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lead glazes and potters in history

updated tue 13 oct 09

 

jeanne wood on sat 10 oct 09


Are you tired of the "Lead Thread" yet?=3D20
Well, at least I think this is interesting ;-)
-Jeanne W.
In N. Idaho


Bernadino Ramazzini (1633 - 1714), Professor=3DA0 of Medicine at the Univer=
si=3D
ty of Modena and widely regarded as the founder=3DA0 of industrial medicine=
d=3D
escribed potters in his 'De Morbis Artificum Diatriba' written in the early=
=3D
18th century.=3D20
=3DA0He wrote

"They need roasted or calcined lead for glazing their=3DA0 pots ...=3DA0 th=
eir =3D
mouths, nostrils, and the whole body take in the lead poison, hence they ar=
=3D
e soon attacked by grievous maladies.=3DA0=3D20
First their hands become palsied, then they become paralytic,
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3D20
Splenetic, lethargic, cachectic, and toothless, so that one rarely=3DA0=3DA=
0=3DA0=3D
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3D20
sees a potter whose face is not cadaverous and the colour of lead."=3D0A=3D=
0A=3D
=3D0A

Randall Moody on sat 10 oct 09


On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 1:21 PM, jeanne wood wrote:

> Are you tired of the "Lead Thread" yet?
> Well, at least I think this is interesting ;-)
> -Jeanne W.
> In N. Idaho
>
>
> Bernadino Ramazzini (1633 - 1714), Professor of Medicine at the Universi=
ty
> of Modena and widely regarded as the founder of industrial medicine
> described potters in his 'De Morbis Artificum Diatriba' written in the ea=
rly
> 18th century.
> He wrote
>
> "They need roasted or calcined lead for glazing their pots ... their
> mouths, nostrils, and the whole body take in the lead poison, hence they =
are
> soon attacked by grievous maladies.
> First their hands become palsied, then they become paralytic,
>
> Splenetic, lethargic, cachectic, and toothless, so that one rarely
> sees a potter whose face is not cadaverous and the colour of lead."
>
>
>
>
Ok so we all know that potters of the past had issues with lead which all
were directly attributable to their handling of the material. Does anyone
know of any living/working potter who handles lead in the same way as it wa=
s
handled in the 1700's? If you do would you please walk over to them and sla=
p
them ... hard because they are screwing it up for the rest of us.

--
Randall in Atlanta

jeanne wood on sat 10 oct 09


I know two H.S. Art teachers who became terribly ill because of=3D0Acommerc=
ia=3D
lly produced lead bearing glazes the glazes were labeled "safe". The worst =
=3D
problem was that they were fired in a kiln whose vent=3D0Awas incorrectly i=
ns=3D
talled.
Randall, I would not let you slap them because they are wonderful people.
-Jeanne W.

--- On Sat, 10/10/09, Randall Moody wrote:

From: Randall Moody
Subject: Re: Lead glazes and potters in history
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009, 3:47 PM

On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 1:21 PM, jeanne wood wrote:

> Are you tired of the "Lead Thread" yet?
> Well, at least I think this is interesting ;-)
> -Jeanne W.
> In N. Idaho
>
>
> Bernadino Ramazzini (1633 - 1714), Professor=3DA0 of Medicine at the Univ=
er=3D
sity
> of Modena and widely regarded as the founder=3DA0 of industrial medicine
> described potters in his 'De Morbis Artificum Diatriba' written in the ea=
=3D
rly
> 18th century.
>=3DA0 He wrote
>
> "They need roasted or calcined lead for glazing their=3DA0 pots ...=3DA0 =
thei=3D
r
> mouths, nostrils, and the whole body take in the lead poison, hence they =
=3D
are
> soon attacked by grievous maladies.
> First their hands become palsied, then they become paralytic,
>
> Splenetic, lethargic, cachectic, and toothless, so that one rarely
> sees a potter whose face is not cadaverous and the colour of lead."
>
>
>
>
Ok so we all know that potters of the past had issues with lead which all
were directly attributable to their handling of the material. Does anyone
know of any living/working potter who handles lead in the same way as it wa=
=3D
s
handled in the 1700's? If you do would you please walk over to them and sla=
=3D
p
them ... hard because they are screwing it up for the rest of us.

--
Randall in Atlanta
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A

Randall Moody on sat 10 oct 09


On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 7:35 PM, jeanne wood wrote:

> I know two H.S. Art teachers who became terribly ill because of
> commercially produced lead bearing glazes the glazes were labeled "safe".
> The worst problem was that they were fired in a kiln whose vent was
> incorrectly installed.
> Randall, I would not let you slap them because they are wonderful people.
> -Jeanne W.
>
> -
>


You know H.S Art teachers who are working in the same manner as potters of
the 1700's?!? That is a very esoteric art program for a high school.
--
Randall in Atlanta

Lee Love on sat 10 oct 09


On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 6:39 PM, Randall Moody wr=
ote:

> You know H.S Art teachers who are working in the same manner as potters o=
f
> the 1700's?!? That is a very esoteric art program for a high school.

It ain't esoteric. Folks who are not taught the proper way to handle
materials simply don't have the knowledge.

I am sure you are competent with the lead glazes you use on
your pots and you tell your customers that they are not "lead free."

