When the clay turns into pottery

The teapots and cups at Nam An Craft are made from white clay. This type of soil has been soaked in the soaking tub for many days, and is screened for fine clay particles and no impurities. After being treated carefully, the white clay is shaped by gypsum molds.

The ceramic mold helps the product evenly to suit the presentation and placement requirements in the kitchen of restaurants. When coming out of the mold, there will be more steps to trim the excess soil, then dry it to the sun. A bit of haste to bring the dried-out items to the kiln completely, might pay the price of a batch of kiln failure.

With the first burning time called pre-heating at 600-900 Celsius degrees, after burning the euphoria changes into a new body is terracotta. This stage helps the clay to form into a more rigid form, to facilitate the decoration and enameling.

Terracotta is still porous and easy to break, so the ceramic decorator still needs care and experience. Once my friend visited the workshop, he sat drawing with me, the two gathered drunk so neither of them looked at any of them. After he finished drawing, he turned to show me a ceramic teacup with a water-wave pattern covered, me and him haven’t stopped enjoying it, then, the cup and the handle have separated. I forgot to tell him not to hold the handle when drawing the cup, it is still very weak. I remember his face back then, withering like a broken cup.

Pottery glaze can be coated before or after painting, depending on the type of glaze and the intent of the maker. Glazes with no visible bone transparency, you can only paint after glazing, a dirty job if you are really unfamiliar with the job. Laminating the ceramic is also a very attention-grabbing step, as we are not allowed to leave fingerprints on the enamel surface if it is not a design intent. There is a strong way to use enamel spray, but my feeling is that I do not like it if the ceramic glaze has more than one color, I like the streaks or the slight ripple caused by the manual glaze. 

Through the process of enameling flowers and leaves, the terracotta friends are ready for the second firing, at 1,200-1,250 degrees, step through this fire, the terracotta friends become pottery, porcelain, solid dishes, with all the colors of yeast.

Only when they have pottery, the people who transform the clay will be called to fulfill the mission, then the pottery will go to banquet tables all over the region, beautifying dishes and drinks, delighting the chefs and the users.