Why Egyptian Clay?
How to take care of your Egyptian Clay purchase
Out of the ordinary is what I'm looking for in art. My instructor suggested Egyptian Clay and I was hooked. This ancient artform and recipes are rarely used today, making access to such items limited. There are few resources on how to reproduce the type of beads and amulets the Egyptians created with this unique process. Through months of trial and error, I have begun to refine the process to get more uniformity in design and color. My work is still and always will be at the mercy of the kiln and chemicals, making this ancient artform a perpetual surprise.
About Egyptian Clay.
Egyptian Clay is made in small batches of hand-mixed clay with natural chemical colorants added to form the glaze. The clay is molded by hand into beads and often patted into silicone molds that are frozen and then ejected from the mold. The clay objects are set out to dry over a week's time to allow for the salts within the clay to make their way to the surface turning the clay objects a crusty white. The clay is fired at a very low bisque temperature that melts the crystals into a beautiful and often unpredictable colored glaze on the surface of the objects.
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Caring for your Egyptian Clay Purchase
Finished objects are solid, wearable, and able to be handled. They are not made into bracelets as these could easily be bumped into a hard surface where the thin layer of glaze could be chipped, revealing the white of the clay underneath. Necklaces and earrings are best kept in a place where they will not be easily jostled around but treated like the royalty who wore jewelry like them many years ago.