Richard Mahaffey on thu 16 aug 07
Mel,
One of the English companies would demonstrate the strength of their
ware by placing a Rolls - Royce Silver Cloud on four teacups that were
place upside down on sauces (one under each wheel). I remember this
being done in a department store. The difficulty is that the motorcar
must be lowered so that it weights each cup evenly and the weight is
bearing straight down on each cup. Funny because I remember the car and
not the maker of the cups -I do think it was Wedgewood. I was more
interested in the Marque than the Ware.
Rick Mahaffey - still a motorhead and still don't care for the bulk of
European factory ware despite growing up in an Antique Dealer's home!
mel jacobson on thu 16 aug 07
when i was a kid, i can remember seeing
the term:
`vitrified china` on the tops of urinals and toilets.
i always wondered what that was, what it meant.
written in blue.
of course the reason vitrified china was used
to make toilets and lab vessels for acid and such
was because it was so strong.
it is the lesson in how high temperature porcelain is used
by humans for very important jobs.
the above is my lesson for kids as to what
vitrification is. then i would fill a bisque ware pot
with water.
i would leave the water in the bisque over night.
then let them feel the container. cold water.
then i would explain how tribal people for eons used
low temp clay vessels to cool water.
i also kept a few building bricks and tiles around and would explain
how the world of housing is related to clay. i encouraged kids to make
things out of mini-bricks...then fire them. perfectionist kids loved
brick pots. measure, cut and stack together. then building would
start to take place...armature, structure, support, roofs....arches.
it never ends.
understanding of materials, knowing how clay is used all over
the world by people to improve their lives, makes teaching ceramics
a daily `lab experiment`.
`zen and the art of motorcycle repair` is the perfect book
about `jerryriggin`. it is a life style, a way of being a human,
it is how we moved out of being primitive. it was zog, who
brought home a flaming stick...kept it alive, it was zelda the
potter/woman who saw ashes on her pot, melted. `hey, maybe
i can do that before the pot goes in the fire`.
or j.d. nelson the pharmacist....`you know, if you roll the medicine
in a tiny lump of clay, then swallow it....hey george, we will call
them `PILLS`. YUP, ASPIRINS ARE JUST CHINA CLAY.
and, you all know that keopectate is clay.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Victoria E. Hamilton on thu 16 aug 07
Hi Mel -
You know, the conversation about all the ways that clay is used, and has
been used for eons, to move forward and improved the lives of human beings
is one conversation I seem to have abandoned in my classes. Time to
introduce it once again. Thanks.
Oh man, "Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is one of my all-time
favorite books!
Vicki Hamilton
Millennia Antica Pottery
Seattle, WA - looking maybe like early Fall here today.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of mel jacobson
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 2:43 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: [CLAYART] strength in vitrified china
when i was a kid, i can remember seeing
the term:
`vitrified china` on the tops of urinals and toilets.
i always wondered what that was, what it meant.
written in blue.
of course the reason vitrified china was used to make toilets and lab
vessels for acid and such was because it was so strong.
it is the lesson in how high temperature porcelain is used by humans for
very important jobs.
the above is my lesson for kids as to what vitrification is. then i would
fill a bisque ware pot with water.
i would leave the water in the bisque over night.
then let them feel the container. cold water.
then i would explain how tribal people for eons used low temp clay vessels
to cool water.
i also kept a few building bricks and tiles around and would explain how the
world of housing is related to clay. i encouraged kids to make things out
of mini-bricks...then fire them. perfectionist kids loved brick pots.
measure, cut and stack together. then building would start to take
place...armature, structure, support, roofs....arches.
it never ends.
understanding of materials, knowing how clay is used all over the world by
people to improve their lives, makes teaching ceramics a daily `lab
experiment`.
`zen and the art of motorcycle repair` is the perfect book about
`jerryriggin`. it is a life style, a way of being a human, it is how we
moved out of being primitive. it was zog, who brought home a flaming
stick...kept it alive, it was zelda the potter/woman who saw ashes on her
pot, melted. `hey, maybe i can do that before the pot goes in the fire`.
or j.d. nelson the pharmacist....`you know, if you roll the medicine in a
tiny lump of clay, then swallow it....hey george, we will call them `PILLS`.
YUP, ASPIRINS ARE JUST CHINA CLAY.
and, you all know that keopectate is clay.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
| |
|
