Pottery
 

Pottery, earthenware or terracotta is made from ordinary clay, that is usually shaped and then fired at between 600 to 800°C. In this form, pottery is permeable. Widely available clay deposits probably explain why pottery was the earliest form of ceramic made by humankind and why it still is so popular today. During the middle ages, this was the only known type of ceramic ware and was often made impermeable by adding a lead glaze.

Earliest examples of vases in the museum date from the VIIth century BC and extend up to the XIXth century. Pottery from outside Europe may also be seen with displays of ware from South America and North Africa.

© Musée national Adrien Dubouché - RMN