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Call for questions: POTTERY (Patreon)

Published:
2025-08-12 02:54:05
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Ologies debuted in September 2017 (!!!) so we're marking our accomplishment with an episode on one of the traditional 8-year anniversary gifts: pottery. I'll be interviewing heritage potters with such historical knowledge of the art they're capable of recreating historical pieces down to the grit of the clay. Their pieces are in museums, universities and homes. And they were suggested by a patron ❤️. Leave your pottery questions in the comments!

Deadline: Wednesday, August 13 at 7pm PST

Comments

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

What’s the oldest piece of pottery we know of? Where was it found and how old is it?

Catherine LaForte

Who began the art of pottery? How ancient of a practice is this?

HazHydro

How can we tell if a piece is food safe?

fulltimesnake

what is the earliest pottery we have found? was pottery invented around the time of tool use?

Zed Shirogane

What/when/where were the first pieces of pottery and glazes in human history?

Lee L

Is Great Pottery Throw Down a great show or THE GREATEST show?

zombot

What's a vase and what's a vaahhz?

Maggie Mauldin

What makes North Carolina pottery so special? What qualities make it unique?

Ara Victor

So excited! Why does pottery appear so often as artifacts in archaeological contexts? Is it so common a practice that it shows up everywhere? Is the material uniquely long lasting? It seems like every museum I go to is chock full of pottery, regardless of culture or time period

Andrew McVay

Clinker bricks… is there something like them in the pottery world?

Lee L

Did the pottery scene is Ghost have a big impact on awareness and participation among amateurs.

zombot

What gives Greek pottery that distinctive burnt yellow and black coloring?

Chuck Meriam

Can pottery be recycled, like shards ground back down and reused in some way to make more pottery?

e-rennebee

FTQA!!! my best friend is doing her phd in classical studies and told me they find a LOOOOT of pottery on digs in italy, greece, etc. because it was basically the tupperware of yesteryear. curious about the non-art, practical uses of pottery throughout time. was it always just a really handy container??

Megan R

Is there a scale for pottery thickness/strength? Like, are there well known ceramics materials that hold up better than others and what would they be?

Rachel Guthrie

In past civilizations, did broken pottery get piled up as “trash”? I believe this thought came into my brain from a past episode about garbage

zombot

Glass vs. ceramics question: How many years separate the invention of the two?

Twenty Three Skidoo

I’d love to know the origin story behind raku firing. Thanks!

zombot

Egyptian canopic jars: Discuss please.

Nicky G

How do glazes work? Is slip just ✨ magic ✨ clay?

Cyntia B

Are there modern styles of pottery which are peculiar, either because materials used, styles of objects made, other characteristics? What is the most special pottery piece you have ever seen, either modern or ancient?

Jeffrey Bradshaw

Why does clay harden so much when heated? Obviously it has to do with less water. But dry dirt isn’t as hard as ceramic

Person

Yay! Tips for those who want to do pottery at home but can’t accommodate a kiln? *also for those who are terrified of kilns

Nora Bartley

As a professional ceramicist… I can tell you that it’s still haunting us to this day.

Ella Raptor

So. Many. Questions!!!!! But I will stick with two. 1) Ceramics/pottery is an incredibly historic form of craft that has shaped human civilization, culture, and art. Where do you see the future of contemporary ceramics going especially considering that factory production works dominate the home wares section? 2) How do artists and ceramicists combat the depleting resourcing that are used in pottery? From the clay bodies, gas and wood for firings, heck my favorite glaze used spodumene and its prices skyrocketed recently due to its availability. This is my first time asking questions and I’m so excited! I am a woodworker/potter/make with everything I can-er and I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing and weird community of Ologists 🤍

Ja Jo: Art & Craft

What are some ethical and sustainability considerations should potters keep in mind since the materials are taken from the earth?

zombot

How do Korean winter storage pots work? (Never seen one, just know that they're huge and occasionally mostly underground.)

Jacob Shepherd

How long does fired clay actually last? Does it ever revert to the clay like state and can it be reused? Like will those “hills” that are Roman pottery dumps eventually turn into mineable clay deposits?

Paulina Tarr

Can you tell me more about glaze chemistry? How are there so many colors? Why do they change so much in the heat? How do glaze combinations change so much?

zombot

Around when in human (pre)history did we go from storing consumables in organic material (like gourds and skins) to earthenware?

Raja

I'm making an assumption in thinking that pottery has developed independently in various regions of the world (that have clay soils)... would love to hear about similarities and differences in processes and designs from region to region. If my assumption is accurate, that is!

Meaghan Ratcliffe

i’m curious about the ethics and sustainability of harvesting wild clay for use in pottery making. is it better because it’s straight from the source? is it damaging to the environment/ecosystems?? it’s really cool that you could potentially just take some dirt outside and make a mug with it but it raises some flags as well

Sarah with an h

Fingers crossed that the ologist is Warren MacKenzie!

Yuri

I’m most interested in: being able to dig up clay in your backyard (or wherever); and miniature throwing wheels and microwave kilns. No specific questions

Bennett Vanderbosch

I find it so fascinating that ceramics were a huge product of trade from Asia to Europe for so long until Europe finally discovered how to make ceramics on their own. (Excuse details I might be misremembering from my museum memory.) How did Europe finally uncover the mystery of pottery to be able to make things themselves?

