Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta, is a term used in some contexts for earthenware. It is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic, fired at relatively low temperatures. The term terracotta can refer to the natural brownish orange color of most terracotta. Glazed architectural terracotta and its unglazed version are used as exterior surfaces for buildings in East Asia and Europe. Architectural terracotta can also refer to decorated ceramic elements such as antefixes and revetments, which had a large impact on the appearance of temples and other buildings in classical architecture...
The Art Media Terracotta
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta, is a term used in some contexts for earthenware. It is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic, fired at relatively low temperatures. The term terracotta can refer to the natural brownish orange color of most terracotta. Glazed architectural terracotta and its unglazed version are used as exterior surfaces for buildings in East Asia and Europe. Architectural terracotta can also refer to decorated ceramic elements such as antefixes and revetments, which had a large impact on the appearance of temples and other buildings in classical architecture.
Production
Prior to firing, terracotta clays are easy to shape. Artifacts can be formed by an "additive" technique, adding portions of clay to the growing pieces, or a "subtractive" one, carving into a solid lump with a knife or similar tool. Sometime a combination of these is used: building up the broad shape and then removing or adding more in certain areas to produce details. Other common shaping techniques include throwing and slip casting. After drying, it is placed in a kiln or atop combustible material in a pit, and then fired. The typical firing temperature is around 1,000 °C (1,830 °F), though it may be as low as 600 °C (1,112 °F) in historic and archaeological examples. During this process, the iron content of the clay reacts with oxygen, resulting in the iconic reddish color of terracotta clays. However, the overall color can vary widely, including shades of yellow, orange, buff, red, pink, grey or brown.
Properties
Fired terracotta is not watertight, but its porousness decreases when the body is surface-burnished before firing. A layer of glaze can further decrease permeability and increase watertightness. Unglazed terracotta is suitable for use below ground to carry pressurized water (an archaic use), for garden pots and irrigation or building decoration in many environments, and for oil containers, oil lamps, or ovens. Most other uses require the material to be glazed, such as tableware, sanitary piping, or building decorations built for freezing environments. Terracotta will also ring if lightly struck, as long as it is not cracked. Painted (polychrome) terracotta is typically first covered with a thin coat of gesso, then painted. It is widely used, but only suitable for indoor positions and much less durable than fired colors in or under a ceramic glaze.
In Art History
Terracotta female figurines were uncovered by archaeologists in excavations of Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan (3000–1500 BC). Alon Terracotta was used for roof tiles, medallions, statues, capitals and other small architectural details in ancient Greece, Babylon, Egypt, Rome, China, Korea, Japan, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Native American cultures.
Terracotta Artworks
ArtsDot.com offers a wide range of terracotta artworks for sale, including reproductions of famous paintings such as
Madame Chauvire by Jean Baptiste Pigalle,
Seating nude by Pablo Picasso, and
The Bather by Jean Antoine Houdon. We also offer reproductions of terracotta sculptures such as
The Annunciation by Domenico Di Pace Beccafumi and
Still Life with Basket and Terracotta Jars by Juan Van Der Hamen.
Terracotta Artists
ArtsDot.com features a wide range of terracotta artists, including Margaret Frances Anne Vane-Tempest-Stewart and Giuseppe Maria Mazza. Giuseppe Maria Mazza (13 May 1653 – 6 June 1741) was one of the leading sculptors of Bologna, Italy, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was trained as a painter, but is best known for his fine sculptural work in terracotta and stucco.
Terracotta Museums
The
Museum Santa Caterina, Pisa, Italy is one of the many museums that feature terracotta artworks. The museum is housed in the former Dominican convent of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, which was founded in 1314. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece, with its terracotta bell tower and Gothic stained glass windows.
Terracotta,
Terracotta Army,
Architectural terracotta.