Hand of the Potter

　　Throughout history different cultures have made pottery objects. They used local materials incorporating traditional techniques. The most sophisticated pottery culture was in China. Porcelain was made as early as the 9th century. It would be 900 years before the Europeans learned its secret.

　　Pottery objects are some of the oldest man-made artifacts. They often remain unchanged for thousands of years. The pottery does not corrode like metal and will not disintegrate like wood or cloth.

　　The Islamic cultures of the Middle East created elite forms of pottery. Some of this was influenced by Chinese potters. Later, technical innovations were shared and improved.