Difference Between Pottery and Ceramics

Pottery vs. Ceramics

When one says pottery or ceramics, people tend to relate them easily with clays. For thousands of years these two have been part of the culture of humankind. It has been around throughout history. There have been artistic jars and tiles which are evident in the historical places of the world. Up until now it is still widely used by many people in their homes and work space. However, people still get confused about the differences between the two. People mistake one for the other. So, how should pottery and ceramics be properly defined?

Ceramics are made out of materials that changes form permanently when heated. An example of this is clay. The clay, when heated and molded into the form desired, will permanently stay in that shape after heating and dipping it into water.

Clays, however, are not the only materials that can be converted into ceramics. Glazes, silica and zirconium oxide may also be turned into ceramic materials. This is because these materials can be changed when heated and stay in the form it is molded into.

Potteries on the other hand are ceramics made out of clay and molded into a form which looks like containers of something. Pots are made through molding the clay on a spinning table while the potter molds the pot as it spins in his fingers. Do you remember the film Ghost? The part where Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore made a sexy scene from the sensual act of creating a pot? That would be a perfect scene where one can see how pots are really made.

The oldest kind of ceramics is pottery. These days, ceramics are heated and have a different process than the simple pottery. This is to make the ceramic product have a smoother surface. Both ceramics and pottery are used not only for furniture, but also for artistic purposes.

Ceramics have a broad range of products. It is not just made out of clay, however all clays are ceramics. Knives, armors, and car engines are sometimes made out of ceramics, which only defines how broad the ceramic production is.

On the other hand, pottery is limited only to clay and is limited to one form only, a pot. Pottery is a type of ceramic which has been used for a long time already, and it is still used now.

These are some of the major and minor differences of pottery and ceramics. With this you will definitely distinguish the difference between the two.

SUMMARY:

1.

Ceramics are not only made by clay but also other materials like glazes, while pottery is made up of only clay.
2.

Pottery is a form of ceramics. Ceramics is a broader aspect of molding certain materials into something artistic or something of use.
3.

Ceramics have a smoother surface with the new techniques of molding being used on it, pottery is still rough because of the old fashion ways it is created.

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