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- What is Clay?:
CLAY
is the fundamental component of Majolica. We have already said that
its main feature is its Plasticity: this means that, when water is
added to clay, remarkable cohesion is generated between the
particles, to the point where it can be shaped with ease. Another
important feature of clay is its shrinkage: after drying, the
particles contract. In the case of clay worked on the wheel (traditional
in Deruta) an object loses about 10% of its volume through drying.
Yet another important characteristic of clay is its refractory
nature, which means it survives high temperatures without undergoing
alteration. A further property which should be noted is the colour
of the clay after firing. This colour, with its reddish tones (whence the name
‘biscuit’), is mostly due to the presence of ferrous oxides. In Majolica manufacturing, clay needs to undergo a
series of treatments before it can be used by the craftsman. The
condition of the clay when received by the craftsman is essentially
one of three, depending on the type of manufacture envisaged:
plastic, dry or slip. All the stages described in working clay today
are distinct, and the industry makes ready-to-use clay available to
manufacturers; our forebears, however, had to carry out the whole
process.
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