Stop Glazing Your Pottery

[@AncientPottery]

Everybody wants to defend glaze from what they perceive as an attack. I am not attacking glaze and glaze does not need defending. Unglazed pottery needs defending because it is always getting put down and treated like it is somehow less than glazed. KZbin is full of videos extolling the virtues of glaze, this little video is just a small voice calling out in the wilderness, asking you to give unglazed a try. My class teaches natural pottery paints, slips and other glaze alternatives bit.ly/3SGmiWA

[@TheWeaponshold]

I think its the title of the video more than anything and the psychology of language. Great attention grabber but it drawing in some extra, less positive, attention. That being said a video titled "What I like about unglazed pottery" does not really have any draw to it. I like both glazed and unglazed pottery myself. The flexibility of the application depending on your artistic goals or use case for the clay is just so massive and getting more information on more techniques is a positive at the end of the day no matter what so I thank you for that.

[@AncientPottery]

@@TheWeaponshold well you know how it is. You can please some of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

[@grayowl167]

@Andy Ward's Ancient Pottery people are such babies. They don't know how to take other opinions with a grain of salt. They don't seem to understand the point of persuasion either. I learned that if I want to make my own pottery, I'd rather use the natural, pretty slip instead of a glaze.

[@gawainquinnshield959]

I’m with ya man! The closer we can get to the natural order of things the better. This world is so darned beautiful! We enjoy it best, thrive within it best when are intimately entwined with it. We need to stop trying to cover it up with plastics or other unnatural compounds.

[@jackccrofootjr7228]

@@AncientPottery Your advocacy for unglazed terra cotta pottery use to store food and liquids for human consumption is dangerous. I am reporting you to KZbin and ask that you be deplatformed for your Medically proven dangerous advocacy for not glazing pottery used for human consumption.

[@inana1480]

As an Algerian (North African/ Mediterranean) i totally confirm we do use traditional ceramics made with hands and unglazed, most of it is done with red clay. Altho some really sophisticated ceramics is sold, i still find it super interesting to understand how it was done before. Natural Ceramics have aged since antiquity so if it can be a better alternative for health and environment I'm totally down for it 🙏🏻 Also huge thanks to you Andy for teaching us so much things, I'll forever be thankful!!

[@Makap3617]

I come from India. Traditionally, we have been using unglazed pots for storing water. The pot is scrubbed every day with a brush and fresh water stored in it. It keeps the water cooler than rap water. Unglazed small earthern pots have been used for serving tea, yogurt etc. The yogurt forms well in such pots. They can be cleaned with hot water and reused.

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks for the info

[@liammccoskrie]

Interesting. Do you have any tips for storing unfermented foods in unglazed pots?

[@NayrbRellimer]

I would like to add a few comments: 1. Some of the earliest examples of glazed pottery come from the bronze age Shang Dynasty in China. 2. Although many modern glazes are actually made from synthetic chemicals, the earliest pottery glazes were instead made from wood ash, slaked lime and/or feldspar mixed with a clay slip. 3. Although the standard modern practice for glazing is to "bisque" the pottery first and then fire the pottery again after glazing; originally, glazed pottery would've been glazed while the pot was still green and fired only once. This method fell out of favor once pottery became a large industry since greenware is harder to carry long-distances without damaging it than low fired pottery. A lot of studio potters now have no idea that they can save time and enery by glazing their pottery in the greenware stage since they don't have to worry about shipping the pottery to a separate facility to be glazed. 4. From what few videos I've seen on sealing and washing earthenware, this cooking material doesn't appear any harder to care for than cast iron since both cooking materials require washing without soap and have active surfaces that can be affected by food cooked in or eaten on the pot. 5. Other than for decorative purposes, the only reason I can think of using a glaze on pottery is if you insist on using soap to wash your pottery. Even then, the soap can still soak into the bottom "dry-footed" area on the bottom of the glazed pot and cause further problems in the future.

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks.My point wasn’t to show when the earliest glazes began to be used but to show that most people ate on unglazed until rather recently in human history.

[@TheBoldImperator]

Cast iron is not porous and can be washed with soap and water. This is a common misunderstanding of the properties of cast iron. What people refer to as "pores" in cast iron are actually microscopic irregularities in the surface of the metal, but virtually all metals have these to varying degrees, it's not a unique feature of cast iron (note that pretty much any piece of metal cookware that doesn't already have a surface treatment can be "seasoned" like cast iron - it's not actually a "seasoning" but layers of polymerized fat on the surface of the metal). Cast iron does not "absorb" water unlike what many popular media sources describe: what does exist are microscopic surface imperfections from the casting or forging or stamping process and does not go through the entire body of the metal.

[@justynh1321]

Just speaking as someone who prefers glazed ceramics over natural ceramics, it's mostly, for me anyway, a textural thing. I do own unglazed ceramics, I use them aswell, mostly for cooking, since I like cooking out doors when weather permits, and ceramic pots feel much more suited to cooking over a fire than my stainless steal ones. But when I want a cup of tea or coffee, I opt for glazed mugs or China, simply because they feel more similar to my glass and metal drinking vessels than the unglazed ones I own, and I'd much rather sip on something that dosent make my brain confused about why my cup it rough, before remembering its unglazed. Usually because the drink isn't what I'm sitting down to do, it's just what I'm drinking while watching TV, making something, playing a game, or reading. Though I do love unglazed ceramics for all sorts of other things.

