mel jacobson on mon 2 nov 98
for reid harvey.
i hope this is accurate/
the importation of china clay to europe in the old days, seems,
was from enterprising sea captains that used it for ballast instead of rocks.
they sold the clay to potters to achieve the white clay affects of the
chinese.
thus, `china` clay. then it was discovered that the whole area of
cornwall, england
was white china clay.
so, the british captains used china clay from england, as ballast
when coming to
america, and sold it to potters to get the white clay affects of the
british and chinese potters.
then it was discovered that all of georgia was china clay.
and so it goes...the world is covered with clay.
i have used that story for many years when teaching high school students
about the location of clays. it is very important for us as potters to
remember
that clay comes from the ground, not from plastic bags from our local
clay supplier. potters in the old days landed and made pots where
there was a good supply of clay...much of their time was taken up with
mining and getting clay ready.
i agree with don isso, we are a long way from our roots. modules, oxyprobes,
digital kilns, spray coatings.
but i do not want to go back..............i do not want to mine my own clay.
but i do think that we have to remind ourselves `what we are, and what we
came from`. and without doubt, we have to use our senses, and good sense.
mel/mn
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
| |
|
