Material Study

Earthenware
 What is Earthenware?

Earthenware is a low-
fired pottery made from
porous clay that is fired at
relatively low temperature
and not to
vitrification(transformation
into a glass-like surface).
It comprises all primitive
pottery,whatever the
colour,all terracottas and
most building bricks as
well.
Classification
There are several types of earthenware:
Terracotta
Tin glazed pottery or Faience
Majolica
Delftware
Lead-glazed earthenware
Creamware,etc.
1. Faience- tin-glazed
earthenware made in France
Germany, Spain and
Scandinavia.Tin-glaze used in
faienceis actually a lead glaze
that has been rendered white
& opaque by the addition of tin
oxide.
2. Majolica(or maiolica) is a tin-
glazed earthenware made i
Italy.
3. Earthenware made in
Netherlands and England is
called delft.
4. When the earthenware body to
which the glaze is applied has
a cream colour, the product is
called creamware.
 Properties/ Characteristics
Since Earthenware is not fired to
the point of vitrification, it is
slightly porous and coarser
than stoneware & porcelain.
For all practical & decorative
reasons,earthenware is usually
glazed.Glazed earthenware is
opaque and easily decorated.
To overcome porosity,which
makes it impracticable for storing
liquids, the fired object is covered
with finely ground glass powder
suspended in water and is then
fired a second time.During the
firing, the fine particles covering
the surface fuse into a glass-like
layer sealing its pores.
 Colours may be red,for bodies
with a high iron-oxide content to
white.
Clay, the basic material of pottery,
has two distinctive characteristics:
it is plastic i.e. it can be moulded
and will retain the shape imposed
on it and it hardens on firing to
form a brittle but otherwise
indestructible material that is not
attacked by any of the agents
that corrode metals or organic
materials.
Firing also protects the clay body
against the effects of water.
1. Red clay: This sedimentary clay is probably the
most common clay in nature where numerous
lower melting inclusions(impurities such as
alkalies & iron) lower its maturation temperature.
2. Adobe clay: It is the clay from near the Earth's
surface and which has proven acceptable for
making sun-dried bricks. It isusually very sandy
and not very plastic.
Red clay and Adobe clay
 The blend of materials in earthenware varies
depending on the region, but it generally
includes minerals such as quartz and feldspar,
and china clay which is more of a mineralized
form.These materials are ground so that they
have an even texture, and they are worked on
wheel or by hand into the desired shape.
 Uses

Glazed earthenware is often painted in a range of colours an

designs, widely used to make kitchenware.
Plain earthenware is not watertight, because it is porous.Terracotta
is an example of this type and is left unglazed or lightly glazed for
the purpose of growing plants.
Pottery to be used as dinnerware and art is usually glazed for
decorative and practical reasons.
In the case of dinnerware, glazing prevents fluids from seeping
into and through the earthenware, and the glazing is often quite
colorful and beautiful as well.
Art pieces made with pottery may be glazed or covered in a thin
layer of slip, a suspension of clay in water.
Terracotta pots and kitchenware
Earth Architecture

Earth is a natural building material that is at

once traditional and modern. In recent years it
has advanced to become a high-quality material.
Its aesthetic qualities and character along with
its beneficial effect on the indoor climate and
general well-being are widely recognised. Of
particular relevance are its environmental
properties, for example the incomparably low
energy balance of many earth building materials.
As an authentic historical building material, earth
is also widely used in the conservation and
renovation of historic buildings.
Koudougou Central Market
School in Rudrapur
Adobe Museum: Buddha Repository
Redding Residence