[@d.d.d.a.a.a.n.n.n]

@@justynh1321 Unglazed porcelain has a very fine texture and is really pleasant to handle. Some of it turns almost glassy, depending on the clay mixture. If you can make or find it, I really recommend it, because it's a really nice material for drinking hot beverages, even unglazed

[@ElveeKaye]

Thanks for that info, I was wondering if glaze could be applied to greenware.

[@OktoPutsch]

honestly i like the mix of both, like the japanese craftmen like to play with, showing both the raw aspect of material and the joys of some glazed touches. Best of worlds

[@Rdasboss]

I mean everything is chemicals, and pottery is all about chemical reactions under high heat. There certainly could be harmful stuff in the dirt. However in the grand scheme of things that are likely to kill you it’s probably very low, but its not like there isnt no risk.

[@AncientPottery]

Yeah everything is made of chemicals. I am referring to unnatural, laboratory made materials, as opposed to all natural materials.

[@ob_arts9360]

Everything is chemical reactions by your definition, digestion of food, plant growth, etc. But you're ignoring the context "natural vs chemical". While you may be a bundle of chemical reactions, I don't expect you're drinking gasoline because "hey, everything's chemical". I've been looking at glazes recently and a common theme is "non-toxic when properly fired". That means toxic unless properly fired, not something you find with most clays.

[@jseal21]

​@@ob_arts9360 that isn't because of a "chemical" that is in the glaze, it's because colorants in glazes are metal oxides, take for example copper oxides, it makes a huge variety of colors and if consumed in its raw state can be poisonous, that is why you must fire it properly to the proper cone so that the glaze (or glass) fully encapsulates it and it becomes safe. By the way yes constituents of clay are absolutely poisonous in sufficient quantities, alumina is poisonous. Hell, water can kill you if you drink too much, hyper hydration or water intoxication

[@ob_arts9360]

@@jseal21 it isn't just the colorants. Glazes can also include things such as lithium carbonate, barium carbonate or boron, as well as other things you don't want to be snacking on constantly. From what I've been reading, a glaze is a chemical reaction. How does a chemical reaction take place without chemicals? Is this a matter of definitions?

[@DavidLawrenceDaley]

There is zero risk

[@Sheepdog1314]

always loved Korean and Japanese pottery...they used glazes for artistic expression. The ancient Jomon pottery was unglazed and had it's own artistic value, then the Koreans moved into Japan, and somewhere down the line someone started a glaze-craze, the pottery itself was less expressive and the glaze took the spotlight. Totally agree with the natural connection to unglazed pottery. I have no problems eating out of my unglazed dishes, never got sick.

[@AncientPottery]

Awesome, thanks for the history. The early southwestern glazes were decorative too.

[@thelastatdawn]

@sheepdog1314 For what it’s worth, I’m a student of art history and your account here is completely inaccurate. When the Japanese invaded Korea, they were so impressed with Korean pottery they enslaved Korean artisans to produce pottery for them and their style was influenced by Korean aesthetics which were very minimalist and elemental. I think it would be helpful to revisit the history of how ceramics developed in these two countries.

[@jhm5497]

Glaze isn't bad its just another approach. the chemicals in most glaze aren't anymore synthetic than the clay itself. I do appreciate the way you are modernizing and investigating some ancient techniques

[@humangeigercounter]

yeah the "chemicals" argument kind of bothered me. It's ALL chemicals; the entire universe is chemicals. That said, he probably meant synthetic, but that's not even particularly true- 99 percent of the ingredients that go into my glazes are literally just powdered minerals(including clay), pulled out of the ground and crushed to a particular sieve mesh size then thrown in a brown paper sack and shipped off. I personally am a big fan of incorporating local materials and clays into my work when available, and you can always formulate a glazer from locally sourced mineral materials and clays if you were so inclined. Also while the points made in the video are all basically valid, in today's highly litigious climate (at least in the US), I'd rather idiot-proof my wares with a properly fitted liner glaze. For my own use would be another story, granted I knew the proper care and maintenance for whatever vessel I were using. I suspect however that a lot of pottery customers are less willing to maintain a wax sealed mug for example, and would rather have something microwave and dishwasher safe. Just my two cents on the topic!

[@SypherSeven]

We've been lied to on a great many levels. Getting into frequency, vibrations, various other points that go beyond common knowledge nowdays, that subjugated people readily dismiss....there are huge differences between natural vs synthetic chemicals... as well as on whom you allow define terms. It is also why those that embrace the truth of any matter live healthier lives and beat the unlearned and/or unwilling 1 to 1000, 2 to 10000, anyday ending in y. The few that remain mocked and labled various adjectives, yet remain free from the troubles of the rest of the world... makes it all worth the ridicule or being called foolish. Like the matrix, we free those ready and willing. Mourn for those that refuse and continue with lies in order to use and control them. Its like turning on a bright light in a dark room they've been in for extended periods of time. They turn away, cover up, and want the light off. Those that endure, begin their day, and eventually see clearly. Sweet freedom. Sweet truth. Foolishness of the world is Wisdom to Elohim. Wisdom of the world is foolishness to Elohim. HalleluYah HalleliYah all my being. All esteem to the Most High Elohim יהוה for it is His esteem to conceal a matter and the honor of sovereigns to seek it out!

[@thialove2121]

Your channel became a part of my life around a month ago. This new creative elemental sharing has brought a deeper caring for all the goodness that lays around us. Thank you for being a wonderful teacher!

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks, I am glad to be able to teach here.

