Anthea McGibbon, Staff Reporter

JAMAICANS WHO appreciate beautiful art often collect clay ware as exquisite pieces of decor for their homes and businesses. Artwork also has functionality, such as vases, flower pots, cups, mugs and plates.

However, vases and flower pots, because of their porosity, often sweat overnight as the water soaks into the clay.

Today, Philip Supersad and David Pinto, expert ceramists for more than 25 years, share tips on how to buy and care clay ware, pottery or other ceramic craft items.

Supersad works in mainly three forms of clay - earthenware, stoneware, porcelain - while Pinto, who uses earthenware for some of his studio production, specialises in stoneware and porcelain.

Earthenware pots

"I think of a flower pot as one of those red earthenware pots which holds dirt and is used for holding or growing plants, and is always porous with a hole in the bottom for drainage," said Pinto. "Porous vases are a problem because they leak water, which can damage furniture."

In Supersad's opinion, all decorative items are functional, though all functional items are not decorative.

Although clay ware or ceramic items ideally should last a lifetime, their lifespan is affected by some mitigating factors. Besides breakability, the lifespan of clay ware is also affected by function and frequency of usage.

Supersad warns homeowners to guard against acid-based corrosion, caused by fruit-juice spills, which may also result in deterioration. He said, however, that acid action only affects lead-based glazes.

For Pinto, high-temperatured firing creates a finished product that is very durable.

Clay is vitreous, and perfectly safe for food once no toxic material has been added to glazes. Supersad suggests that all functional items made from clay be glazed to preserve the "hygienic value". Decorative items such as wall art, need not be glazed, he says.

When clay is fired to maturative temperature, it becomes vitreous, impervious to water and perfectly hygienic, sans the decorative glaze factor, said Pinto. Earthenware pottery traditionally requires a glaze that feels like 'a glass skin' over the porous clay form.

Buying

Before buying flower pots, ensure that the pot is not too porous. It should be fired hot enough not to crumble when repeatedly wet. Supersad recommends two methods of checking porosity.

a) Allow the pot to stand in water for a day, weighing the pot before and after. The more porous, the heavier the pot will be.

b) You can run your tongue alongside the pot. Too strong a pull will indicate a pot that is very porous. The strength of the pull determines how porous the pot is.

Of course, knowing a good or bad pot comes with a lot of experience, so it's always wise to bring along a potter at purchase time.

Care

Dust on ceramics can harden into crust. Always clean with a soft cloth or brush. Dust as often as possible. When cleaning glazed artwork, use a soft toothbrush or cloth, especially if you're unsure how tough the glazed surface is.

Pinto reminds readers that some glazed surfaces are very delicate, for example, gilded surfaces that are added afterwards and fired at low temperature over a harder, glazed surface. Stoneware can be thrown into a dishwasher or scrubbed violently with a coarse brush yet escape damage. Most breakage happens when pieces bounce against each other or when they are dropped.

Storage

Store pieces in a safe place, far from the traffic of children or pets. Supersad recommends cupboards for storage.

Transport

Pinto advises that placing thin layers of bubble wrap around pottery is insufficient protection. He, therefore, recommends a minimum of two inches of bubble wrap around the pottery, snugly packed into a strong cardboard box or crate, as the safest way to transport.

For shipment, fragile work should be double-boxed. The outer box ought to have two inches of padding between it and the inner box. Most breakage occurs by trying to fit too much into one box.

Supersad prefers using cheap cardboard rolled around the ware. While he doesn't recommend filling insides of vases and pots, he recommends using shredded paper, newsprint, sponge or foam to be placed around the piece.

anthea.mcgibbon@gleanerjm.com

GOLDEN LINKS:

www.terracegardener.co.uk/about_pots/repairing_pots.php

www.ehow.com/how_4551303_winter-care-clay-pots.html

www.stanleygatenursery.co.uk/advise/pot_care.php