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Stoneware

Stoneware is one of the three major classes of pottery, along with earthenware amd porcelain. (In Chinese tradition, only two types are traditionally recognized, as stoneware and porcelain are not clearly distinguished.) The distinction is based on the type of clay used and the temperature at which it is fired; stoneware is fired at intermediate temperatures from 1140 degrees Celsius to 1200 or higher. It is denser, stronger, and less porous than earthenware; less hard than porcelain and without its pure white color. Glaze may be applied in a second firing at a different temperature, though Chinese ceramics generally used a compatible glaze, allowing single firing.

The clays used in stoneware and earthenware are generally similar, composed of clays of various sorts mixed with other materials such as sand and feldspar.