Starting with the basic question "What is pottery?" this book investigates ceramic production throughout the world over the past 12,000 years. Drawing on the collections of the British Museum, the contributors examine more than thirty pottery traditions, including those of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, prehistoric Japan, pre-Hispanic Peru, classical Greece, Ming China, and medieval and Renaissance Europe, as well as the ceramics of contemporary Africa and India.

With an emphasis on the technological aspects of pottery production, Pottery in the Making also addresses the broader environmental, political, and cultural contexts in which the potters worked. Discussing the role of tradition in modern studio pottery, this comprehensive volume illuminates the continuing link between potters past and present.