Clay Bodies

摘要

Since early times, the naturally occurring clays found near settled areas were used for making pottery. However, with time, certain clays, because of their particular composition and properties, became known for the type of ware that could best be produced from them. Examples of such sought-after clays are the stoneware clays from Westerwalt, Germany or from Staffordshire, England. Originally, only clays that could be worked in the state in which they were found were used. As technology advanced, potters learnt how to improve these natural clay bodies by limited beneficiation (the removal of unwanted constituents such as rock fragments and coarse organic material) or by blending different clays and other materials to get a body with enhanced and more consistent properties.