10 Exciting Fun Facts About Pottery: Unearth the Secrets of This Ancient Art

1. Potter's Wheel Before Chariots

Who needs wheels when you can have pottery? Just kidding. It turns out that one of our favorite hobbies of molding clay took a spin before wheels became essential to life on the go: The potter's wheel, a hefty disk of hardened clay dating back to 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia, revolutionized the pottery game by enabling more uniform and symmetrical creations, long before the wheel started cruising on Mesopotamian chariots around 3200 BCE.
Source => idesign.wiki

2. Pinch Potting: Instant Gratification

When life gives you clay, make pinch pots: With nothing but a deft touch between your fingers and thumb, you can shape balls of clay into everyday masterpieces like bowls, mugs, or vases – all thanks to the age-old technique of pinch potting, beginner-friendly and instant gratification guaranteed.
Source => thepotterywheel.com

Did you know that clay can give you a natural facelift? Discover the beautifying powers of bentonite and kaolin clay, as they detoxify and replenish your skin with essential minerals! Get ready for your clay-over!

=> Fun Facts about Clay

3. Ancient Egyptians' Pottery DMs

Before instant messaging was even a glint in Alexander Graham Bell's eye, ancient Egyptians were already slidin' into those potter's DMs: Ostraca, pottery shards used as writing surfaces, were the go-to communication method, covering everything from dating tips to doctor's orders, and even capturing the scribbled dreams of Thoth devotees. Nowadays, these versatile pottery pieces serve as a treasure trove for Egyptologists, uncovering ancient snippets of daily life and all its juicy gossip.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Neolithic Pottery: More Than Bowls

Whoever said pottery was just a "bowl-ed" move never saw it in the Neolithic limelight: pottery from this period wasn't just for functional food storage and transportation, but also played a role in religious ceremonies, giving rise to unique styles across China, Africa, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the British Isles.
Source => craftshero.com

5. Ancient China's Pottery Supremacy

They say it's older than dirt: In fact, the world's most ancient pottery hails from China, dating back to an impressive 18,000 BCE, with the Xianrendong Cave Pottery and Yuchanyan Cave pottery showcasing its earliest uses for food storage and cooking. China's early pottery supremacy can be partially attributed to its abundant resources like clay, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz, and the humid climate – which also might explain why they created advanced ceramics like porcelain as early as the 9th century, while Europeans were still trying to figure it out in the 18th century.
Source => visual-arts-cork.com

6. The Original Bake-off

Move over, Great British Baking Show! The original Bake-off is here, and it took place during the last ice age in a Chinese cave: Fragments of pottery found in Xianrendong cave date back over 20,000 years, with Chinese and American scientists confirming this ancient art form emerged amidst icy conditions, potentially offering new insights into early human societies and pottery development.
Source => theguardian.com

7. Chinese Paleo-Pottery Pioneers

Who knew that ancient China was a pottery hot spot, breaking hearts (or pots) as far back as the Paleo-diet era? After all, ceramics-ly they must have been pioneers in more than just Kung Fu and dumplings: Turns out, pottery actually has its roots dating back to the Paleolithic era, first appearing in East Asia before making its grand world tour, with evidence suggesting that it wasn't independently developed in different regions.
Source => visual-arts-cork.com

8. Fifty Shades of Egyptian Clay

Who needs 50 shades of clay when you've got ancient Egyptian potters at your service, crafting pottery into a steamy blend of art and function: They mastered several decoration techniques, such as painting, incisions, and molding unique shapes, leading to the development of the Vienna system, a vital classification tool for authenticating pottery and understanding the chronology of ancient Egypt.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Age-Old Crackpots

Who said old pots were crackpots? : Often believed to be party animals who attended cookouts and storage wars, pottery vessels from 20,000 BCE are among the oldest objects discovered by archaeologists, showcasing fine handmade craftsmanship and intricate decorations that reveal the techniques, materials, and exhilarating lifestyles of past cultures.
Source => nationalgeographic.org

10. Modern Pottery: Mass-produced vs. Bespoke

When life gives you clay, make pottery—or at least choose between mass-produced and one-of-a-kind pieces: Modern pottery is typically classified as either commercial pottery made in factories or studio pottery handcrafted by individual artisans, offering unique and bespoke creations to adorn your humble abode.
Source => thesprucecrafts.com