[@diamondkelp3993]

@thialove , 100% agree

[@pauljs75]

I guess one of the easiest ways to deal with some issues is to season the thing in a manner similarly done with wrought iron? Put something that will caramelize or cook onto it, and half burn it at its smoke point. (Generally it's one of the oldest ways of putting a polymer layer on a surface.)

[@AncientPottery]

Definitely and I have a video showing just that.

[@archkull]

As an absolute beginner to pottery, your channel is a godsend! It's absolutely wonderful to have this much concentrated information that also focuses on the natural aspects of clay and pottery. Thank you so much.

[@Benaam-original]

Hi, I am from India. The festival called Deepavli/Diwali (Deep= lamps, avli=rows) is coming in a few days. Earlier everyone used clay lamps to decorate the houses on this occasion, but now we use LEDs as a substitute for that. It's been like that since decades. Fortunately people are now encouraging to use the clay lamps again for this festival. Hoping that this Diwali we would see more earthenware than plastic.

[@AncientPottery]

I didn't know about that festival, thanks for the info.

[@seedmeow3070]

I love your channel!❤❤❤😊 I did 2 years of ceramics in art school and I've been wanting to get back into it. Ive always loved working with clay. But overwhelmed with having to join a studio to do ceramics, or getting a ton of tools to fire and make pottery. But its refreshing to see what you can by choosing to do pottery more primitively. Its refreshing to realize, I dont need those things I can literally just start doing it by aquiring simple tools. It's alot more labour but I'll really respect and enjoy the whole process. Your videos are so helpful, I'm glad I watched them before buying a bunch of stuff I don't nessarary need.

[@AncientPottery]

I am glad my videos have been helpful. Thanks for watching.

[@clerydesigns729]

You have made everything brilliantly clear in just one video. Thank you so much

[@AncientPottery]

You're very welcome!

[@astrudlang7557]

Wow, how insightful- I really thought pottery has to be glazed to be easier to use and cleaned… and I thought the beautiful pottery in the backround was glazed..😅very fascinating and beautiful!!!

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks glad to help

[@amanda3527]

In Brazil we cook in unglazed ceramic pans. We seal it with oil and high temperature. Unglazed cookware is not in most households but it's know to be healthy and the outcome is considered more tasty.

[@AncientPottery]

That's awesome, I hope to be able to visit Brazil someday.

[@BrunoERCouto]

I'm from Brasil as well, and I would comment just that, many of our most iconic dishes are prepared on unglazed clay pots (we call them panela de barro), if you are interested, Andy, you can search for images of dishes like feijoada, barreado and moqueca, you'll see a lot of them prepared on ceramic pots! I found your channel a few days ago and I'm loving the content! Keep up with the good work! Um abraço!

[@SofaKingShit]

I Morocco it's the same. The best pots are treated in wood fires and always with olive oil. Tasty.

[@coipoboy]

im from chile and we use unglassed small pots to cook traditional dishes so i can confirm its safe to eat in them just heat everything well for an example just search pastel de choclo (corn cake)

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks for sharing that. I have learned so much from viewers all over the world who use unglazed pottery.

[@MiauMichigan]

Mi mamá es chilena pero vivimos en Argentina. Ella hace el pastel como lo preparan aquí, que es con papa en vez de choclo. Coincido contigo en que los recipientes de barro le dan su saborcito especial. En otro material no sabe igual.

[@Metal_Master_YT]

people associate all "chemicals" as bad for some reason, and its just as bad as how people think unglazed pottery is bad. you can easily get glazes from the earth, and use those. many high temperature glazes are simple minerals found in the earth, and are completely safe to eat out of once fired. properly glazed ceramics can also effectively store food as long as its dry, or properly sealed. and since glaze has many beautiful colors that you can't easily get with natural clay, you can make much more colorful earthenware using it, besides, the materials for the glaze also come from the earth, they are simply purified first, similarly to how you refine your clay before making pottery out of it.

[@AncientAmericas]

I love me a good rant by a passionate professional.

[@AncientPottery]

LOL, thanks

[@OtherConvosSB]

Except that he's misinforming people...

[@catsandravens]

Thank you, I didn’t know there were alternatives to using glazes. I’ll keep these in mind when I’m looking at new pottery!

[@danc.5509]

Many years ago i heard storing food in plastic caused many cancers. Alternative food wraps include cloth treated with wax and coconut oil, unbleached paper bags, parchment paper and, for cheeses, aluminium foil prevents many moulds from growing.

[@AncientPottery]

Interesting!

[@huntersigler9895]

Your love for pottery is so palpable. I’m glad I found this channel.

[@AncientPottery]

I’m glad you found me, thanks!

[@michellemooney1460]

U r 100% right on this Andy! When i first started studying pottery and learning about wild clay and how it is still used in many parts of the world i began questioning why here in the usa the narrative of it being unsafe qithout being glazed is pushed. Wild clay is perfectly safe, but commerical clay is a different story. Commercial clay has all kinds of synthetic made chemicals in it that is very toxic not only to eat from but to even breathe in. The ancients had ot right in my thoughts and cooking in the clay pots is not only safe, but provide vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy that has been taken away from us and replaced with toxic metal pots.lined with the nonstick coating made from petroleum based chemicals with tons of fluoride in it. Talk about not being food safe, but people dont give that one thought!

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks Michelle.