Jennifer Lemon

Has pottery been independently invented multiple times? Or is it so ubiquitous because it’s so old that it was invented before people dispersed across the Earth?

Sarah Boudreaux

I just sent in an audio question… I don’t have another question. I just wanted to say IM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS EPISODE! I’m a potter (15+ years) and an archaeologist that studies pottery (15+ years), so this is truly up my alley! Thanks for doing this ologies!

Ashley K.

What is the oldest known pottery we have found? What was it?

El Pete

Can we talk about cow manure? For a period, my father and a group of friends / classmates made beautiful finishes by firing in cow manure. I don't recal the specifics...

Annie

how does clay have memory? i’ve heard a lot of people say this and in my experience it feels like it might be true. if you manipulate a slab of clay a lot and then try to dry it flat, it is more likely to warp than if you don’t or barely manipulate. what gives?

Alexandra Rambo

I make pottery, why does it feel so good? Is it because we evolved with it? Needing vessels to eat and drink out of? Playing with fire and realizing if we put it in the there we could use it? Or is it really just as simple as playing with mud? Mold mud, fire mud, use mud. So satisfying. Why?

Honeybee

When did the first ever vitrified pottery happen? When were humans able to produce a leakproof vessel of clay?

ScienceInTheArt

What is the chemical reaction that causes pottery to harden when fired?

Natalie Parsons

Do we have evidence of a more primitive form of baked clayware yet? Or evidence of the absence of such? I think that we might have had clay vessels in one form or another since we first cooked our food, not necessarily fired but as we wrapped small animals like hedgehogs in clay to cook them in the fire, we must have seen the use for the same clay in other ways. So is there any thoughts on this?

Honeybee

Was ancient pottery ever truly “food safe” by today’s standards?

Chelcy

The greatest!!!!! I am sure if they released the newest seasons in the US it would cure all my woes.

Matt Hirschl

Please discuss the cataclysmic impact Robert Deniro had on pottery making as a result of Meet the Fockers. Basically, is pottery discussed in BF (before Fockers) and AF (after Fockers)?

Tinnedfishfanatic

I am a huge fan of pottery, specifically wheel throwing. I wanted to know what the largest amount of clay to be thrown is by hand? That’ll give me a goal!

Mouse Paxton

Why does touching unglazed pottery make me Feel Bad? What is the most impressive piece of pottery you've ever seen? How did we figure out how to make pottery?? How are there so many colours of glazes? Why does Chinese pottery have that distinctive white base and blue paint? What is the blue paint made from? (I'm half Chinese and am very curious about this!)

Honeybee

Yesss why is it so addictive

Chelcy

This is one of those things like eating a coconut that makes me wonder “How on earth did someone discover that they could do this?” I would love to hear the alleged origin story of how someone realized they could create these structures with slabs of earth and mud and fire and heat! Thank you! (First time question asker 😊)

Vera Axelrod

What’s the drama in the pottery world? Are there ceramics factions? Spill the tea!

Emily Manroe

What is your favorite glaze recipe?

Ann Hanlin

Aaahhh I’ve been waiting for this oneeeee I’ve been doing pottery since I was 13 (26 now) and am a pottery teacher at a local studio and love the history and science behind it all. It’s all so cool. Apologies for the amount of questions lol I’m just so exciteddddd What is the best way to test if a clay is food safe? What does testing look like to find the proper temperature to fire foraged clay to? Best practices for foraging clay? (If thats something the guest does) Where do they think civilization would be without the invention of ceramics? Their favorite glaze recipe? Am I going to die from Potters Lung? (Pls just say no even if the answer is probably yes) Have they found a good reclaim system? Cuz I haven’t and I need help What is their preferred temp range? What is their favorite firing method? What is the coolest or wackiest firing and/or glazing method that they’ve come across? I just found out about Obvara firing and am baffled that you can use basically a sourdough starter to glaze your pots?? Like wtf?? how coollllll Pottery is so rad and weird and there’s so much to learn ahhhh I can’t wait for this episode eeeeeeeee

Michelle Lee

AHH just a request to talk about Maria Martinez and other indigenous potters and their techniques.

Michelle Lee

Also I’m curious the environmental impact of pottery as a growing industry (feels like so many folks I know are picking up ceramics, taking classes, etc). Are there sustainable ways to collect and process clay? Is this something to even be concerned about?

Kieran H

How many different types of clay are there? And can you make pottery out of mediums that AREN'T clay?

Kieran H

What did people use for glazes or for generally coloring pottery historically?

Kieran H

What is the weirdest piece of pottery that you've seen?

Anuja Joshi

kilns now are electric or wood burning from what I’ve seen, how have kilns changed throughout history and region? What are different firing techniques?

Kristen C

It's amazing all what we have made throughout history (and now!) from pottery and its various techniques, but what *can't* be made from pottery?

