Sam or Mary Yancy on wed 7 jan 04
Went to a high level /quality store closing recently which predominately sells dishwear and associated clayware goods. Was looking for some old mikasa dishes which I had for several years - wanted to replace some. While there I had a look at their other dishes and pottery "on sale due to store closing". As a potter, and ex-motorcycle painter, I was attracted to some very colorful dishes, cups and assorted pieces. They had small peel off (1/2 in or smaller) yellow triangle stickers on them. Note - some did not - had been removed or 'lost". Anyways, I wondered what they were for was so looked further. After a couple of minutes looking I found a small sign with the small yellow sticker on it that said that some of glazes used were lead based and "use at your own risk for eating utensills " or something like that. These were dishes , cups and bowels. I was amazed as unless you could read english, and did what I , you would be buying lead glazed pieces to eat on or to give as
gifts.Unless you were a potter or knowedgeable you couold be eating off of lead based dished or giving them as gifts. Wondered if this yellow triangle sticker and small sign is ok to do??? I dont think that it was right.
Comments? Sam in Daly City CA.
clennell on wed 7 jan 04
Sour Cherry Pottery
> eating utensills " or something like that. These were dishes , cups and
> bowels. I was amazed as unless you could read english, and did what I , you
> would be buying lead glazed pieces to eat on or to give as
> gifts.Unless you were a potter or knowedgeable you couold be eating off of
> lead based dished or giving them as gifts. Wondered if this yellow triangle
> sticker and small sign is ok to do??? I dont think that it was right.
> Comments? Sam in Daly City CA
Sam: My aunt and uncle made their living making lead glazed earthenware for
50 years. Each year a government inspector would test their work. In Canada
and Britain potters using lead glazes or cadmium colours are obliged to have
their work tested. I think it was the Mexicans that gave lead glazes the bad
rap with unsophisicated kilns and varying kiln temperatures. My uncles work
using lead had some of the loviest whites I have ever seen. His glazes
would have passed the Ronnie/Johnnie lime test in a heart beat.
Silica in the hands of a fool is deadly too.
cheers,
Tony
Scott Ackerman on wed 7 jan 04
The following is an excerpt from the Material Catalog in Insight 5.0:
"Public and industry attitudes toward lead have shifted in the past few
years, and finally most potters and companies are realizing that the =
narrow
parameters within which lead can be used safely (or perceived to be used
safely) are just too difficult to work within. Public paranoia is common
even though, for example, there are no known cases of lead related =
illness
in the US for domestic manufactured ware."
I thought the second sentence was the most telling. Note this is =
referring
to commercially made ware, not ware from the craft industry. I was =
reading
the other day in Ceramic science for the potter that glazes that leach =
the
least amount of metals (ie. Cobalt, Manganese, Lithium, etc.)and are the
most acid resistant can only be made with lead. I found it interesting =
that
with all of the concern about lead, that used properly it can actually =
be
safer than not using it. Of course the ramifications for using it =
improperly
are what has caused it's demise. I guess the best way to keep people =
from
being stupid is through legislation, or not.
"Every improvement in the standard of work men do is followed swiftly =
and
inevitably by an improvement in the men who do it" - William Morris
=20
Scott Ackerman
1133 Riverside
Suite B
Fort Collins, CO 80524
970-231-9035
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Sam or Mary
Yancy
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 12:17 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Comecial store selling lead glaze pottery
Went to a high level /quality store closing recently which =
predominately
sells dishwear and associated clayware goods. Was looking for some old
mikasa dishes which I had for several years - wanted to replace some. =
While
there I had a look at their other dishes and pottery "on sale due to =
store
closing". As a potter, and ex-motorcycle painter, I was attracted to =
some
very colorful dishes, cups and assorted pieces. They had small peel off =
(1/2
in or smaller) yellow triangle stickers on them. Note - some did not - =
had
been removed or 'lost". Anyways, I wondered what they were for was so =
looked
further. After a couple of minutes looking I found a small sign with the
small yellow sticker on it that said that some of glazes used were lead
based and "use at your own risk for eating utensills " or something =
like
that. These were dishes , cups and bowels. I was amazed as unless you =
could
read english, and did what I , you would be buying lead glazed pieces =
to
eat on or to give as gifts.Unless you were a potter or knowedgeable you
couold be eating off of lead based dished or giving them as gifts. =
Wondered
if this yellow triangle sticker and small sign is ok to do??? I dont =
think
that it was right. Comments? Sam in Daly City CA.
_________________________________________________________________________=
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Hal Mc Whinnie on thu 8 jan 04
this is absolutely correct, the bad press on lead based glaes it due to poor
firing.
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