[@Nemesis89888]

I love how much you love ceramics. I’m new to this world, but your videos are really encouraging to keep practicing this amazing art

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you

[@NowWhatPotteryWorks]

While I appreciate the sentiment, and many pots don't need glaze to be beautiful, or useful, I think you might need to reevaluate the idea that glaze is something different than your clay. I make glaze, and it's literally all the same components as clay bodies. The chemicals used to mix glaze are mostly single mined ingredients, like feldspar and kaolin, just mined from all over the world and combined to make make commercial glaze and clay. The chemicals that are precipitated out or purified , like whiting( taken from limestone and purified into calcium carbonate aka whiting) are just slightly more pure than straight mined ingredients. Whiting is used in medications like tums. Frit is just glass, that has been fired and reground to be more stable to make lower firings glazes more feasible. Colorants can be toxic, but you use those in the same way when you make slips, and exist in your clay body from wilds clays. Yes, mason stains exist, they are mostly colorants with frit. It's important to note that nearly all chemicals components found in glaze are also found in clay, even clay you mine yourself. And for a little historical background, in other parts of the world, glaze has existed as long as wood firing has, particularly China, Japan and Korea. Yes they also use unglazed wares, but glazed wares and proto-celadon glazes can be found as far back as 221 B.C.E, particularly in what is now China, and these pots were used alongside their unglazed wares for generations. Those glazes were often the clay body with wood ashes added to increase the melt and create a shiny surface. I'm not trying to say that pottery needs glaze, but I am saying that historically, glazed wares were common in many parts of the world where more high fire clays were common right out of the ground. Also I spend so much of my time combating the misinformation that glaze is dangerous chemicals that we otherwise wouldn't interact with. All clay contains silica, mined or manufactured, which is what makes it dangerous to breathe in when in a dry powdered form. Clay and colorants self mined or commercially mined are chemically the same.

[@AncientPottery]

I did not say glaze was dangerous chemicals, I just said that it was made from chemical ingredients. I did not cover East Asian history here for a reason, the point was that most people on earth up until rather recently ate on unglazed ceramics. Yes I know they had glaze much earlier in the east. At no point did I say that glaze was dangerous, there is no reason to defend glaze. I said it can also be not food safe, I said it was made of chemicals and I said it covered up the natural clay.

[@NowWhatPotteryWorks]

@@AncientPottery That's fair, and I'm not debating the history of unglazed ceramics, just the assertion the glaze is some unfamiliar chemical ingredient. It's the same base material as your clay body, which you do imply with the "gobs of chemical glazes" comment around 4:18 in your video. I have no argument that it covers up the natural clay, it absoutely does, and plain clay surfaces are gorgeous too. Glaze is just also a combination of natural materials.

[@AncientPottery]

@@NowWhatPotteryWorks definitely agree. I could have been more clear. Thanks

[@feroxartem]

While visiting Morocco had an opportunity to cook n eat from unglazed tajine/tagine earthenware pots. Thank you for sharing this info. Im thinking about getting into pottery, but kiln, price of one, set up, deadly fumes 🤣 n cost of using it have me on hold. For the moment Im using basic air dry clay from my local art n craft to try it out, but after bumping randomly to your channel Im more interested into these ancient pottery techniques. Looks like great alternative to kiln n glaze.

[@AncientPottery]

Sounds great!

[@ameia-noite2120]

Inglish version: I'm Brazilian, and I was very happy to have come to me this amazing video! Because I study and work with ceramics and have never met anyone who said that it was possible to create utilities from non-enamelled ceramics. But I was always in doubt, because I always knew that in the past (and even today) pure clay is used for cooking, eating or drinking. I feel that this was a sign, and I intend to learn and bring unenameled pottery, such a beautiful and wholesome art back to the modern world! Eu sou brasileira, e eu fiquei muito feliz de ter chegado até mim este vídeo incrível! Pois estudo e trabalho com cerâmica e nunca encontrei alguém que dissesse que era possível criar utilitários de cerâmica não esmaltada. mas sempre fiquei na duvida, porque sempre soube que antigamente (e até hoje) é usado o barro puro para se cozinhar, comer ou beber. Sinto que isso foi um sinal, e eu pretendo aprender e trazer a cerâmica não esmaltada, uma arte tão bonita e saldável de volta ao mundo moderno!

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you so much for watching, I am glad this video was helpful to you

[@luzenidcabrerarivera4821]

You are so right, Andy. Glaze contains lead although nowadays you can find lead-free glaze on the market.

[@stoneomountain2390]

2:05 the inherent danger of bacteria it's not the bacteria itself, but the waste products, i.e. the poop is the poison, and no amount of cooking is going to fix that. That basically means that you can't store food in a container for more than a hour unless it's been boiled clean. On the other hand, for this reason, unglazed makes fast, great tasting beer and fermented milk products.

[@AncientPottery]

The small amount off material in the walls of a pot is not the danger the bacteria harbored there that get in your food is.

[@mmorrison3836]

Thank you for this great info. All the pottery classes I've taken were with glazing, so this video has given me desire to start working clay without worrying where to find a high fire kiln for the glaze step ( that was a big overwhelm for me). I really appreciate your pottery channel Mr Ward!

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks, glad to help.

[@wendyeasttngal6286]

I really enjoy your videos thank you for posting them. The videos have been an important step in my primitive pottery journey. 😊

[@AncientPottery]

Wonderful!

[@stacegamble6559]

As a kid we didnt have much pottery so i never thought much about it, Now that im in my 20s and have ran across your channel im so impressed, the things you can do with clay, fire, and paint is so cool, I think its funny how in this modern And technology forward time some of the most impressive stuff to me is ancient techniques. Keep up the good work it is 100% badass

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks! Good things never go out of style.