Kristen C

Also very receptive to any expert tips to improve my abysmal wheel technique.

ariel.vanzandt

How common is it to work with wild clay? How different is wild clay from what you can get commercially?

ariel.vanzandt

What are the primary types of clay bodies? Do they vary a lot across the globe?

ariel.vanzandt

This may be more of an archaeology question, but what makes pot shards such an important part of archaeology? What can we learn from them? What makes pottery so suited to hold up through time?

ariel.vanzandt

Do we know how pottery decoration has changed over the ages?

Marla J

Have any of you ever worked with or been influenced/inspired by the art of Robert Arneson, Ruth RIppon, Peter Vanderberg, Viola Frey, Diego Romero, or the Candy Store Gallery Group of artists? Who are your artistic influences? Who/what was your inspiration when you started doing pottery/ceramics and what inspires your work now?

Marla J

Great question!

zombot

I have the same aversion to unglazed pottery as unfinished wood. It's a texture thing, just feels gross to the touch for some reason.

VibesandMoods

Have they ever watched Great Pottery Throw Down?

zombot

Not sure if it's a pottery question but definitely a ceramics question: What exactly is "fine china"? What makes it so expensive, often displayed but rarely used, except for special company and occasions?

zombot

Does it bother you that you have to make Link in The Legend of Zelda games smash pottery all over the rooms looking for hearts and rupees? (SNES version particularly)

zombot

What food-safe adhesives would you recommend to fix broken coffee mugs?

Jenny Chambers

Is it dangerous to work with pottery? I had an art teacher tell me that working with ceramics for a living can take years off your life due to the dust you breathe in.

Nancy Kay Clark

As a potter, and a horse owner, I'd love to learn when horse hair was first used to create designs on pottery and if it carried special meaning.

Kristen Rosenblum

Why does the glaze sometimes change colors in an unpredictable way? What are some unusual ways to glaze or decorate a ceramic piece? What were common trends in the way pottery has changed over time- like the styles, colors, types of clay and firing?

JawsThemeSwimming

Archeologists seem to be obsessed with pottery. How much does it actually say about a civilization? Or is it just that it’s somehow durable (which is cray because pottery is known for it’s fragility)

JawsThemeSwimming

Is our modern “pottery” which seems to be overwhelmingly manufactured going to be as coveted as ancient rediscovered pottery? Or what do you think is the modern equivalent?

Daniella Napolitano

What’s your favorite clay body? And also if you could pick a favorite historical ceramic piece what would it be and why?

Marieka

Oh, this is so exciting!!!

Kevin Tiemeyer

If this happens to be the moment where my two Ward worlds are about to collide, I will loose my freaking mind!

Kevin Tiemeyer

FTQA, in historic pottery made from wild clay, what kind of variations exist it tempers added to the clay body? Does the regional mineralogy/material availability ever effect what materials were used as a temper?

Naomi Jane

+1 for the glaze colour question! It feels a bit like cooking when you put your blue glazed mug in the kiln and one side comes out pink because something else waved its fumes towards it 😂 like putting fruit in a tupperware that used to hold onions...

Jenna U

My understanding is that kilns have to fire at crazy hots temperatures - like maybe hundreds or thousands of degrees - is that right? Historically, how did people get kilns to fire hot enough and long enough to make pottery?

Han O'Reilly

Omg yes please. As a loving but clumsy roommate of somebody with a mug collection that’s very dear to them.

Han O'Reilly

I can’t believe nobody has asked this yet but are there really bones in bone china?

zombot

Flower & plant pots. Are they a fairly recent invention, like one or two centuries, or do they go back like millenia, dating back to the invention of pottery itself?

Loanedstar

Hi! I’m a practicing student of ceramic repair using the traditional method of applying urushi (lacquer) and can recommend repair with high success and food-safe use is by using urushi with a Japanese technique called kintsugi. The Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese have used this for nearly 10000 years! I do have a related question, since this thread has some relationship to the OPs question, but should I ask it in a new thread? What does the expert in this episode know about the use of urushi in ceramic repairs related to the lacquer?

zombot

Thanks for your answer, @Loanestar! I'll look into it. ¦ That sounds like a great question; I think you should ask that in a new thread JIC your reply gets overlooked.

Loanedstar

FTQA. I referenced this topic in another question asker's thread and want to continue the topic into another related question. Urushi: Japanese lacquer. What do the experts know about the use of urushi in the repair of ceramics going on display? I am a practicing student under a Japanese urushi artist and want to know if there are applications of this natural material used in museums/collections (private or public) around the world.

Johan Stiel

FTQA Now that NHI last year reported that, having studied the three most popular brands of bottled water, researchers found that a liter of single-use bottle of water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic, 90% of which were nanoplastics, we'll now of course never buy a plastic bottle again, because I'm a dreamer and I'm not the only one. I now drink from a ceramic pitcher given to me by my mother who swears it's porcelain while I say it's too hard and heavy to be porcelain and must be some stoneware with another name, because to me, porcelain is brittle. Now, what's the difference between porcelain and pottery? Also, Lande Hekt's irresistibly melodic song Pottery Class has been on my brain all summer, so this episode is much needed, because I've been intrigued by pottery ever since I heard the lyrics of that song, which is a favourite and the best pottery song I've heard this year. Peace, love and sweet harmony, everyone ☮️❤️☯️

Heather Leonard

What’s the oldest pottery found and what was in it? I heard that terracotta can have heavy metals in it so you shouldn’t use it for gardening/cooking. Is that true or is it misleading? What are the oldest designs carved or painted onto pottery? What’s with the shape of the pottery vessels used in the Mediterranean that had the pointy bottoms? They couldn’t stand up. How was that practical? Why do people on the internet call it “wild clay” when they just go outside and find clay to make a pot? What made Chinese ceramics so coveted? And how does ceramic differ from other pottery materials like terracotta for example? Is the Beaker Culture the only one named after pottery or are there others? How do you feel about air dry clay?

