One of the things I love about clay is that it has so many states. And that each state corresponds (in my mind, at least) with the human cycle. Clay begins soft and malleable, and full of possibility. It’s in this pliable state that it remembers everything. As it dries, it morphs into its most delicate state, dusty, fragile and as breakable as brittle bones. In the kiln the clay vitrifies and is no longer as porous but still can’t hold water. The second firing –– where glaze is applied –– completes the cycle. It’s here that the vessel is as strong as it’s ever going to be. I’m always amazed by how much a ceramic vessel can withstand. After all, our museums are filled with clay pots that have been around for millennia.