--
Lee Love, Minneapolis
"The tea ceremony bowl is the ceramic equivalent of a sonnet: a
small-scale, seemingly constricted form that challenges the artist to
go beyond mere technical virtuosity and find an approach that both
satisfies and transcends the conventions." -- Rob Sliberman
full essay: http://togeika.multiply.com/journal/item/273/

Des & Jan Howard on sun 11 oct 09


Jeanne
Jan & I are like that at the moment.
But I really think it's the aftermath
of severe colds.
Des

jeanne wood wrote:
> First their hands become palsied, then they become paralytic,
> Splenetic, lethargic, cachectic, and toothless, so that one rarely
> sees a potter whose face is not cadaverous and the colour of lead."

--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624

Russel Fouts on sun 11 oct 09


>> Ok so we all know that potters of the past had issues with lead which a=
ll
were directly attributable to their handling of the material. Does anyone
know of any living/working potter who handles lead in the same way as
it was handled in the 1700's? If you do would you please walk over to
them and slap
them ... hard because they are screwing it up for the rest of us. <<

Not exactly in the manner of the 1700's but I two very successful
potters; one in the UK and one in France making really terrific work
using Galena and "Minim" (red lead) respectively. And many others in
europe using various forms of fritted lead.

I wouldn't slap any of them, I respect their work too much and I
myself am not beyond reproach in my studio practices.

People are a lot less fearful over here about lead. People over here
are much less likely to sue over it.

There are european standards for lead in tableware but they are not
as stringent as in the states or in California, where it's even more so.

All that said, even though I really love the effects you can get with
lead glazes (there is nothing like the amber you get by adding a
little bit of iron or iron rich clay to a clear lead glaze)and own
and use quite a bit of lead glazed pottery, personally, I choose not
to use those ingredients, not really because of any current health
concerns but who's to say that a European directive won't come down
in the future that will ban lead use in tableware and I'll have to
reformulate all my glazes. I'd rather not have to do that.

I think that each potter needs to know and weigh up the risks to
themselves, their families, their customers and the environment and
then make their own decision. That goes the same for choosing your
firing method, the materials you use as well as how you dispose of
them, where you set up shop, what studio practices you maintain,
everything. Know the risks and make up your mind.

If you want to really play it safe, Lee has the right idea; don't use
anything harmful materials but that's difficult because many of the
materials we use ARE hazardous in some manner at some stage of the process.

Also don't be too self assured if you do get your work tested and it
comes out "ok". All that means is that it's "ok" for that kiln load.
We all know how we like to experiment with temperature, firing times,
soaking, more reduction, less reduction as well as how we like to
'tweak' a glaze, not to mention the various temperature zones in our
kilns, etc. All of that would change your test results from firing to
firing if you were to get each load tested.

So as for slapping other potters, "let he who is with out sin... blah, blah=
".

BTW, lead was one of the current threads on Clayart when I joined
back in '93, as well as bats. ;-)

Russel who has some lead crystal, Carlo Moretti whiskey glasses that
enhance the beauty of that elixir immeasurably.











Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75

http://www.mypots.com
Home of "The Potters Portal"
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"Look, it's my misery that I have to paint this kind of painting,
it's your misery that you have to love it, and the price of the
misery is thirteen hundred and fifty dollars. "

- Mark Rothko, In Art/Painting

Randall Moody on sun 11 oct 09


On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 1:41 PM, Russel Fouts wrote=
:

> >> Ok so we all know that potters of the past had issues with lead which
> all
> were directly attributable to their handling of the material. Does anyone
> know of any living/working potter who handles lead in the same way as
> it was handled in the 1700's? If you do would you please walk over to
> them and slap
> them ... hard because they are screwing it up for the rest of us. <<
>
> Not exactly in the manner of the 1700's but I two very successful
> potters; one in the UK and one in France making really terrific work
> using Galena and "Minim" (red lead) respectively. And many others in
> europe using various forms of fritted lead.
>
> I wouldn't slap any of them, I respect their work too much and I
> myself am not beyond reproach in my studio practices.
>
>
> So as for slapping other potters, "let he who is with out sin... blah,
> blah".
>
> BTW, lead was one of the current threads on Clayart when I joined
> back in '93, as well as bats. ;-)
>
>
Notice I wasn't speaking of the use of lead but rather the handling of the
lead in a manner of the 1700's. I guess that this distinction was missed. I=
f
you see anyone friend, foe or otherwise calcining their lead in a frying pa=
n
... slap them.

--
Randall in Atlanta

Lee Love on sun 11 oct 09


On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 4:33 PM, Randall Moody wr=
ote:

> Notice I wasn't speaking of the use of lead but rather the handling of th=
e
> lead in a manner of the 1700's. I guess that this distinction was missed.=
If
> you see anyone friend, foe or otherwise calcining their lead in a frying =
pan
> ... slap them.

It was used in different ways in different parts of the world.

--
Lee Love, Minneapolis
"The tea ceremony bowl is the ceramic equivalent of a sonnet: a
small-scale, seemingly constricted form that challenges the artist to
go beyond mere technical virtuosity and find an approach that both
satisfies and transcends the conventions." -- Rob Sliberman
full essay: http://togeika.multiply.com/journal/item/273/

Marcia Selsor on mon 12 oct 09


I am back on clayart so I didn't check if someone has already
discussed Daniel Clark.
He was a Colonial potter in New England. Studio Potter Magazine
originally published their anthology under the Daniel Clark
Foundation. Excerpts from his business accounts show his purchase of
lead and his gradual decline both in his handwriting and activities.
It is a harsh reality to witness even historically.

Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com