Meagan Walker

How do we think people figured out how to fire pottery at the beginning?

Lars Watts

My archeologist partner always corrects me when I say pottery shard. She says it's a "sherd"?? What's a sherd and is it related to shard in any way?

Lauren Kent

Can you tell how long they've been using spinning tables and when they used to form everything by hand?

Meagan Walker

Is there anywhere you can just go scoop clay up and fire it, or does it always have to be processed somehow?

Meagan Walker

When did wheels first come on the scene?

Meagan Walker

What are some things you might do with broken pottery? Or is there a good way of putting it back together for an average person?

Empress of Smallwood

What makes something pottery as opposed to ceramics or earthenware? Is it function? Is it type of clay? How it's fired? All of the above? Why is it that people seem so much more excited to find an ancient piece of pottery than an ancient brick?

Michael Crosa

Is East Fork Pottery involved?? No questions, but I knew of them growing up along East Fork Road in rural western North Carolina. Never really got to know them personally. But it was very surreal when I heard Alie advertising my neighbors!

Mamabee & DadAussie

Is dorodango considered pottery? My friend recently got very into dorodango. When I looked it up on the web I couldn't find anything concrete on where it originated.

Dave Brewer

Do you ever make pottery while listening to the band Pottery?

spiderbeetlebee

Why does pottery explode sometimes in the kiln? Have you ever had something you worked really hard on break when firing it?

spiderbeetlebee

Have you watched the great pottery showdown? If not you need to its brilliant (Its like the great British bake off but with pottery)

maya katherine

Who discovered the power of glazes, ( i.e how did people discover the chemical reactions that form different colors ) why do glazes smell like farts?

spiderbeetlebee

I learnt this from minecraft lol. Thanks minecraft

Andy Pepper

Omg! Porcelain: EXPLAIN.

Andy Pepper

Adding onto asking about the Japanese practice of mending broken pottery with gold.

Andy Pepper

What are their feelings on the movie Ghost? 👻 😄

Anjali Himali

Can pottery be made with other materials besides clay? Why is clay so important?

Leo Chiang

Ghost - Patrick Swayze Demi Moore scene. How sexy is this scene honestly, and were they at least doing good work before the got distracted?

New Hampshire Jim

What's the difference between fimo, porcelaine and other types of studio clays?

New Hampshire Jim

Have you added glass shards or frit to clay or glaze? What were the results? Any suggestions?

AliNoShoes

Not sure if this is their expertise at all, but why not 🤷‍♀️ Why did many groups keep clay cuneiform tablets but not fire them? I'm thinking about all the content in the library of Ashurbanipal. They knew about the power of firing well before then, right? Curious about the current theory on that! 😊

New Hampshire Jim

What's your favorite firing technique (raku, salt, wood, gas, etc)? When did each style come on the pottery scene?

James Jakes

Why isn't everyone as obsessed about The Great Pottery Throwdown as they are into The Great British Bakers Off!!? Seasons 1-5 on Max, 6 & 7 on Roku.

AliNoShoes

From my partner, Olivia: What the hell is that Mesopotamian dog in a bar joke about? Any answer will do - we need to know!! 😆

June Bramley

When pottery is leather-hard, it's fairly sturdy but not "strong". When it's bone-dry, it's very fragile. How did people realize that leaving a bone-dry in a super hot fire would make it strong again? It feels like they would have abandoned the idea after bone-dry pots kept dissolving from the liquids inside them or otherwise breaking.

June Bramley

When was glazing discovered to give pots a nice shiny, waterproof surface, and how?

June Bramley

What kinds of wild contraptions did people make when they were first spinning clay to throw pots?

June Bramley

I had no idea this existed! My spouse is going to love that, I bet. :)

Jordan

Can they talk about different historical firing techniques and some lessons they’ve learned from the techniques that they have used?

Justin Goodhart

Why the heck is using a potters wheel called "throwing"

Chandler Witherington

From my friend Juan Carlos who is taking pottery classes: how to not suck at the very beginning (he takes monthly class series' and when there is a break between series' he feels like he is relearning again) and also how to create narrower pieces and shape the exterior without using tools. Is there a way to practice that more?

glittertornado

How did humans first make pottery? About when did we find the first pottery shards? Sherds? or Shards? Both words look weird now.

