stoneware

Very hard, opaque, water-resistant pottery made of non-porous (non-absorbent) clay with feldspar and a high silica content. It is fired at high temperatures (1,200–1,280°C/2,192–2,336°F) to the point of vitrification, producing a glasslike, non-porous material that is between porcelain and earthenware in character.

Stoneware usually fires to shades of grey or buff, though some red stonewares do exist. Glazing decorates and gives the surface a smooth finish. The earliest examples are Chinese, from the 10th to 3rd centuries BC.

From the 9th century AD stoneware was made in northern Europe; in Britain from the late 17th century.