Smoke
Fired Pottery. |
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Smoke
firing is as ancient as pottery its self. The Clay is heated to harden it into
usable pottery. |
Originally this was done in an open fire or the pot was placed in a mound of combustible materiel, still the method of firing pots in many parts of the world.
| Nowadays we tend to use Kilns, as they are fuel economic and efficient. Smoke firing is used instead as a method of getting soft earthy tones on the finished pot. |
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| If the pots are carefully wrapped in leaves and flowers soft shadows of the plants are permanently burnt into the pottery |
Next the sawdust etc. is set alight and left to burn away. A bin can be used ,or a construction or fire bricks or even a pit in the ground as long as the air can circulate to fan the fire |
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| Smoke firing is what pottery is all about, being outdoors messing about with fire and smoke to create beautiful and surprising things ! | The effects produced depend on the temperature reached, the type of finish on the clay, and chemicals can be added to the fire; e.g., salt ,copper sulphate etc.
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