Chris Eff

I would love to hear about the Japanese art of Kintsugi. The idea of highlighting a broken item’s history as an artistic feature instead of trying to hide it is such a great metaphor for how we should learn to embrace our own pasts and see our failures as a benefit to what we have become and not something shameful that should be hidden. I’m not crying wishing I could be more like an ancient pottery technique, you are 😭

Jordan

I have so many questions about pottery and haven’t had coffee yet, so sorry. Do they try to peek at the feet of pieces of pottery in museums?

Jordan

Did pottery techniques seem to develop independently in different cultures, through cultural exchange, or both?

Jill Gregory

Wait seasons 6 and 7 are on Roku??? You have just made my year, James. I'm off to watch them right now. Thank you!!

rowantree

Pottery is such an incredible art but can be expensive as a hobby - do you have any ideas for how local government or community organizations can help make it more accessible?

Jordan

What is their favorite type of piece to look at and what is their favorite type of piece to make?

Cat Kessler

I’d love to learn about the chemical or structural changes that happen in the firing process. Why is the kiln temperature so important? How do different kiln types (wood, gas, etc.) affect the process? What happens to glazes that make them turn from dull gray paint into dazzling colors? How does firing make mud into water-tight ceramic? Thanks!

RG

Just covered a piece yesterday with orange and pink under glaze and they are both so sulfuric 😂. I joke every time I open the container: IT WAS THE GLAZE.

RG

Why does clay have to be completely dried out to be recycled?

Jordan

For votive body parts, specifically in Ancient Greece/Rome: where did people get these pieces and how were they used? Were there kiosks of ceramic feet and ears in Corinth? What was the history of this practice and how widespread was it? Also, so many cultures have myths that involve clay objects being brought to life, such as humans or gods. A lot of creation myths seem to involve clay. Why is clay so important in so many belief systems?

Jordan

The ancient Egyptian bowl with the little human feet!!! I think there is one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, but it is the cutest piece and inspired me to learn how to make pottery. I’ve also seen some that look like little turtles. Are these bowls common? Can they talk a little more about the purpose of that type of bowl?

Sarah EG

Historically speaking, was making pots "women's work" similar to making textiles?

Jordan

What is their process like for researching their recreations? How many hours does this take?

Jordan

If this is who I am thinking (and if it is I am so excited. If it’s not I’m excited to get new potters to fangirl over): Can they talk about the Roman kilns they’ve built, specifically the one at Vindolanda? How did that come about? What are some of the challenges of firing pottery there?

Allison D

How did pottery get associated with the 8th anniversary? What is the best way for a beginner to try pottery themselves?

Jordan

How have approaches and views of pottery changed in archaeology?

Mark Condon

I have read about the suggestion that, when ancient pottery was being made on a wheel, the tools that the artist used to inscribe a design while the object was spinning may have acted to “etch” vibrations associated with sound, as is (sort of) done when making a vinyl record. This would suggest that “sound recordings” might be retrievable from ancient pottery. Is this at all feasible, or is this flim-flam? Are we approaching a time when I will stumble upon a Spotify playlist of 5000-year-old recordings of potters in their shops, gossiping and cursing in Latin? Please say yes; I want to be a fly on that ancient wall sooooo badly!

David

Are we going to run out of clay at some point?

Quinn

Favorite firing techniques?? Also what are cone temps? And how do professional ceramicists combine different types of clay into one thing and fire it and it not break?!

mish the fish

how would you recommend a beginner to start on pottery? i've always found it to be beautiful but i'm more of a knitter/crocheter

Kyra Black

In pottery, we all have our go-to projects and the ones that drive us nuts. What’s your favourite build, and what’s the one that always challenges you?

Kyra Black

Could we run out of clay one day? Is that possible?

Kyra Black

What is the breakdown of high-fired/glazed pieces like in say a landfill? I work in a ceramics studio and can only imagine how many terrible mugs people make and then just throw away. Is it bad for the environment?

Eating dog hair for a living

What's the strangest substance a pot has been made with? Like poop, ashes, ground up flowers? How hard is it to recreate the recipes for glaze? When we're tools introduced? If there was no wheel, how did they make clay pots?

Mini Minnie

Did cultures across the globe independently develop pottery use/skills? ie, simultaneous invention or multiple discovery

Mini Minnie

How great is The Great Pottery Throwdown?? ❤️

Mini Minnie

Is it true that fanning air over large pottery vessels filled with water was the first air conditioning?

Jordan

Do they have any tips for hobby potters who would like to incorporate more historic pottery techniques into their work flow?

James Jakes

Yes!!! I literally just found out yesterday. We've been waiting for ages!

winn

Can you talk about the chemistry of wood fired pottery? And other techniques where pieces don’t have to be glazed to be food safe?

winn

I’ve been a potter for about four years and I still haven’t found my “style” and I feel like I need one to eventually sell my work. It just feels like there are endless techniques and aesthetics I want to try. What advice do you have for ceramic artists finding their style?

winn

Literally what even is vitrification

Renee Wanger

Aah so cool! Would love to hear about broad strokes differences around the globe!

winn

What is your favorite surface design technique?

winn

Do I actually need to worry about silicosis?

winn

What is the chemical difference between low fire and high fire clay?

Jani Rounds

How often can you “rework” clay? Does it ever get overworked like bread? I’m very excited about this topic, I know almost nothing about it!

