| If you are just beginning to collect pottery I will let you | | | | bathroom as a soap dish. It's great for displaying the |
| in on a little secret that avid collectors know all too well: | | | | special hand soaps in the bathroom and adds a little |
| pottery is infinitely useful and extremely versatile. This | | | | splash of color to the bathroom counter top. |
| means that most pottery can function in more than | | | | Cooking. Believe it or not, pottery can withstand fairly |
| one capacity. You do need to make sure that there | | | | high temperatures with grace and style. This makes it |
| aren't certain restrictions on the pieces you purchase | | | | an excellent choice for cooking in many households. |
| though most dealers will let you know the necessary | | | | We use pottery in the microwave and the oven, |
| care instructions and precautions that should be taken | | | | though never stove top for preparing and serving all |
| when you make the purchase. | | | | kinds of dishes. If you are wary about using these |
| That being said most pottery is dishwasher and | | | | beautiful pieces for cooking, they do make excellent |
| microwave safe (depending on the glazing | | | | choices for serving food. |
| method-Raku pottery is not), food safe (again this | | | | Dining. Stoneware is a very popular style of casual |
| depends largely on the glazing method and any paints | | | | dinnerware these days and with good reason. Not only |
| that may have been used), safe for use in the oven, | | | | is it a beautiful addition to any table but it is also quite |
| and able to hold liquid. This means you have a lot of | | | | versatile. You may also find mugs, plates, and bowls |
| options with most pottery pieces that go well beyond | | | | that are thrown or hand built for your dining pleasure. |
| the uses for which the specific piece may have been | | | | Regardless, most tables are greatly enhanced by the |
| designed to carry out. | | | | addition of pottery rather than many other choices on |
| Storage. Vases are great for holding things. They are | | | | the market today. |
| by no means limited to flowers. Small pottery pieces | | | | As you can see there are many things that may be |
| are great for holding perfumes, particularly those with | | | | done with pottery today. Be careful that you do not |
| stoppers, or oils, and countless other small treasures | | | | establish molds for your pottery to conform to or you |
| you have lying around. Larger pieces are great for | | | | will miss out on much of the versatility that many find |
| storing large stores of food. And various medium sized | | | | the primary incentive for investing in pottery for the |
| pottery pieces make excellent canisters in the kitchen | | | | home. Pottery is a beautiful addition to any home and |
| for storing all manner of items. | | | | should not be hidden away but used fully and regularly |
| Display. Of course there are many pottery pieces that | | | | in order to enjoy the true value of the pieces and get |
| we want to showcase and display but did you realize | | | | your money's worth from the use of these pieces. |
| that pottery could also be used to display other items | | | | The true value in pottery is in how much it enhances |
| you want to show off in the home. We have a | | | | your life; it won't enhance your life very much if kept |
| pottery spoon rest that we decided to use in the | | | | locked away in the kitchen cabinets. |