How blue pottery got its blue

Blue pottery is not clay pottery at all. The body is made from ground quartz, glass and a little gum.

The colour comes from cobalt oxide, painted by hand in patterns passed down through families.

Firing takes all night. The kiln is opened slowly in the morning, and every piece is checked for cracks before it leaves the studio.

Sample article on a made-up website. The writer, details and story are for demonstration only.