There is a long history of ceramic art in almost all developed cultures, and often
ceramic objects are all the artistic evidence left from vanished cultures, like that
of the Nok in Africa over 2,000 years ago. Cultures especially noted for ceramics
include the Chinese, Cretan, Greek, Persian, Mayan, Japanese, and Korean cultures,
as well as the modern Western cultures.Elements of ceramic art, upon which different
degrees of emphasis have been placed at different times, are the shape of the object,
its decoration by painting, carving and other methods, and the glazing .
Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative,
industrial or applied art objects, or as artifacts in archaeology. They may be made
by one individual or in a factory where a group of people design, make and decorate
the ware. Decorative ceramics are sometimes called "art pottery".The word "ceramics"
comes from the Greek keramikos (κεραμικος), meaning "pottery", which in turn comes
from keramos (κεραμος), meaning "potter's clay." Most traditional ceramic products
were made from clay (or clay mixed with other materials), shaped , subjected to heat,
and tableware and decorative ceramics are generally still made this way.
