CERAMICS – IMPRINT
When man mastered the use of fire, he became capable of creating ceramics – an invention onto which various cultures across the planet have left their mark. Ceramic objects are among the oldest and most numerous testimonies of human culture. Many archaeological finds show that this is a material of great durability, and its continuous and widespread use, from distant antiquity to the present day, can be explained by entirely practical reasons. Clay, the basic raw material from which ceramics are made, is abundant and easy to work with, and objects can be shaped even by hand, without the use of tools. Once fired, clay turns into a very resilient and versatile material – ceramics. The simplicity of the production process, as well as the wide range of possible applications, contributed to the development of a multitude of vessel types and other objects. Supporting this fact are exhibits, of a broad age range, preserved in museums around the world.
The making and use of objects form the two thematic units of the exhibition “Ceramics: Imprint.” The production of ceramics is presented through three stages: methods of shaping objects, types of firing, and decoration techniques. The use of ceramics is shown within the context of food culture, where it was most widespread, but it was also employed in other areas (architecture, crafts, customs and beliefs, play, artistic expression, and other occasions). The majority of the exhibits belong to the period spanning from the first half of the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century. Several contemporary objects, placed at the end of the exhibition, encourage us to reflect on the development of ceramic materials and on technologies whose future applications will lead to new inventions designed to meet the evolving needs of humanity.
VIDEO
QUIZ
AUDIO GUIDE
EXHIBITION MAP
