earthenware

Pottery made of porous clay and fired at relatively low temperatures of up to 1,200°C/2,200°F. It does not vitrify but remains porous, so will continue to absorb fluids. Earthenware may be unglazed (terracotta flowerpots, wine-coolers) or glazed to give a smooth, shiny, waterproof surface (most tableware); the glaze and body characteristically form quite separate layers.

The most ancient pottery was fired earthenware (terracotta), which is known to date back to the Mesolithic period in northern Europe and East Africa. Today, pots fired in the traditional method for local use in parts of South America, Indonesia, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent are sometimes burnished to a smooth finish, which strengthens them. They often have an attractively uneven distribution of shades due to different rates of oxidization in the low temperature of an open fire (about 600°C/1,000°F); kiln-fired pots (fired at 1,000-1,200°C/1,832-2,200°F) are more evenly coloured and matt.