EASTERN | DESERT | WARE
EXPERIMENTAL | POTTERY | FIRING
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Firing a pot in an open fire
will result in marks on the surface. These 'fire clouds' are the result of
uneven heating, lack of oxygen or chemicals released by the fuel.
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This can be prevented by
protecting the pots with an open container creating a clean, oxydizing environment.
Such a 'sagger' can be ceramic, stone or metal.
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The fire has to be built
up slowly, to allow water and air to escape from the clay without causing
it to crack, but needs to get hot enough to fire the pots.
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| For reasons of research,
and to enable some control on the fire, the temperature can be measured with
a pyrometer (here reading almost 700 °C). |
To better test the behavior
(strength, color, luster) of different clays in an oxidizing environment,
some vessels are fired in a small electric kiln. |
The temperature in the kiln
is controlled and monitored with pyrometric materials that melt at known temperatures
(here set to reach 866 °C). |
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