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Ceramic Vase
The
word ceramic comes from the Greek word ‘keramos’ meaning pottery.
It is related to an old Sanskrit root meaning ‘to burn’ but was
primarily used to mean ‘burnt stuff’. Ceramic is a non metallic
material made from clay and hardened by firing at higher
temperature. It contains minute silicate crystals suspended in
glassy cement. The story of ceramics may have begun as early as
30,000 years ago. The discovery that fire made soft crumbly clay
shapes permanent is the beginning of ceramics. Ceramic invention
happened independently in different parts of the world – Europe,
east and west Asia, Africa, the Americas and in the Pacific.
Ceramic pottery is of different types based on the region in which
it is made and the type of clay from which ceramic is made. An
example of this is the ceramic of Talavera. Talavera is a type of
majolica earthenware, a white glazed type of ceramic. Talavera is
the oldest tin-glazed ceramic in America and is still manufactured
with the same technique as in the 16th century. It is
believed that the development of ceramic pottery first began in
the western part of Asia or the Middle East as we call it. At
least around 6500 BC the making of ceramic figurines and pottery
were well established in many villages of Western Asia. After the
invention of pottery in the Neolithic period, the ancient Chinese
succeeded in producing painted pottery, black pottery and carved
pottery. As a result of the long years of experience in kiln
firing, China entered the ceramic age during the reign of the Han
dynasty. Chinese ceramic vases are very valuable, expensive and
exquisite.
Ceramic vases not only look beautiful and delicate but also
elegant. Their beauty depends on the method in which they are made
as well as the style they are made in.
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