GoodSoup

Could you ask about Kintsugi? Is this just a Japanese practice or do other cultures do something similar as well?

GoodSoup

Why are glazes so variable?

Valerie N

What’s the oldest pottery we know of and who made it? Also, why do I keep buying more when my cabinets are already bursting with handmade pottery?? It’s all so different and beautiful!!

Dave Langlinais

What're the ideal components in a pottery clay, and what is the ideal ratio of those components?

Dave Langlinais

Kintsugi technically isn't pottery, it just uses/repairs pottery. But I can answer any questions you have about kintsugi, I'm a fair hand at it. And to answer your question, yes, cultures other than Japanese have been known to practice a version of kintsugi (as well as using urushiol for a number of other purposes). I recall some Native American tribes were also known to repair things with the lacquer from the sumac family, but don't ask me which specific tribes; that I do not remember . I'm sure there definitely are other cultures as well, given how handy it is to be able to produce a hard long-lasting lacquer, but Japanese and a couple of West Coast Native American traditions are the only ones I'm aware of.

Nina Eve Z.

Please help me understand: what is the difference between sherd and shard? No amount of art history courses have helped to know when to use which and they’re both apparently real things!

Sonjabird

Why are some potteries (pieces of pottery!?) not microwave safe?

Alice Rubin

1) I have some random bowls and plate that have no markings for care. How can I tell if they are dishwasher and microwave safe? They appear hand painted underglaze. Maybe some cobalt. Clear glaze. 2) How did people figure out glaze? Like paint this stuff on hardened pottery then put it in a fire hotter than you ever thought possible, and it becomes a hard protective coating??? What???

SilkySoftHogz

First time question asker here! What’s actually happening to clay when it gets fired to make it so strong? Were there ways to add strength to pottery in ancient times when I assume pieces weren’t fired as hot?

Sara Swank

there’s ancient pottery everywhere that humans have been, is this all independent discovery or was the discovery made in Africa with Earth’s first humans and dispersed throughout the world as humans spread over the globe?

Ro6ot

Our Mom, who passed away this last December, was a prolific (but definitely amateur) potter- after my older brother& my twin sister & I “emptied the nest”, she had an electric wheel in the first floor bathroom, and my dad set up a kiln in their basement & helped with the firing and glazing- but mom did all the throwing. One of the favorite small bowls she made which I have, where the hand-painted glaze on the outside came out beautifully, the glaze on the *inside* had some kind of issue where it pooled up on the bottom, AND was full of airbubbles by the time it finished firing- so the pot is effectively much shallower than intended, and the bottom has a super weird texture of small and large holes, and sharp pointy bits where pieces of the pooled glaze broke off between three close bubbles. I consider myself a fairly dab hand with a dremel-type grinder, and i have several different types of diamond abrasive bits for it- besides “being a lot of work” is there any reason I couldn’t carefully chase down the extra glaze in the bottom to yield a bowl which ia useable AND nice to look at?

Madeliene Fox

Happy 8 year ANNIVERSARYYYYY!!!!!

Madeliene Fox

Ok, so has people took bites of their pottery before? Like was there pottery molds of teeth? What weird things were made from pottery? (Objects)

Catherine N

How did the first people figure out how to make ceramics?

The Other Maya

CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE LEAD GLAZE URBAN LEGEND SO THAT PEOPLE WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT BUYING POTS FROM POTTERS TO EAT OFF OF AND OUT OF AND LIVE WITH AND BE HAPPY UNTIL THE END OF TIME BECAUSE THE POTS WILL OUTLAST US ALL AND NOT POISON US WITH LEAD - thank you <3

The Other Maya

Love. This. You should write that book, Mark - I'd read it.

Emma de Carvalho

What are your favourite and least favourite types of clay to work with and why?

Nita Chen

What is the environmental contribution of pottery? Does it have a positive impact or negative?

Nita Chen

What is the potter stereotype and why does there seem to have an unspoken affinity to the LGBTQI+ community? Are there historical or cultural ties?

Erin Dewberry

Why is clay so wet, but makes my hands so dry?

Mark Condon

I think I’ll start working on it! 😀

Joe Koonce (LilBits)

I really only have seen cups, bowls, pots, and jugs. Is there some really cool shit that nobody tries anymore because it’s too hard to make?

Katie Brennan

I would love to know more about fireclay (the stuff you use to make ovenware). Could you share more about the mixture used to make reliable fireclay? Or even where to find good resources about it. I know that people in different countries tend to use different mixes of clays and other materials.

Jessie Crawford

Oh my goodness, Happy Anniversary Alie!!! So exciting. I have been obsessed with this podcast for so long and I tell everyone I know about it. I love pottery and would love to know more about its history and perhaps the first known pottery even discovered? How long have humans been making pottery and where did it originate from?

James Orsatti

Happy anniversary!! Were “witch pots” and curse jars ever genuinely used in ritual practice, and how did broken pottery come to symbolize either misfortune or protection across cultures?

Heather & Kate

Do we know how humans figured out that slippery wet earth could be made into hard durable things?

Heather & Kate

What is the process of getting clay/other mediums from their home in the earth to a potter’s work surface? Also is it only clay? Are things other than clay used for pottery?

