Handmade pottery is one of the oldest crafts known to man with the earliest artistic pottery dating back to 25,000 B.C. give or take a few centuries. The first Pottery crafted for functional purposes, handmade pottery vessels, were used to hold water. All of the ancient pottery dating back before about 3,000 to 4,000 B.C. would have been hand carved pottery, meaning that it was formed or molded all by hand in a stationary manner. We know this because the first Pottery Wheel was not invented until about this time. The invention of the first Pottery wheel significantly changed how pottery was created and the new process know as ‘hand thrown’ created new pottery forms in many round, symmetrical and interesting shapes. Vases, bowls and cups for drinking could now be created more easily and in a more uniformed manner. Archaeologist have unearthed enough antique pottery to be able to understand the technology and skill level possessed by ancient potters.

The act of hand crafting pottery continues to be practiced today by hundreds of thousands of potters across the globe. Handmade Pottery is made for both functional purposes and for artistic expression. There are hundreds of styles and techniques available to modern day potters but they all follow the same general steps of handcrafted and hand thrown pottery. And of course because some pottery, such as Polish Pottery or Polish Stoneware, is hand painted even uniformed pottery of similar shapes and sizes can have a unique appearance. Though some modern day potters may use an electric pottery wheel as opposed to a kick wheel or manual potter’s wheel the basic steps of how to make pottery have not changed in hundreds of years.

Pottery is first thrown on the wheel (or hand shaped), then fired at extremely high temperatures exceeding 1,500 degrees. The first firing removes water and makes the piece retain its shape, the color of the pottery at this time is dependent on the clay and the kiln temperature. The second firing incorporates a glaze that is usually unique and often a closely guarded secret of the particular potter. Most pottery that is painted is done so between the 2 firings. The truly unique and beautiful colors of many handmade pottery pieces are dependent on many factors including the type of clay used which is often tied to a geographic area. Polish pottery and stoneware from the Bolshevik city of Poland for instance is famous for its white clay. Atlanta in the US is known for its vibrant red clay. The source Clay and the types of glazes and methods for applying and also other substances used in the firing process such as sawdust, sand, etc., help to determine the uniqueness of handcrafted pottery.

Being one of the most beautiful and oldest forms of art in the history of man, one couldn’t help but wonder about how such art has evolved and survived through all these centuries. This type of ornamental arts where small tiles of stones and marbles are used to develop patterns and pictures appeared randomly in totally different cultures and locations.

Mosaic is a form of tiling that is usually used in showers and on floors to add a lot of color and style to the room. Mosaics can be found in a large number of textures, colors, layouts and shapes so that if required, you could customize every room in the house. Not only are they are a form of tiling, they are sometimes even considered works of art, called mosaic art.

Most mosaic tiles come with ridges on the backside so that glue can bond more securely to the tile. Nearly all types of glass, stone and ceramic material can be considered as a mosaic tile. The vitreous-glass mosaic tile is a glassy stone-like material that is opaque, not clear, and is not as sharp as regular glass when cut. It is better to use mosaic supplies like mosaic glass cutters for cutting glass mosaic tiles; regular tile nippers may cut the tile but not as predictably as with a mosaic glass cutter. Ceramic mosaic tiles are popularly used for architectural applications, as they are quite cheap and can be easily cut using regular tile nippers.

Sometimes, broken pieces of china and other types of dinnerware are used as mosaics, but as this ceramic dinnerware is engineered to be unbreakable, the plates produce razor edges when broken. Some of the mosaic tiles come attached to fiberglass mesh that keeps the tiles arranged in a grid. This mesh is then glued directly to the floor to be tiled. If you need to remove the mesh to get loose tile, the tile has to be soaked in warm water and the tiles fall off the mesh.

Mosaic tiles are not only used for flooring; they are also used to produce pieces of mosaic art that can be used for display. Mosaic tables make a great piece of furniture, with a tabletop made of mosaic tiles. Pools are the greatest source of use of mosaic art, with mosaic used in different mosaic patterns on the bottom and edges of the pool.