[@stacegamble6559]

@@AncientPottery So true, lotta people in my generation cant understand that but some of us do🤘🤘

[@There4Stand]

Refreshing. There is something very special when we go back to basics. Nature is perfectly imperfect making its own beauty that is unmatched. Learning to create using natural resources be it pottery or baskets weaved from willows or learning how to gather our food in the most basic and primitive way is amazing. I believe Andy's intention is to teach those who are interested how they can achieve what our native ancestors achieved using simple and basic ingredients that are provided to all people freely, we just need to know where to look, what to look for and how to apply it. I believe I am not alone when I say, thank you Andy for all your shared information and creativity.

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks Debbie, there is peace and happiness to be found by separating yourself from the industrialized world.

[@There4Stand]

@@AncientPottery A very true statement. I am awed by what our ancestors achieved and how they not only survived but thrived - until 'progress' got in the way. As the majority of human population revealed clearly during Covid, most ran out to gather TP rather than seeds which could sustain them... Modern conveniences are nice but don't guarantee survival. Before I digress, thank you again -

[@BartJBols]

The people who live and know how to use these unglazed pots also often die of dysentery. 🤷‍♂ Most of the masses of unglazed earthenware we find basically everywhere as historic artefacts were the 'cheap' versions of pottery, either the mass produced ones to fill with olive oil and traded away never to be seen again by whoever produced them, or the ones made by people who could not really afford glazing or had a purpose that did not require it. Also glazes are often made with just as much natural elements as the pottery itself. For example wood ash glaze, made from the ash from the previous pottery firing. Doesn't get more natural then that. Its chemicals, but its 100% artisanal.

[@AncientPottery]

Dysentery is not spread by unglazed cookware.

[@marciacunningham5877]

I sand my pots first, then burnish with water. I then burnish with mineral oil for a very glossy finish. Michael

[@richardtoston964]

Glad I found your channel. You answered so many of my questions. You inspired me to try pottery again.

[@AncientPottery]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@wolin289]

I absolutely love the results of salt glazing. There are problems in the process though as when salt glazing the pottery, the kiln gets salt glazed too. That made me wonder if salt glazing could be done in small batches in a homemade kiln like the one you made. I haven't seen anyone try it, and perhaps there is good reason. I think glazing makes the pottery more durable. I prefer pottery without painted decorations. Plain and monochrome. But oh, a natural salt glaze is so lovely.

[@AncientPottery]

I don't know much about salt glaze. But have you seen this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/imWWhIOpqLdkjKs Maybe something like this could be made to work all over.

[@juanluciano8252]

Thank you so much! As a person who loves clay and pottery and other works of art made with natural clay found in nature and the natural healthy way in life I love your appreciation and understanding for the traditional ancient way of working with clay and there not being a need to use todays synthetic ways. I'm so glad I found this video! Im also glad for the many reasuring comments from people on this video! ❤ 🐢M.L

[@khokha52]

I'm currently researching the subject, and I see by the comments here that it has to be done, and shared ! Andy, you are opening a very interesting topic, one that is commonly overlooked. Thank you for your involvement. What about the high temperatures we need to get to if we want simple ash or salt glazes ? it is not accessible to most. What about the toxicity of the common fluxes for low firings ? Let's talk about lead (ahem), borax (banned from the EU for non-professional use), or soda (not durable at low temp). What about the unethically or dangerous to the environnement the processing is to get some minerals used in glazes ? I would say, if someone wants to keep it simple, he has to say goodbye to glaze, and welcome to sealing pottery. If we want to play close to nature, we have to be honest and look deeper at the impact we have practicing. There is a place for both glaze and unglazed, I just wish we'd be more conscious about the possibilities. Let's learn the new common sense !

[@starrynight2218]

I come from a country that still uses unglazed burnished pottery - it imparts a great flavor. Just like you said, we wash by hand, we don’t store food in it (hello Tupperware???) and it’s cheap so you can throw it out if it cracks. Unglazed clay is absolutely gorgeous - this is coming from a glaze chemistry nerd 🤓- heck, my first ceramics class confused me bc I saw buff stoneware and it got covered with a glassy colorful coat and I had to ask why cover clay when it is so beautiful in its natural state! 😅

[@vikavika5636]

I am so glad I found your channel!!!! Finally! All the topics which I am obsessing about but so far found little information on out there until now!

[@justjordyn6729]

Thank you for the info! I took pottery in high school and the teacher told us not to eat or drink out of it even after we glaze it. Just in case some spots weren’t sealed in. I’m not going to drink from it anyway, but I’m glad I can actually eat and drink from them without the glaze

[@v3gAcy]

I'm v3ggAs ancient pottery from Uganda learnt a lot from this channel I appreciate

[@AncientPottery]

Awesome thanks

[@АлександрКарпов-ъ1я]

Очень интересная тема Я использую полировку -> молоко + 350° -> льняное масло + воск Льняное масло высыхает и образует полимерное покрытие

[@enlosluceros7236]

I'm from Spain and some of our traditional food is served in unglazed pottery dishes. So even in current Europe unglazed pottery is still being used.

[@AncientPottery]

Cool

[@alboutexle8383]

In India there are absolutely unglaced pottery used and sold in many places and it's mentioned in our ancient scriptures that unglazed pottery enables oxigenization in food which very good for our body. It is also very prevelant in India to store water in them.

