shelf 1

Earthenware, the first clay body humans fired, can be left unglazed for dry goods, although glaze is required for wares containing liquids and serving foods. Harder and more durable than earthenware, stoneware vessels can hold liquid even when unglazed, but they become more resistant when glaze is added. Stoneware was often the preferred clay body for storage vessels—especially for commodities shipped across the seas or transported on overland journeys.

Click an object to learn more