Terracotta Art: the Missing Link

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Terracotta in Africa: The Missing Link Terracotta, Italian meaning baked clay, is a clay based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. An appropriate refined clay is shaped into the desired shape. After drying it is placed in a kiln, or atop combustible material in a pit, and then fired. The typical firing temperature is around 1000°C. The iron content gives the fired body a yellow, orange, red, "terracotta", pink, grey or brown color. Fired terracotta is not watertight, but surface-burnishing the body before firing can decrease its porousness and a layer of glaze can make it watertight. It is suitable for in-ground use to carry pressurized water (an archaic use), for garden ware or building decoration in tropical environments, and for oil containers, oil lamps, or ovens. Most other uses such as for tableware, sanitary piping, or building decoration in freezing environments require that the material be glazed. Terracotta, if uncracked, will ring if lightly struck. Terracotta was the only ceramic produced by Western and pre-Columbian people until the 14th century, when European higher fired stoneware began production. Terracotta has been used throughout history for sculpture and pottery, as well as bricks and roof shingles. In ancient times, the first clay sculptures were dried (baked) in the sun after being formed. Later, they were placed in the ashes of open hearths to harden, and finally kilns were used, similar to those used for pottery today. However only after firing to high temperature would it be classed as a ceramic material. Pre colonial West African sculpture also made extensive use of terracotta. The regions most recognized for producing terracotta art in this part of the world include the Nok culture of central and north-central Nigeria, and the Igbo culture area of south Nigeria, which excelled in terracotta pottery. The Nok

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