Ceramics

noun  • Ceramic: made of clay and permanently hardened by heat
Origin: from Greek keramikos, from keramos 'pottery'

noun  • Pottery: pots, dishes, and other articles made of fired clay. 
Origin: Middle English: from Old French poterie, from potier 'a potter'

- From the Oxford English Dictionary.

Since prehistoric times, humans have moulded clay into ceramic objects. Figurines, vessels, tiles, plates, and sculpture have been made over the centuries from clay, either on its own or mixed with other materials and then hardened in fire.

Pottery comprises earthenware, stoneware and porcelain ceramics. Makers shape clay using a variety of techniques, such as hand building, ‘throwing’ on a potters wheel, and pressing into a mould. The clay can be decorated, glazed, or enamelled, and is then carefully heated in a kiln to increase strength, set the shape, and harden.

Craft Scotland represent nearly 200 makers working in ceramics, across a variety of disciplines.