What is stoneware pottery and how is it made?

Stoneware is a broad class of vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. It is fired at relatively high temperatures ranging from approximately 1,100 °C to 1,300 °C, making it hard, dense, and impervious to water. Unlike earthenware, it does not strictly require a glaze to hold liquids, though it is normally glazed.

What we know

• Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic produced primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. [1, 2]
• Stoneware is fired at temperatures between about 1,100 °C and 1,300 °C. [2]
• Stoneware is dense, hard, and impermeable to water. [2]
• Stoneware is usually coloured grey or brownish due to impurities in the clay and is normally glazed. [2]

Still open

• Traditional East Asian terminology does not recognize stoneware as an intermediate category, instead classifying many local stonewares as porcelain.

Where to go next

• compared withHow does earthenware differ from stoneware?
• the bigger pictureWhat defines porcelain ceramic material?
• how it workedHow do ceramic kilns reach high temperatures?
• a case in pointWhat are Chinese Ding wares?
• whenHow did Japanese pottery develop over time?
• an unexpected connectionHow did Iraqi potters inspire Chinese ceramics?Iraqi craftsmen in Basra initially sought to imitate imported white Chinese stoneware, which subsequently led to the invention of blue and white pottery that influenced later Chinese ceramic production.

Sources

• [1]stoneware (Wikidata Q830894) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Stoneware · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Earthenware · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Japanese pottery and porcelain · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Blue and white pottery · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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7. /What is stoneware pottery and how is it made?