Definition: Ceramic

ce·ram·ic (s…-r²m“¹k) n. 1. Any of various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing a nonmetallic mineral, such as clay, at a high temperature. 2.a. An object, such as earthenware, porcelain, or tile, made of ceramic. b. ceramics. (used with a sing. verb). The art or technique of making objects of ceramic, especially from fired clay. --ce·ram“ic adj.

Among the ceramic types are unglazed wares, molded pieces with the lead glaze of Hellenistic tradition, and most famous, the lusterware fragments. Tile-making evolved from primitive pottery manufacture, and the earliest architectural sites give evidence of the use of tiles. As soon as the art of glazing was discovered, it became possible to use the thin slabs of hard-burned clay, decorated in colors, as a decorative adjunct to architecture. Early History Pottery is one of the most enduring materials known to humankind. In most places it is the oldest and most widespread art; primitive peoples the world over have fashioned pots and bowls of baked clay for their daily use. The first great art style of the geographical area that is now Peru was that of the civilization that flourished at Chavín de Huántar in the northern highlands c.900 to 200 BC A more or less contemporaneous culture of the north coast produced a style of pottery known as Cupisnique.