Terracotta

Terracotta comes from the Latin word Terra Cocta. In Italian, it means “baked earth”. Terracotta has been is use as far back as 4000 BC. Use of terracotta for manufacturing various products has spread across the globe since the dawn of early human civilization. Cultures have perfected and adopted the use of this material to produce diverse products such as cookware, storage containers, jewellery, décor and construction material.

The clay is shaped to a desired form and then dried and then fired in a kiln at a temperature of around 1,000 °C. The fired body gets the reddish colour because of its iron content. The colour varies depending upon the kind of clay used. Earthenware has a ‘terracotta’ colour. Stoneware which is a hard and more durable clay has a grey, tan, dark grey or a chocolaty brown colour. Kaolin, or the purest form of clay has brown or lighter shades. Kaolin is also the main ingredient used in making porcelain.

One of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, The Terracotta Army, now a UNESCO site, was made to honour the first Emperor of China Qin, who unified the warring states under him. China gets its name from him(Qin/Chin). Below are a few of many interesting facts about terracotta..

• Clay work done on the Potter’s Wheel is called earthenware pottery.
• Clay has been used as a building material in Egypt and the Middle East as far back as 5000 BC.
• It is said that, cooking food in earthenware allows almost 100% nutrient retention.
• Clay pots, being porous, allows moisture and heat to circulate freely and easily through them which results in evenly cooked food.
• Clay pots are alkaline, hence it neutralizes the acid content in the ingredients being cooked in it.
• A crude earthenware, excavated at a major Neolithic site at Çatalhüyük, Turkey, is thought to be around 9,000 years old. It is considered the earliest known pottery yet.

• Powering a kiln by renewable source of energy ensures that the earthenware is 100% eco-friendly. However, using earthenware instead of conventional items is always healthier for us as well as for the environment.
• Primary mineral of Clay: Kaolinite . Composition: 40% aluminum oxide, 46% silicon oxide, and 14% water.
• Raw materials are all naturally available and can be processed in a fully environmentally sustainable way.
• No use of toxic or harmful chemicals.
• Most earthenware are not energy intensive.
• Earthenware is 100% bio-degradable.