A 'fish pottery' craze took home decor aficionados by storm in the mid-1980s. According to most ceramic historians, fish pottery collectibles reached their apex of popularity in 1986. Today, collectors around the world still buy and trade these adorable ornaments, which feature literally dozens of kinds of fish. Fine art galleries and kitsch collectors alike adore fish pottery for its sentimental value and good humor.

Let's briefly discuss how fish pottery gets made and then address how to care for the pottery. The process begins when an artisan centers a ball of clay on a spinning wheel and pinches it to create a small opening. Essentially each piece of fish pottery starts out as a basic vase. Once this opening in the clay has been created, the potter pulls the clay apart to create a cylinder.

From this vase, the potter shapes the fish's 'extremities.' First, she stops the wheel and pinches the top of the vase to create the fish's mouth and lips. After this process, she adorns the fish with eyes, fins, and other touches. The final product than gets kiln-heated to approximately 1,200° F and then glazed with any number of colored glazes.

Many pieces of fish pottery are designed to be hung up on lines. Since these pieces are hollow (and therefore lightweight), you can experiment with a number of 'antigravity' decorating options. Keep your pottery fish away from pets and small children, though. You want these pieces to last a lifetime!