Chapter 165: The Crystallisation of Clay and Fire
*Crackle crackle…* The fire in the earth kiln was burning vigorously, with the wood crackling loudly as it burned.
After Ru had finished glazing all the earthen bowls, Su Bai had people start the fire in the earth kiln, intending to proceed with the final step of making ceramics – firing the kiln.
“Shaman, are we going to throw these things into the fire to burn?” Yan Hua curiously pointed at the glazed earthen bowls.
“Of course not. If we did that, the ceramics would come out pitch black and might even get ruined.” Su Bai smiled. [You expect me to directly burn them? That obviously wouldn’t work.]
“Then, why did the Shaman ask people to start such a big fire?” Yan Hua blinked her red eyes curiously.
“This is the last step in making ceramics, called kiln firing. We’ll put the ceramics in after the fire has died down a bit.” Su Bai explained.
The process of kiln firing was a crucial step. If not done carefully, all previous efforts could be wasted, squandering raw materials, fuel, and a lot of manpower.
In ceramic craftsmanship, in terms of importance, it can be divided into first firing, second clay, and third glazing. In a sense, kiln firing was the key of keys.
Yan Hua regretted asking, as she obviously did not understand his explanation. She changed the subject, “Shaman, can we fire them right after applying that thing called glaze?”