Handmade ceramics combine the individuality of craft with beauty and durability. This article introduces the process of shaping, drying, firing and decorating clay, reflecting on the qualities of functional and decorative pieces and the personality each maker brings to their work.
An adapted chapter from my monograph on art therapy through a Jungian approach. I explore the relationships between ceramics, technique, symbolism and functionality, drawing on authors including Rawson, Ortega y Gasset and Neumann to reflect on craft, creative freedom and everyday life.
Hello everyone! Just as wine enthusiasts choose particular glasses, tea drinkers favour particular shapes for drinking tea. The type of tea, the region where its leaves are grown and even the drinker’s climate all influence that choice. […]
Hello everyone! Today I will explore types of kiln used historically in the Japanese archipelago. Although many Japanese potters now use electric kilns, which are easier to operate, some continue traditional practices. These kiln designs have also spread worldwide. […]
Hello! This week I continue the subject by describing ceramic use in particular ceremonial contexts, drawing on Suma Etnológica Brasileira, Vol. 2. These accounts should be read within their historical and cultural contexts, without generalisation to all Indigenous peoples of Brazil. […]
Hello everyone! This is a subject I have wanted to explore on the blog for a long time. After reading an excellent book on Indigenous ceramics, I would like to share some of what I learnt. This first part considers ceramic-production processes described in the sources. […]
Hello everyone! Last week I discussed the early history of chawans in Japan, including pieces introduced from China and Korea. This week I will continue the story, exploring how Japan developed its own language of tea-bowl making. […]
Hello! Chawan is Japanese for tea bowl. Tea has long been drunk from bowls in East Asia, and these vessels became essential to tea masters and enthusiasts. Today I will explore how tastes in tea bowls changed over the centuries. […]
Hello! Today I will write about a Chinese city I would very much like to visit: Jingdezhen (景德镇), renowned for porcelain production. Known as the porcelain capital, it has a long history of ceramic manufacture. […]
Hello! You have probably seen Portuguese tiles with blue decoration on white faience, or Chinese vases with blue brushwork. That blue comes from a cobalt-based pigment. This article explores its history and its use in ceramics. […]