[@AncientPottery]

Awesome thanks

[@jt659]

Thanks so much for this. I really wanted to create my own kitchenware with my local clay, but glaze was the kink in my plan.

[@melawieeinapfel8594]

OmG I have to say that I love how you put the background music in the video

[@khalilbenh3327]

Yes sir here in morroco we use it anglazed and we use tar to decorate and gives a good fresh sensation when drinking water thank you sir

[@matthewbadger8685]

Vitrified unglazed ceramic such as stoneware has the benefit of being non-porous, and therefore food safe without requiring a glaze.

[@d.d.d.a.a.a.n.n.n]

I totally agree that glaze is overused and hides the nature of the clay used. It makes me so sad to hide the beautiful textures and colors of clay

[@blueninety]

This video came at a really good time because yesterday I wanted to ask why you didn't glaze!

[@AncientPottery]

Mind reading.

[@ladydeerheart1]

Dobeledo? I adore hearing new words. And I learned a lot about glaze too. Wonderful video. Thank you for sharing.

[@AncientPottery]

The dooblidoo is the description area beneath the video. Thanks!

[@Iiheosnjabskidbxbd]

Will unglazed clay teapots change tea flavor?

[@thesuburbanxplorerschannel]

I really enjoy your channel and all the rich information you bring. I agree about not wanting to cover up the natural look and feel of unglazed pottery. I willuse some of these sealing techniques on my work.

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you so much!

[@asdqwe4468]

Very nice video. I really like when someone breaks out of those 'rules'. When I started making pots (it's just a hobby for me) I also wanted to use the most colorful glazes. Over the years I moved more and more to earthy colors. I try to only partly glaze because I like the contrast and when there's a surface where you can still see and feel the raw clay. Burnishing looks very nice but I'm a little too lazy for that most of the time. I think red, brown and black clays look really good on their own. I stopped using white clay at all. I tried single glaze firing a few times. I'd like to do that more often. It's true firing twice is a lot of work and energy. I do fire rather low because of energy cost. There seems to be a bit of an obsession with firing to cone 10. I'm not even reaching cone 6. I drink tea from my pots everyday and they have a crackled clear glaze on the inside. I doubt the food safety thing is as bad as some people say. I agree that people replace thinking with more and more rules. Instead of knowing how to use what we want to have a simple rule for everything that's always safe. By the way just last week I looked at roman and Greek pottery in southern Italy. Quite amazing.

[@kevinli6544]

Im confused about unglazed pottery, sealants and storage. So can unglazed pottery with "natural" sealants store food? If the answer is no, then it seems glazed pottery, which is a "permanent" seal covers more cases until the surface gets damaged or cracked. If unglazed pots have to be resealed frequently, then it puts it on par with cast iron which in my opinion, is a pain to maintain. For practical reasons, I am a kind of guy that eats in the same container I keep leftovers in and I suppose that alone should keep me away from unglazed pots (not that I have any glazed pots besides enameled cast iron).

[@jc-lk1fp]

Your content is great. I love this hobby. Thanks for all the great info.

[@AncientPottery]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@juwairiyahummabdullah]

I bought a 5 litre clay water dispenser here in egypt, supprised that it leaked and tasted gross, i cemented the inside, tasted even worse and ended up having to throw it away, i wish i found you sooner, i will buy another one when i get the chance, they go for less than 5 dollars here when you find one!

[@AncientPottery]

That's cool

[@danc.5509]

You can also get water filter with water dispenser combination. The water will taste a little earthy though, if unglazed, but still good to drink. The water filter does take a while to drop through to the dispenser, and so it should.

[@iamunknowable]

I prefer glazed, i like how they look and i prefer how they feel. When pottery feels rough it makes me feel uneasy like a chalkboard.

[@AncientPottery]

To each his own

[@SimonMester]

I understand this is an old video, and might not get a reply, but I'm planning on trying to make an amphora for my mead. What is the best way of sealing it without glazing ,so I can store the mead long term? Since it's the inside that needs sealed, I assume something liquid? Could I use hot beeswax maybe? Any pointer are welcome ,thank you!

[@kendarr]

Here in Brazil we have an water filter that is made out of unglazed pottery, it has such a good, fresh taste, I can't explain it.

[@AncientPottery]

That's great

[@triciam.7071]

Oui c'est normal que le filtre à eau ne soit pas émaillé, c'est le principe même du filtre en terre cuite puisqu'elle est poreuse et absorbe les impuretés.

[@kimazz1]

Thank you for presenting alternatives and educating on other cultures and older processes. I love your videos, thank you very much

[@AncientPottery]

Glad you like them!

[@mihaiilie8808]

Check the roman cooking pots Andy.They are verry popular in Europe and unglazed. What we do is that we soak them in water first , right before cooking in them.

[@AncientPottery]

Awesome I wish those were available here.

[@mihaiilie8808]

@@AncientPottery Romertopf its the most common brand .Its german and available on Amazon too. They are nice comercial ( utilitarian)pots but not as nice as yours wich are works of art.

[@AncientPottery]

@@mihaiilie8808 thanks for the tip I’m off to check it out now.

[@Morit0]

I've been reading and watching a lot of vids about ceramics lately, haven't tried anything yet but wanted to know and understand the processes first. As a newbie I was surprised about learning earthenware not being food safe, never heard that before (again im just new in this subject) but I'm from Chile and i live near a small town famous for its pottery where 90% of it is just unglazed. And I don't know anybody that doesn't own and use a piece of Pomaire's pottery. I do own a pot, a jar, several bowls and even a set of wine cups made of unglazed clay. Usually the sellers tell you to boil milk on them to seal them

[@JustJamie-h3l]

i am just getting into pottery and i have found your channel to be absolutely awesome , i live on a farm in Australia where there is lots of wild clay , i am hoping that i can use it to make some simple pottery. thank you very much for your wise words and ideas.

