Ceramics

Ceramics is the umbrella term for items fashioned from clay and hardened by heat. Earthenware is created from clays containing various impurities that limit the firing temperature to between 1472 and 2012°F and often richly color the ware. Earthenware is less sturdy than items fired at higher temperatures, and the vessel that results remains porous unless a glaze is applied. The relatively low temperature allows for a wide range of minerals (including lead) and colors in the glazes, which do not fuse to the body. Earthenware is susceptible to chipping.