Heather & Kate

Do different regions of the world make pottery differently, according to the climate and cultural needs? Are there cool examples of this?

ReigningEmily

What/where is the defining line between art/craft/utilitarian object?

Krysia G.

I have taken many pottery classes. My first one was after a really difficult breakup and the more classes I take, the more people I hear who find such an inner healing from doing ceramics. I wonder if the experts could speak to the innate human desire to create with our hands and how they feel it pottery affects us psychologically.

Krysia G.

The instructor for my latest pottery class spoke at length about the declining quantity of good clay left in the world, causing subsequent declines in clay quality with new mixtures and additives. We were told to only fire things we actually liked and would use. Once clay is fired, it can't be recycled! Is there a threat to the future quality of ceramics? Is it possible to use up all the good clay left on earth? What does the future of pottery hold?

SustainableSirenian

How are certain glazes on ceramics food safe and microwave safe? What happens if you use ceramics that are not “food safe” what can happen?

Emily MacLeod

Besides design and talent, what drives good looking pottery the most - chemistry or physics?

Between Dumplings

My sister and brother in law just celebrated their 24th anniversary with ...a pottery class! How cool is that? How far back does pottery go? Is ceramics different from pottery? My intro was in a high school art class. Great teacher introduced us to pottery. As well as screenprinting and other things. Returned from "open lunch" one day and the lights were off. We situated ourselves on our high stools, four to a table in the semi-dark. She invited us to close our eyes, put our hands out and feel the clay in front of us. Feel its cool surface. It was a terrific introduction, very zen. (My high table mates were all giggles. I was smitten with the clay!) Kintsugi is something I learned about later. It's about mending not creating. Japanese technique of reassembling a broken piece with a gold laquer/glue. There's a metaphor for you in everything if you're Japanese. Broken things, mended beautifully and thoughtfully show resilience and the impermanence of life.

Field Trip Mail Club

Would love to hear them talk about indigenous horse hair pottery !!!

Field Trip Mail Club

Can they talk about Georgian clay wine pots (Qvevri)?? I went to Georgia a few years ago and we went to Vardzia, the city built into the mountain, and we saw some remnants of these clay pots used to make wine thousands of years ago. It was incredible

Field Trip Mail Club

I'd LOVEEEE if you could talk about the best place she's gotten clay from for making pottery? I'm a geologist and i LOVE learning about all the geological connections between the pottery and the geology of that location (for example, Thailand has a lot of great pottery clay deposits because of the humid climate and how it weathers the volcanic rocks via rivers all over the country, especially the North; and in Iceland I saw an artist's work who used volcanic ash in their glazes)

Dana

Hello, hello! Any good recommendation on clay that can be kilned in your oven at home?

Field Trip Mail Club

Happy 8 year anniversary of Ologies!! I remember first listening to the Fear episode and the Space Geology episode in 2020 and getting hooked immediately

Erin Dewberry

Are the cheap plates and bowls from the dollar store made by humans or machines? And if machine, how does a pottery machine work?

Han the Bee

Please help me appreciate the time, effort and craftsmanship of pottery! What are some things I should look for/ think about when examining pottery in museum or gallery exhibits?

Kathleen

HOW did ancient people fire their pottery so it doesn’t break. Did they have ancient kilns?!

Ryan Marlow

Have there been a lot of technological advancements in ceramics over the centuries? Or is modern pottery pretty similar in composition to ancient pottery?

Ranger France

Are their certain natural clays and techniques that were just "better" in some areas and cultures to allow the pottery to stay in better conditions for archaeologists?

Ranger France

Can you reaaallyy grab any old clay soil and sculpt with it? And where do you even start searching for natural clay?

Ranger France

how in the world did humans learn how to harden clay before the modern kiln, how'd they do it?!

Kayaker Sue

A bit late but I’m interested in different clays in different cultures - porcelain vs terra cotta vs stoneware. Did the nature of the clay mold ( pun intended) the culture? What about those translucent Chinese teacups? I see a few similar questions. (First time questioner!)

Ranger France

As a geology student sometimes I had to use taste as a way to ID minerals. If you were to lick a freshly thrown pot, could you be able to tell where its from after building a "vocabulary" of how each clay tastes?

Lorri Fishman

I’m a potter! Pottery or ceramics- is one right or wrong? Minerals used to make glazes have become more scarce and therefore more expensive. Our Mother Earth only has so much to give. Are there other options for ingredients being synthesize - is that even possible? Pinch coil slab wheel Mold pouring Are there other ways to make ceramics? You da best!

Leanna Shuster

Do natural clays from different geographic regions differ so significantly that it changes the process of making pottery from them?

Leanna Shuster

How does natural clay differ in composition from what you can buy at an art supplies store? Are there applications where one or the other is distinctly preferred?

floraandthefaun

yes, tell us what's happening please! pottery is magical, but not magic, i assume!

Melissa O'Keefe

From one potter to another, how do you get through “potter’s block?” I’m having such a hard time getting back into the studio. How do you maintain your creativity and inspiration?

