 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
History of Glazing |
|
|
|
Scientists have determinded that glazing ceramic pieces started in Mesopotamia, Egypt between 2000 B.C. and 1000 B.C. The first glazes weren't anything more than a mistake. The glazes weren't applied to the pots, the first glazes were actually formed by ingrediants in the clay itself. As the pots were fired the water in them evaporated and formed a shiny blue-green coating. When such a piece was fired, the soluble sodium would have fused with the glass-forming minerals in the sand, and the particles of the copper contained in the clay body would have given its characteristic color. Once the Egyptian potters realized what was causing the color to appear they then began to add alkaline salts to produce a glassy surface and more color. By adding the alkaline salts they received a larger variety of colors.
|
|
|
|
Different kinds of glazing and pottery existed all around the globe. In Western Asia they started glazing tiles in about 1000 B.C. and then glazed bricks for architecture in 100 A.D. In Japan they discovered high-firing ash glazing around 500 B.C. The styles and tecniques changed as time went on and different pots were needed for different styles of life. |
|
|
|
The glazes had to be strong and durable for they were used for every day tasks such as holding water or storing crops. People began to experiment with the colors and quality of the glazes as they got more familiar with the glazes behavior. |
|
|
|
Back to glazes |
|