[Ansteorra] question on ceramics and its history

[Stefan li Rous]

Alden replied to me with:
> Stefan:
> "Slip" is the term used for liquid plaster (or ceramic.)

> In ceramics, the slip is poured into a negative mold; allowed to  
> coat the
> inside, and poured back out; creating a hollow positive object  
> (such as a
> vase, or a statue.)

Ah, Thank you. They did do something similar to this with pewter  
casting in the Middle Ages. If you look in many of the books showing  
medieval pewter casting, you will find small pewter bottles about one  
to one and a half inches in diameter, usually round with a spout.  
These were used to hold holy water for blessing things such as the  
fields. The obvious way to make these is to pour the hot pewter into  
the mold, let it cool a bit as you highlight, from the outside in and  
then pour out the center portion which is still liquid.

Unless there is some special technique needed to create a liquid slip  
which dries but not too fast or too slow, then I'd be surprised if  
this slip casting wasn't period since a similar technique was used in  
pewter casting. But then you can make pottery using the coil method  
or on a wheel and that doesn't work very well with pewter. :-)

> Alden
> (who knows a little about a lot of things...)

Yep. Sounds rather familiar.
Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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