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Chinese Pottery

Pottery is one of the oldest forms of expression in human cultures. Dating from the Neolithic age to the present day, it spans over 8,000 years of history. The word pottery was given to the objects, made from mixing water and clay to form a shape and heating it to keep its form. Since that ancient time, pottery has been used to create the necessary vessels and tools for human existence and quality of life. Pottery has held sway over people's lives, enabling people to cook, store things and transport water efficiently. Purple clay pottery was one of these styles which reached a peak of popularity for hundreds of years. During the Song dynasty of 960 - 1279, and later in the Ming and Qing dynasties, purple clay was greatly desired for its graceful look when sculpted into teapots for the rapidly developing art that surrounded tea.
The Tricolour glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907 was created by adding metal oxide to the potter and baking it at a low temperature. The colours of the pottery ranged through various shades, with the most popular colours being yellow, brown and green. The pottery would be sculpted with figures of animals and humans in the style of Tang art, retaining an aura of grace as well as being lively. As this pottery was prized by travelers to the region, it was transported all over the world. After a few years, the craft involved in pottery became perfected, with different regions producing different styles of the craft. The Yangshao culture developed painted pottery between 5,000-7,000 years ago, whilst other potters used ornate  decorations and bronze wares mixed with pottery.

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