Asian Pottery

Some of the oldest pottery still in existence dates back to prehistoric Japan. During the epoch from 10,000 B.C. to around 4,500 B.C., the Japanese produced some surprisingly sophisticated and ornate pieces of pottery. Chinese pottery has a similarly ancient pedigree--artifacts date back to at least 4,000 B.C., if not earlier. These pieces were both ornamental and purposeful.What is Asian pottery, and how is it made? Asian pottery is made from heated clay, which is a sedimentary byproduct of the smallest possible sedimentary grain (or 'chi') size. Geologists actually tell clay apart from grainier sandstone by biting into pieces of rocks and seeing if they taste chalky or grainy. Clay gets mixed with water and then superheated to temperatures approaching 1,000 degrees Celsius to lock in low porosity and hardness.Clay can be left as it is or glazed and then re-fired. 'China' is a special kind of porcelain pottery made from a unique admixture of the clay kaolin and the mineral feldspar. Believe it or not, most china is produced in one city in the world: Jingdezhen, China. Pottery has played enormous and defining roles in China's history. During the Ming Dynasty and subsequent Qing Dynasty, artisans demonstrated their fealty to the government or lack thereof via how they decorated their pottery.Designs on Chinese pottery reflected the hopes and fears of the times. During periods of war and famine, pottery was often used as a subtle, yet ultimately dramatic, way to reflect history. During times of plenty, Chinese pottery became an important medium for decorative artists. Indeed, Asian pottery has recorded the living history of Asia perhaps better than any other artistic medium.