass, the book provides the knowledge required by conservators and restorers and is invaluable for anyone with glass objects in their care.

The late nineteenth-century Biloxi potter, George Ohr, was considered an eccentric in his time but has emerged as a major figure in American art since the discovery of thousands of examples of his work in the 1960s. Currently, Ohr is celebrated as a solitary genius who foreshadowed modern art movements. While an intriguing narrative, this view offers a narrow understanding of the man and his work that has hindered serious consideration. Ellen J. Lippert, in her expansive study of Ohr and his Gilded Age context, counters this fable. The tumultuous historical moment that Ohr inhabited was a formative force in his life and work. Using primary documentation, Lippert identifies specific cultural changes that had the most impact on Ohr. Developments in visual display and the altered role of artists, the southerner redefined in the wake of the Civil War, interest in handicraft as an alternative to rampant mass production, emerging tenets of social thought seeking to remedy worker exploitation, and new assessments of morals and beauty as a result of collapsed ideals all played into the positioning Ohr purposefully designed for himself. The second part of Lippert's study applies these observations to Ohr's body of work, interpreting his stylistic originality to be expressions of the contradictions and oppositions particular to late nineteenth-century America. Ohr threw his inspiration into being both the sophisticate and the ""rube,"" the commercial huckster and the selfless artist, the socialist and the individualist, the ""old-fashioned"" craftsman and the ""artist-genius."" He created art pottery as both a salable commodity and a priceless creation. His work could be ugly and deformed (or even obscene) and beautiful. Lippert reveals that far from isolated, Ohr and his creations were very much products of his inspired engagement with the late nineteenth century.

Time in a bottle; this is a collection that explores the unlocking of history through the identification of its unique seals, using crests and coats-of-arms as the 'keys' towards identifying the original owner. This three-volume collection examines the evolution of the sealed bottle from the 1640s to the late 1800s and provides a detailed description to accompany each entry, supported by numerous photographs, including the number of examples known, their condition, and the collections where the bottles and detached seals are held. The laying down of wine to improve its quality and longevity related to the social history of the day, the design of the bottles, their evolution and manufacture, are a reflection of the individuals who ordered and used the bottles at home or in the private gentlemen's clubs, much influenced by the historic events of the 17th through to the 20th centuries. Wine consumption has a place in cultural history; these collected bottles existed at times of incredible upheaval and social change. From the early colonial settlements of the New World, into the slave markets of Richmond, VA, New Orleans, Charleston, SC, and Philadelphia, and with the plantation owners who amassed vast wealth and prestige as a result of this trade. In the taverns and coffee houses of London, alongside the bear baiting and cock fighting to be found across the River Thames in Southwark, in the cellars of the Oxford colleges and Inns of Court, these sealed bottles give much information on the early drinking habits of the aspiring and upwardly mobile, and the established aristocracy.

If you enjoy the adventure of alternative firing but have only an electric kiln, this is the guide for you. Learn how to use an electric kiln to attain the natural earthy colors and spontaneous patterns of alternative firing methods. Step-by-step instructions together with nearly 200 photos show how to get good results with saggar firing in an electric kiln, without damaging your kiln. Understand every aspect, from making the saggar and understanding your work's requirements to using terra sigillata, firing the kiln, and more. Along with clearly supplying the exact parameters you need to succeed, the guidance here also allows you the space to experiment and use your own creativity. This resource helps you extend your work with the colors and freedom of alternative firing.

Discover a world of creative and colourful jewellery making from the comfort of your own home. In this comprehensive guide to modern polymer clay techniques, artist and designer Heidi Helyard reveals the simple techniques that can be used to create one-off, contemporary jewellery pieces with minimal tools and equipment. Polymer clay is possibly one of the most accessible yet versatile art materials currently available. As readily accessible and easy to use as paint, you can make everything (and anything) with it, from sculptures and figurines, to artworks, decorations, homewares, and wearable jewellery. It's lightweight, flexible and strong. No special tools or equipment is required to cure it, it is relatively cheap, and you only need to start with the primary colours, plus black and white, to mix any colour you like. Polymer clay, which has been around for nearly 80 years, is currently finding itself popular amongst contemporary jewellery makers as the bright colours and sheer versatility of the material allows makers to create bold and graphic modern designs. The beauty of polymer clay is that it presents so many opportunities to explore colour combinations, patterns and texture. In this book you will learn 10 easy yet exciting techniques including slab and cane making, marbling and colour mixing, inlay techniques, printing onto clay, surface embellishments and more to create 20 unique jewellery pieces. The projects in this book vary in complexity, but are accessible to both novice and advanced makers alike. If you are a beginner, the extensive step-by-step photos and instructions will help you develop your polymer clay skills and complete the projects with confidence. As you build your skills and learn the techniques via the book, you will realise that you can combine techniques to create all-new results. The skills you learn in this book will open up a limitless world of further experimentation for you to discover. Just make, bake and wear!

With the invention of eyeglasses around 1280 near Pisa, the mundane medium of glass transformed early modern optical technology and visuality. It also significantly influenced contemporaneous art, religion, and science. References to glass are found throughout the Bible and in medieval hagiography and poetry. For instance, glass is mentioned in descriptions of Heavenly Jerusalem, the Beatific Vision, and the Incarnation. At the same time, a well-known Islamic scientific treatise, which likened a portion of the eye's anatomy to glass, entered the scientific circles of the Latin West. Amidst this complex web of glass-related phenomena early modern Italian artists used glass in some of their most important artworks but, until now, no study has offered a comprehensive consideration of the important role glass played in shaping the art of the Italian Renaissance. Seeing Renaissance Glass explores how artists such as Giotto, Duccio, Nicola Pisano, Simone Martini, and others employed the medium of glass-whether it be depictions of glass or actual glass in the form of stained glass, gilded glass, and transparent glass-to resonate with the period's complex visuality and achieve their artistic goals. Such an interdisciplinary approach to the visual culture of early modern Italy is particularly well-suited to an introductory humanities course as well as classes on media studies and late medieval and early Renaissance art history. It is also ideal for a general reader interested in art history or issues of materiality.

Contemporary Raku is a complete guide to this exciting, dramatic and beautiful art form. It explains the making, glazing and firing methods employed for producing Raku-ware, and features contributions and insights from leading makers. Recognizing the deeper values of the practice, the book also considers the influences and sources of inspiration behind the work of these makers. It introduces the necessary tools and equipment, and advises on essential health and safety measures. It explains how to make vessels and forms with step-by-step photo sequences. Recipes for clay bodies and glazes for the beginner and the more experienced maker are included. Details are given on the Raku-firing process and the range of kilns used. Finally, it explores the practice of 'Naked Raku'. With over 300 illustrations, it is a stunning and detailed account to this magical process.