The ancient Egyptians were gifted artisans and pottery was an art where they excelled. Egypt in the pre dynastic period produced pottery of very high quality. From 3000BC on their pottery was decorated with depictions of animals, humans, boats and various other patterns and symbols. Two main veins of pottery existed during this period , pottery from Nile clay ( red/brown after firing ) and pottery from marl clay ( usually polished to give a lustrous look ) Ancient Egyptian pottery was made for functional reasons rather than for decorative purposes. They had a multitude of applications : storage for grains, oil, perfumes, meat, wine and water. The later artistic Egyptian pottery was siliceous, ( between earthenware and porcelain ), possessing a fine grain and being able to resist high temperatures. It was generally covered with a thin glaze, colored blue or green by oxides of copper.
The Egyptians were the first to employ the potters wheel ( hand turned ) and some believe they were the first to implement glazing. They are also credited with being the first to use crockery ware ( 1500 BC ) .
