Collecting Pottery at an estate sale is popular because there are numerous styles to choose from. You might want to collect small pieces of pottery to place on a narrow bookcase in your bedroom or larger pieces of pottery to display on a fireplace mantel. Alternatively, you can buy pottery at an estate sale made of certain types of materials, including:
• Porcelain
• Stone
• Clay
Pottery is Typically Created By Hand on a Pottery Wheel
Understanding how pottery is made, fired and decorated is essential before beginning to collect these pieces at estate sales. Pottery is fired in a kiln to create a durable ceramic finish that is water-resistant. Each piece of pottery is unique because an artist makes it by hand, and in most cases, a potter’s wheel was used to create a vase, bowl or plate. While using a potter’s wheel looks simple, when an amateur tries to mold a piece of clay, they find out that the process of applying equal pressure to make an attractive piece of pottery is challenging.
Pottery Makers Prepare Clay before Making an Object
Before creating a piece of pottery, a pottery maker prepares the clay by kneading or wedging it to spread the moisture throughout the substance while removing the pockets of air that can cause the item to explode inside a kiln. After the clay is ready, it is placed on the spinning wheel, and the artist maneuvers the device with their feet. After a plate or bowl reaches the proper height and shape, the pottery maker removes it from the surface of the potter’s wheel with a taut string. The pottery will sit in on a flat surface to dry out naturally before getting fired in a kiln.
You Can Collect Pottery with Certain Types of Decoration
An artist can decorate the clay with an original or traditional design before or after firing the piece. There are several ways for an artist to decorate pottery, including:
Gold embellishments – to adorn the rims of bowls or plates.
Lithography – an application of a decal or image.
Additives – minerals added to the clay before forming the piece.
Burnishing – rubbing the finished item with stone, steel, or wood to create a polished surface.
Carving – removing sections of clay before the firing the piece.
Ceramic glaze – substances (often brightly colored) painted on the clay piece before firing it.
Painting – applied after one firing and before firing the piece for the second time.
Look at an Estate Sale’s Catalog to Learn If Pottery Is Available
As a collector, you might want to look for pottery at an estate sale made in a particular region of the world. Some collectors seek pottery pieces that are green, blue or red. An estate sale’s agent is responsible creating an inventory of pieces of pottery that are available, and if you are interested in only finding items such as jugs, saucers or vases, then that information is usually noted in the estate sale’s advertising material. Contact Prestige Estate Service to find out where and when estate sales are happening closest to you, and advise you on the best places to find what you are looking for.
