Ceramic pottery is one of the oldest means of making pots known to man, it was known to prehistoric man. Ceramics are materials made by mixing clay and water and firing it in a kiln. Ceramics can be formed into almost any shape and one of the first shapes created by man was pottery. They did this in order to solve their need for something to hold water in. Today ceramic pottery remains a popular choice for holding food products.
There are traditionally three different types of pottery, earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The difference between them is determined by the type of clay they are made out of and the temperature at which they are fired. These differences result in significant differences in the appearance and the strength of the pottery.
Earthenware is pottery that is made substantially the way that first ceramics were made by our prehistoric ancestors, it is made out of clay that occurs naturally in the earth. The pottery is normally fired at a fairly low temperature, this is done for the benefit of the glaze. In order to decorate earthenware pottery it is necessary to put a glaze on it to add colour. The colour will be at it's brightest if the pottery is fired at a fairly low temperature. Earthenware pottery is very fragile and breaks quite easily.
Stoneware pottery is much heavier and more durable than earthenware pottery because it is made out of a different type of clay. Since there is not normally a glaze put on stoneware pottery it can be fired at a much higher temperature and this makes it much harder. It doesn't normally get a glaze because the surface tends to become glossy on it's own when fired.
The third traditional type of ceramic pottery is porcelain and this is the finest and most expensive type of pottery. It is also the most delicate. Porcelain is made out of a very specific type of clay called kaolin this is what makes porcelain white. Porcelain can be fired in a high temperature kiln like stoneware or a low temperature kiln like earthenware. Fine china is normally fired at low temperatures and a glaze is normally added. High temperature fired glaze doesn't normally get a glaze but is more durable.
Most modern pottery isn't actually made from clay at all, it is actually made of plastics that are fired in kilns. There are a number of advantages to making pottery in this way, they can be made into any colour that you desire, and they are easier to decorate. They can be painted before they go into the kiln which makes it possible to add any decoration that you want. However the biggest advantage of modern pottery is that it is very difficult to break.