[@AncientPottery]

Awesome, I hope that my videos can be helpful

[@daisythompson570]

Jamie, I'm in Oz too and have been using clay from my dam for 30 years. Being terracotta it has a low fire range and I prefer textural surface decoration I then sawdust (or 'bushfire' with dried organic material), for surprising blackened results. I started with a wood-fired kiln made from 200 bricks.

[@JustJamie-h3l]

@@daisythompson570 hi, i built a gas fired raku type kiln and i temper the clay with sand , it fires well and has a beautiful warm terracotta colour to it. its great being able to make use of the free clay and i have made some nice pieces with it. have fun :)

[@daisythompson570]

We're a special group, we potters, especially in today's world. Happy potting.

[@rustyshackleford3278]

Hi Andy, you really helped put things into perspective. I have searched with no success for low-fire glazes that could be used with primitive firing techniques, I will definitely reconsider natural pigments and have more confidence cooking in sealed earthenware after this truly insightful post

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks Rusty.

[@Flaviorrodolfo]

Brazilian clay filter is unglazed. It's the tipical appearance of the filter and it's what makes the water cold (by evaporation through the clay porus).

[@novemberecho3807]

Thank you for this information. It makes sense to me to keep things simple and I've always liked doing things the "old fashioned way. "

[@AncientPottery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Unknown2Yoo]

I've come to love these unglazed pots after spending time on your channel. I love that it doesn't look like something mass-produced/store bought. Many popular pottery channels make things that look like I would buy them, not unique. I love that your work and others that I've seen look like people made them. Glazes and molds seem to remove that factor I find so appealing. Also, I've seen some of those comments about using the word "natural", give "nature-sourced" a try. They'll probably find something wrong with that, too, but I know that's what you mean when you say it. You didn't source it from a commercial provider, but from God's good earth itself. 😊

[@ElveeKaye]

I like the wide variety of colors and patterns in modern glazes, but also the warm, natural look of earthenware pottery. I'd like to try making pots or dishes that have designs painted in glaze only in some areas while leaving other areas unglazed. I think the contrast would look nice.

[@alexdamman6805]

Andy, I always get lots of ideas to try with my wild clay low fired pottery from your videos. I am still learning how to seal it. I really enjoy your perspective on taking the time to understand and appreciate the basic and simple ways of creating pottery.

[@ديمةب]

I personally don't like buying glazed pottery, something very unatural about the look puts me off big time ! Thanks for doing simple and beautiful unglazed natural pottery justice .

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks

[@triciam.7071]

Intéressant, toutefois un émail haute température offre des qualités sanitaires de nettoyage plus efficace et la nourriture n'accroche pas. De plus les pièces de cuisson basse température non émaillées ou émaillée restent poreuses. J'avais acheté un plat en majolique à un céramiste et le contenu des aliments transpirait sur la table en bois, et un vase aussi transpirait sur le meuble. Les hautes températures offrent bien des avantages selon nos usages contemporains.

[@crowstudios300]

I really really appreciated this video. Thank you Andy!

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks 🙏

[@Quietluxury83]

here is like a museum about ceramics. This makes me very excited.

[@AncientPottery]

Cool, thanks

[@questforbalance]

This is the video i needed!!! Thank you andy!

[@BobStrawn]

Leeching is another reason to question the use of glazes. A lot of bad chemicals have been used in glazes and they can seep into food. If the food chemistry is right, quite a bit can seep into food. If you look up the chemistry of the colors used in glazes, you will find that safe ones are rare. To put this in perspective, It wasn't all that long ago that uranium was used as a glaze. Glazes can endanger the potter and the final user. So without knowledge and care, no glaze may be a safer choice.

[@Dr.Gunsmith]

I love my Suffolk Henry Watson cookware and mugs best of both worlds unglazed on the outside but glazed in the inside.

[@monicasmadeinmaine1114]

What is your opinion on salt glazing? Adding salt to the kiln?

[@John-mz6ig]

Natural resins and beeswaxes and even blends of the two can impart some nice flavors into liquids and foods you store in them. Georgians line Qvevris with beeswax and Greeks with resins. I’ve tried a few different blends and people tend to prefer drinks I ferment in my beeswax and resin clay vessels.

[@Ajia_No_Envy]

Can't you fully vitrify unglazed ceramics so you do not need to seal it?

[@rowbot5555]

Id glaze the inner walls of my pottery since I and my family generally eat heavily spiced food, and even a well sealed bowl or pot will still get flavours seeping into it and I dont have enough space to keep a different set of pots or plates for every flavour profile I like using. That being said, there is absolubetly huge beauty in unglazed pottery and i think they're wonderful. But to say glazes ruin it is to paint with too broad a brush in the other direction

[@johnburke8337]

This was a nice look into a side of pottery and art that is easy to overlook. I sort of wish the “chemicals” argument was skipped because it feels like a non-sequitor that really doesn’t stand up good when you consider natural paints that contain manganese or clays that may have been unknowingly contaminated with mercury. I think your argument from beauty is the strongest you make, that unglazed pottery can be astonishingly beautiful to the eyes, has a tactile element that glaze cannot mimic, and arguably has more techniques for achieving unique and lovely finished work. You really only would need to show your work and work from people you highlighted like Tony Soares and Bobby Silas to really sell that point, because you all have absolutely mastered your corners of this discipline. The only question I walk away with regards sealing unglazed pottery. Is it a seal once, use until it breaks kind of thing, or do you have to regularly reseal it? How do you properly botany it too? I’d imagine soaps might strip away most sealants, no? Thanks for another fun video!

