Earthenware is a ceramic made from potash, sand, feldspar and clay. It is one of the oldest materials used in pottery. Classically, most earthenware has a red coloring, due to the use of red clays. However, this is not always the case, and for the modern potter, white and buff colored earthenware clays are commercially available.

Earthenware is typically biscuit fired at a temperature of around 1000 degrees Celsius (1800 degrees Fahrenheit), and glaze fired (the final firing) at around 1100°C (2000°F).

Earthenware may sometimes be as thin as bone china and other porcelains, though it is not translucent and is more easily chipped. Earthernware is also less strong, less tough, and more porous than stoneware - but its low cost and easier working compensate for these deficiencies. Due to its higher porosity, earthenware must usually be glazed in order to be watertight.

Types of earthenware

• Creamware
• Delftware
• Faience
• Majolica
• Raku
• Terra cotta

Reference

• Hamer, Frank and Janet. The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques. A & C Black Publishers, Limited, London, England, Third Edition 1991. ISBN 0-8122-3112-0.