[Ansteorra] question on ceramics and its history

[Stefan li Rous]

Lady Brenna MacEwin asked:
> Dose any one know any thing about the history of ceramics and  
> ceramic mold , how far they go back
> i do ceramics and a friend suggested that i enter it in A and S but  
> i need documentation , if there is any to be found ,
> if any one know were i might look it would be greatly appreciated

I'm sure there is plenty to be found. Among other things pottery/ 
ceramics survive much better when buried than many other items, as  
well as being fireproof. Your biggest problem is probably going to be  
finding stuff for a particular period or location. Of course if you  
haven't already made your pieces you want to enter, it is much easier  
making pottery which fits into a time and place, than having made the  
pottery trying to find proof that it was done in a particular place  
or time.

You might want to take a look at these files in the CRAFTS section of  
the Florilegium:
ceramics-bib       (7K)  7/20/01    A ceramics, pottery and tile  
bibliography.
Ceramics-Intro-art(13K) 11/19/01    An introduction to pottery and  
ceramics
                                        by Lady Artemesia Serena.
pottery-msg      (101K)  8/22/02    Medieval pottery, kilns. modern  
equivalents.
pottery-whels-msg (28K)  1/24/01    Period pottery wheels. Types.  
Building them.
sculpture-msg     (13K)  7/23/04    Period sculpture. Terra-cotta  
sculpture.
Throwing-Pots-art (13K) 11/21/01    "Throwing Pots" by Lady Artemesia  
Serena.
                                        Using a potter's wheel.

Are you thinking only of pottery? Or are you interested in period  
tile making as well? If the latter, I have these files in the same  
section:
tiles-art         (18K)  5/ 9/97    "To Make Tiles, Bricks or Other  
Building
                                        Materials of Clay" by Tryffin  
ap Myrddin.
tiles-bib          (8K)  5/28/02     A bibliography on period tile  
making by
                                        Master Magnus Malleus.
tiles-msg         (11K)  8/21/02    Period tiles and uses. Sources.  
Making tiles

If this is our first time to enter an A&S competition, you might also  
find these files on documentation, in the CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS  
section to also be of use:
5x8-Doc-art       (19K)  2/17/99    "5x8 Documentation Is All It  
Takes: How to
                                        Write Documentation for A&S  
Entries" by
                                        Gunnora Hallakarva.
AS-cont-docu-msg  (44K)  1/25/01    Documentation suggestions for A&S  
contests.
Documentation-art (12K)  8/22/04    "Documentation - a Quick and  
Painless Guide"
                                        by Ld. Daniel Raoul le Vascon.
Narfing-Iron-art  (12K) 10/23/00    "A Brief Beginner's Guide to  
Documentation"
                                        by Lady Jehanne de Huguenin.

Good luck!
   Stefan

Also, please remember that A&S documentation can often make a good  
file for the Florilegium if it can stand alone without the actual  
items. And since I take updates at any time, I'm willing to replace  
such documentation with a more polished article later.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****