[@AncientPottery]

My point didn’t have to do with toxicity although I see how it could be interpreted that way. Just the unnaturalness of the stuff. Covering the natural clay with chemical glaze. I do see how it was not explained well enough and how “chemical” can mean different things to different people. But I stand behind what I said though. Clay has a natural earthiness about it and covering that with gloppy chemical gaze seems wrong.

[@johnburke8337]

@@AncientPottery this makes much more sense, thanks! Fits in with what I thought was your best assertion, namely the argument from beauty. It really appeals to a quintessentially human element, and I think that ties in harmoniously with the naturalism you present too

[@Daniel-jl6fb]

Another interesting video👍🏻 I know it's not my place to request a type of video, however is there a possibility in the future for you to do a video on pottery confidence please? My ceramic self esteem is at an all time low.

[@AncientPottery]

LOL “pottery confidence” I will have to think about how to approach that subject. But I can definitely relate. Thanks.

[@Daniel-jl6fb]

​@@AncientPottery I know for me it is the case of 1. Always feeling that my work has to have the clean finish that others have and 2. It's not worth making or firing anything if its not good enough to be sold, as that is my vision of excellence (rightly or wrongly)

[@jeremiahmyer5005]

I am a rank amateur backyard potter. I make my art pieces really just in my fire pit with wood and charcoal. My clay is terracotta and it primarily turns black in the fire. I would like to be able to have more colours and so I was thinking of two glazes that are cheap and natural and that would be saltglaze and milk glaze. Do you have any thoughts about that? Thank you I really enjoy your videos. You’re primarily the reason I’m doing any kind of pottery in my backyard so thank you.

[@dirtpoorchris]

I was wondering what a "slip" was. I never would have thought of that! Just make clay with certain color minerals or whatnot added to it and paint it on top the base clay.

[@AncientPottery]

Easy way to make colorful pottery from drab clay.

[@AuroraBeamOfLight]

Very informative! I have been doing some pieces that I just can’t figure out how to glaze without it sticking to the kiln shelf. Do you think you’ll ever do another video on how you seal the glaze with the alternatives you listed? (like the bees wax, starch, milk, etc) I would assume it is pretty straight forward, but tips and tricks on how it is done would be lovely!

[@matheusmanfred]

I learn a lot with you! love your content

[@TheMorous]

Lovely channel great energy and enthusiasm is put into this videos

[@AncientPottery]

Thanks, I try.

[@TheCstri]

I bought some years ago pottery in supermarket. How can I know if the glaze is safe or not? You mentioned that it can have lead?! How can I remove the glaze?

[@LongDefiant]

Any thoughts on fermentation in pottery? All the common stoneware crocks are glazed, but could one use sealed pottery instead?

[@strinity511]

Love the videos, very informative and very well put together.

[@AncientPottery]

Much appreciated!

[@maxmustermann9391]

Are there a specific rules to washing unglazed pottery?

[@sileneshoba8935]

I would say that glazes can be used but you don't have to. I have seen some elements that go into making glazes and there are clear and transparent colored glazes. It really depends on how it is being used, but there are times when you can get great pieces both with and without glazes. I had a lot of fun waiting to see how some different glaze combos turned out from the kiln, but that doesn't mean I find glazes as what should be done as I know there are pieces such as Japanese teapots that are unglazed and there are also matte type glazes. I have fired pieces in different ranges, including raku, horse hair, and pit fire and both the clay and what's added, whether glaze or things such as egg shells and salt, make a difference on what comes out.

[@stillwaterbuilders3714]

Awesome vid I very much plan to get into ancient poetry making as a hobby. Your videos make that entry into said field much easier. thank you, keep up the good work.

[@OriginalLacytoo]

Andy hi - I make items with local clay and fire them as you do in an open fire. I've been asked a few times about making coffee mugs and such, and while I'm aware of the porosity of the fired clay, I'm wondering about the effect of using natural "sealants" such as starch. Would the seal hold up against a hot liquid such as coffee? Can you help?

[@AncientPottery]

Yes it can be done and I have a few videos about that, here are some. kzbin.info/aero/PLxjk09ZJzrltJncUQcyvtdVjLlM9QFi55

[@StMadga13]

Love you man

[@AncientPottery]

Right back at you!

[@wizziewiz1]

Thank you Andy, that was informative, fun and interesting as usual :-) I personally think that all the talk about 'food safe' is a bit of a hype. If people use common sense they know that you have to clean porous materials that you eat from, weather it is a wooden cutting board or a earth ware bowl. Hot water, soap and store it dry work fine. As an historical re enactor I have been eating out of and cooking meals in unglazed fired kitchenware for 20 years now, and so have all the other people at the same events, and never saw any problems with it. I find all the new modern plastics way scarier, especially when heated. You don't know if in the future that plastic stuff all at once shows to be toxic after all. I really like my own unglazed pots, but I also like some store bought glazed things, it is just not the same thing to me. Looking forward to you next video!

[@ericschmuecker348]

Love the history tid bits you add. Just enough "temper"

[@AncientPottery]

Thank you