Featured in this handsomely designed, nostalgia-tinged volume are ironstone, the graceful, elegant china of myriad shapes first produced in England in the nineteenth century; redware, the first pottery of Colonial America, which was turned on a wheel and then covered with a clear glaze that made the clay waterproof; spongeware, a colorful descendant of English Staffordshire spatterware that is named for its style of decoration rather than its type of clay; mochaware, extraordinary pieces of earthenware with elaborate colored slip decorations; and yellowware, the down-home pottery that has been a kitchen staple since the 1820s. Today, these once simply utilitarian and serviceable objects are collector's items both for their rarity and for their decorative qualities; best of all, they can still be used in the kitchen or to add a homey touch to any decor.

The 23 papers presented here are the product of the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and approaches to the study of kitchen pottery between archaeologists, material scientists, historians and ethnoarchaeologists. They aim to set a vital but long-neglected category of evidence in its wider social, political and economic contexts. Structured around main themes concerning technical aspects of pottery production; cooking as socioeconomic practice; and changing tastes, culinary identities and cross-cultural encounters, a range of social economic and technological models are discussed on the basis of insights gained from the study of kitchen pottery production, use and evolution. Much discussion and work in the last decade has focussed on technical and social aspects of coarse ware and in particular kitchen ware. The chapters in this volume contribute to this debate, moving kitchen pottery beyond the Binfordian ‘technomic’ category and embracing a wider view, linking processualism, ceramic-ecology, behavioral schools, and ethnoarchaeology to research on historical developments and cultural transformations covering a broad geographical area of the Mediterranean region and spanning a long chronological sequence.

Have you always wanted to know how to make pottery but been daunted by the techniques or put off by expensive equipment? This book includes everything you need to know to make beautiful pottery by hand in your own home. Learn to create pots, plates, bowls, mugs, candle holders, trays, jugs and much more - all without a potter's wheel. Packed with tips, techniques and inspiration, you'll be inspired by the beautiful photography and practical projects. Every design is accompanied by clear step-by-step illustrated instructions so professional results are easy to achieve. And when you've finished making your piece, you don't even need your own kiln - simply pop along to one of the numerous pottery cafes to fire it!

The 23 papers presented here are the product of the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and approaches to the study of kitchen pottery between archaeologists, material scientists, historians and ethnoarchaeologists. They aim to set a vital but long-neglected category of evidence in its wider social, political and economic contexts. Structured around main themes concerning technical aspects of pottery production; cooking as socioeconomic practice; and changing tastes, culinary identities and cross-cultural encounters, a range of social economic and technological models are discussed on the basis of insights gained from the study of kitchen pottery production, use and evolution. Much discussion and work in the last decade has focussed on technical and social aspects of coarse ware and in particular kitchen ware. The chapters in this volume contribute to this debate, moving kitchen pottery beyond the Binfordian ‘technomic’ category and embracing a wider view, linking processualism, ceramic-ecology, behavioral schools, and ethnoarchaeology to research on historical developments and cultural transformations covering a broad geographical area of the Mediterranean region and spanning a long chronological sequence.

Pots in the Kitchen traces the development of handmade pots used for cooking in Britain from the beginning of the 20th century. Clay pots from Morocco, South America, Spain, and India, casseroles, baking dishes, together with many humble pots such as cutlery drainers, colanders, and lemon squeezers are all celebrated in this book as never before. With special features illustrating potters at work, this book shows how leading makers create their unique handmade pots in step-by-step sequences. Practical guidance is given on how to cook with handmade pottery and, for potters, there is essential information about clay bodies and firing pots.

Owned by the National Trust and managed by English Heritage, Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire, established in 1398 and suppressed in 1539, was one of only nine successful Carthusian monasteries in England and one of the best-preserved medieval houses of that order in Europe. First excavated by Sir William St John Hope in 1896-1900 and in state guardianship since 1955 it is acknowledged as a type site for late-medieval Carthusian monasteries. The modern study of Mount Grace began in 1957 when Hope’s interpretation of the monks’ cells about the great cloister was found to be simplistic. This was followed between 1968 and 1974 by the excavation of individual monks’ cells in the west range of the great cloister and two cells in the north range, together with their gardens, areas not excavated by Hope. The examination of the monks’ cells was completed in 1985 by the excavation of the central cell of the north cloister range, together with its garden and the cloister alley outside the cell. The cultural material recovered from these cells indicated the ‘trade’ each monk practiced, predominantly the copying and binding of books. Because each cell was enclosed by high walls, the pottery and metalwork recovered could be identified to an individual monk. In 1987 English Heritage commissioned the re-excavation of two areas that had been examined by Hope, the water tower in the great cloister and the prior’s cell, refectory and kitchen in the south cloister range and the guest house in the west range of the inner court. The contrast between this semi-public area of the monastery and the monks’ cells was dramatic. Coupled with this excavation was a reappraisal of the architectural development of the monastery and reconstruction of lost structures such as the cloister alley walls and the central water tower.

Sorkin focuses on three Americans who promoted ceramics as an advanced artistic medium: Marguerite Wildenhain, a Bauhaus-trained potter and writer; Mary Caroline (M. C.) Richards, who renounced formalism at Black Mountain College to pursue new performative methods; and Susan Peterson, best known for her live throwing demonstrations on public television. Together, these women pioneered a hands-on teaching style and led educational and therapeutic activities for war veterans, students, the elderly, and many others.