Pottery

Humans started producing grains in large quantity. For storing these food grains, they needed some big pots. The need for pots began when humans started practising agriculture. All pottery objects are made of clay. Clay is a sticky, wet type of soil. When it is baked in an oven, it becomes hard. The art of making useful things from clay is pottery. A special oven called 'kiln' is used for this purpose. Bricks are also made strong by making in fire kilns. Earlier, humans used to make pots of clay by pinching or coiling the clay into shape with their hands. They were then dried and put into fire to make them stronger. Later, the Potter's wheel was invented. A piece of clay is placed on a flat round disc is the potter's wheel.

As the wheel spins, the potter pulls the clay upwards to give a particular shape. The wheel helps to give the pot a shape. It is then removed from the wheel by placing a thin wire under it. It is then fired in a kiln. Later, people began to make pots of different shapes and sizes to cook and serve food.

GLAZED POTTERY

The potter often gives the pot a shiny coating called glaze. Glaze gives colours to the pots and makes them smooth and waterproof. There are three different types of pots. They are coil pots, pinch and basket pots.

• COIL POTS- Rings are made by making coils of clay. These rings are placed one above the other to make a pot.
• PINCH POTS- The shape to the pot is given by pinching the clay between the fingers and thumb to give them desired shape.
• BASKET POTS- Clay is put in a basket and then the pot is made. When it is placed in fire, the basket gets burnt and the pot retains the shape of the basket.

POTTERY FAMOUS IN INDIA - Modern pottery is more stylistic and decorative. It is glazed with a smooth, lustrous coating. Artists then paint these ceramic pots to make decorative modern pottery. Ceramic articles are very popular today. It makes the clay pots strong and durable. Baked clay pots and seals were used by people of the Indus Valley civilisation.

(1) PAPER-THIN POTTERY: Paper-thin pottery is called 'kagzi'in Alwar (Rajasthan). These pots are of unglazed variety. Kutch, kanpur and Alwar are famous for paper-thin pottery.

(2) BLACK POTTERY: Nizamabad in Uttar Pradesh is famous for black pottery with silver designs on it. Kangra is famous for black pottery.

(3) THIN POTTERY: Meerut is famous for thin-necked water containers called surahis. They have a variety of designs and size of beautiful architecture.

(4) GLAZED POTTERY: Delhi, Amritsar and Jaipur are famous for glazed pottery. These pots have white background and blue-green patterns are made on them.

We use things such as pots, vase, handi, diyas and kulhads all are made of this clay only. Ghatam, a musical instrument is also made of clay. Generally, small town and village children also played with toys made from clay.

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