Do you remember your childhood delight when you molded your first pink or blue gob of Play Doh into the shape of a friendly snake, or a delicious hamburger patty, or perhaps an exact replica of your pet dog Rex? Remember the rubbery feel and slightly salty smell of the clay . . . the tactile sensation of kneading and pulling and squeezing and stomping the mass of pliable Doh . . . the proud feeling you had from creating something entirely new, with your own hands?

Nowadays, having to deal with the many stresses of adult life, you may yearn for a hobby which will allow you the same wild abandon and sense of fun and fulfillment that you had as a child with Play Doh. Of course, there are a number of hobbies that will accommodate your need to relax after a hard day’s work: woodworking, triathalons, gardening, cooking, or painting.

Let’s not forget that clay sculpture has been a favorite form of self_expression and livelihood for all age groups for literally thousands of years. You may be surprised to learn that carbon_dating techniques indicate that as long ago as 9,000 b.c., near Jericho, simple houses contained clay_lined pits to store wild grains, and examples of fired pottery have been found in Japan, China, and Taiwan, dating from 11,000 b.c. Further, many of the well_known European artists, like Picasso, have long copied the strength and majesty of ancient African art forms.

Clay sculpture has other benefits in addition to relaxation. In addition to being a natural substance from Mother Earth, "real" clay is relatively inexpensive and plentiful. There are also other types of clay_like substances, such as "Fimo" and "Sculpey" clays that are very popular among crafters for jewelry making and other applications.

But perhaps the most interesting use of clay involves the enhancement of cultural awareness. In our modern, pluralistic society, many people are attempting to trace their family trees and recapture their "roots." Clay sculpture has long been one of the most important media for recording the humanity of many different civilizations. How? Because ceramic clay is virtually indestructible. Archeologists and historians have reconstructed how people lived in cultures that have long since disappeared, using artifacts made from clay. Even if a clay pot or sculpture has been broken, its shards (pieces) can often be put together again. From those remains, one can learn a considerable amount about a society – its degree of technological development, the extent of its trade, and its exposure to migrations of other people. So art collectors and "regular" people can look to clay sculpture to learn about their cultural past.

So what is clay? Here’s a quick overview of the properties and uses of clay. Over millions of years, the weathering action of alternating freezing and thawing, along with the grinding of glaciers, the pounding of rain, and the flow of rushing streams, slowly broke down the earth’s crust into boulders, then into stones, then into pebbles, and finally into the small particles that make up clay. Along with the weathering action, chemical changes took place as oxygen combined with minerals to form oxides. Feldspar, the most abundant element on the earth’s surface, is an essential component of clay. Silica and alumina combine with alkalies such as potassium and impurities like iron to make it possible to fire clay into a dense and permanent hardness. To be capable of producing a ceramic, clay must contain a flux and a heat_resisting material, or refractory. These elements, along with extreme heat, produce a ceramic that can last for thousands of years.

"But what is that glossy coloring on my ceramic coffee mugs and plates?" you ask. The exterior coloring on ceramic pieces is called a glaze. Glazes are made up of compounds of glass_forming minerals that fuse in the heat of a kiln and adhere to the clay body, coating it with what is, essentially, a thin layer of glass. Further, depending upon the amount of iron oxide and other components, the clay body itself may be a reddish brown color, terracotta color, tan, beige/buff, gray, or white; the color of the clay can also affect the exterior coloring of a ceramic object. To fuse and mature, each type of clay requires a different heat level and duration in the firing process. Low_fired, earthenware clay is heated to about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and is more porous than high_fired clays like stoneware and the well_known white_colored porcelain, which are fired at temperatures above 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.

The difference between fired and unfired clay is obvious. Unfired clay from the earth can be dampened with water. It is easy to manipulate and holds together as you shape it into an object (similar to the mudpies you made as a child). After a few hours, the damp clay hardens to a leather_hard yet somewhat elastic stage, at which time decorative designs can be cut or etched into the clay surface. Once air_dried, the greenware clay is very fragile and crumbles easily. When subjected to the heat of a kiln (a high_firing oven), the clay piece becomes hard and permanent, and is capable of maintaining its form interminably.

Over the years, clay has been used for many objects, not just coffee cups or garden pots, or the floor tiles we walk on. Clay has also been used in ceramic vessels to bury the dead, and ceramic containers for oils and perfumes, and for ceremonial, ritualistic, or religious objects; these ritualistic figures had the power to protect people from evil spirits, increase fertility, etc. In Africa, pots were specifically used for cooking, storing food, carrying water, and dyeing fibers.