Kayla Anderson

How do we think that pottery was invented or discovered? I’m just picturing a prehistoric kid making the best mud pie to show his mom then accidentally dropping it in the fire while she was making dinner.

ilikeplantsmorethanpeople

Fired vs unfired? What’s the importance of glazing and firing pottery? Is firing it in a kiln a new thing, or did they do it in ancient days as well? I imagine they didn’t have fancy kiln ovens back then.

Ty Sundquist

I know that ancient Romans and Greeks really loved to make phalluses out of clay. Did other cultures do this? Was the purpose for a good laugh, for ritual, for sex, for all of the above? *Side note: thank you Alie for making Oligies a safe space for trans people <3 As a trans person I feel comfortable asking this question and know it's going to be received well :)

Rebekah Fitchett

Why don't we use as much pottery as they did "back in the day"?

GhoulNextDoor

What methods did people use to decorate pottery in the the early days of pottery? When did begin to be utilized? Either in glazes or the clay itself? And what were the first colors used in pottery?

GhoulNextDoor

What is your favorite thing people have been able to learn from pottery? Such as a name inscribed in a piece, an odd piece of decoration, remnants of ancient food, or a piece of pottery found in an unexpected location.

Earl of Greymalkin

1) How different does clay from different locations act? What exactly makes clay considered clay? Is the stuff used in art studios from a particular place or processed in a specific way to standardize it? 2) What kinds of compounds are in clay to give different colors? What is the chemistry of glazes? Are any of them low-key poisonous? 3) When did people first invent pottery? Did multiple groups independently figure it out? Was fire necessary for the first versions? When was the pottery wheel invented? 4) What kinds of ye olde pottery were considered disposable versus which were washed and reused? 5) Can pottery be recycled or repurposed in interesting ways? Is there an argument for packaging some modern products in pottery as a climate conscious option? 6) What is an ancient industrial production site or process you find really impressive? Are there any cool techniques past potters used that we don't know how to replicate yet? 7) What is the reason for things exploding in the kiln and how controllable is it? Are there unavoidable defects in the clay or are there structural imperfections that the beginners might cause more often? 8) What are the hardest kinds of things to make and what are your favorite kinds of things to make?

Staci Pinkowitz

I’m omw to lick all the mugs in the checkout aisle at marshalls

Leanna Shuster

Asked on behalf of my 17 yo daughter, Sammie: Any tips on working with glazes, especially combining a couple glazes on one piece, to get the colors to come out anywhere resembling the reference images? It's like I'm cursed when using any glazes for it to come out looking like vomit!

Leanna Shuster

Asked on behalf of my 17 yo daughter, Sammie, who is passionate about both ceramics and microbiology: When working with natural clay, how do you have to process the clay from when it comes out of the ground to get to where it's workable for pottery? However it is processed, there must be some remaining soil microbes, so how does the presence of microorganisms affect both the process of working with the clay and the look of the final piece?

Keely Chavez

Here in New Mexico we have some of the most beautiful indigenous pottery, it's impossible to pick a favorite, so: 1) Why is Ohkay Owingeh (Formerly San Ildefonso) black pottery so unique among the others? (Hope they also talk about Maria Martinez specifically). 2) Please talk about the genius of seed pots. 3) People who steal and sell historical objects on the black market suck.

Figment

have your guests heard of or been to the pottery village in myanmar? (maybe there are several?) i was there many years ago and they did everything without electricity.

Madison Woofter

What constitutes pottery? What does it have to be made of to be considered pottery? Are there certain techniques that are required? Does it always have to involve a kiln?

Liv Cazzola

When one breaks pottery, what are the best ways to repair it? I’ve also heard of traditions where you’re supposed to bury broken pottery to return it to the earth. Do you know anything more about this?

JolieAMH

What are some reliable/ educational resources to learn how to process natural clay? How do you know what to add? We have natural red clay on our property and would love to learn how to work with it.

Flora

Can they say anything about the history of pottery? When was it used more then today? The role in economy vs art?

Rosy Clark

Hi! First time question, my wife is an amateur potter and would like to ask: they say clay has memory, and I’ve seen that to be true, but WHY and HOW does that happen??

Cricket

Do you ever add inclusions to clay that might slice up your fingies? I follow someone on tiktok who adds iron or copper shards because they look cool after firing.

Sara Fangton

First time question asked and this is probably a hyper specific question: can detection dogs be used to find ancient pottery? I’m a conservation detection dog handler (shout out eco-odorology) and my friend was recently asking me about using detection dogs at archaeological digs 🐕

Brie Stewart

Can you tell where a piece of pottery is from based on the colors/glazes? Is that related to local natural resources which are used to make the clay/glaze, or the cultural norms of the place, or both?

RCrow

First time question asker. How hard is it to make a good kiln with even heat? What is the thing in pottery clay that brings it together into a solid piece? As a side note, my cousin Wayne Keene is a very fine native potter. He is a white guy in Cortez CO who worked as a nurse for IHS for 40 years. The Hopi ladies told him where the good clay is.

daniel schmaniel

do you know anything about the wilson potteries of texas?

protect_trans_lives

Who discovered using clay? I heard the wheel was frontally invented for pottery and later was used for transport stuff!