Mold Made

A mold (mould) is hollow container with a particular shape into which soft or liquid substances are poured, so that when the substance becomes hard it takes the shape of the container. (Cambridge Dictionary) There are two types of moulds: a two piece mould and the one piece mould. The two piece mould is the most widely used and simplest method because it enables the two halves of an object to be joined while still in their molds which makes it easier to both fix and smooth seams without warping the vessel. With this type of mould one can create ceramics which have different designs on each side. With a one piece mould the side has to be removed from the mould to be joined which makes the seams difficult to make and they usually appear crude and sloppy. With this type of mould all ceramics will have an identical design on each of the two halves.(sfu.ca/archaeology) Moulds were widely used in ceramic production in ancient civilizations. In China, particularly during the Han dynasty up through after the eleventh century, both types of moulds were used for mingqi to meet the growing demands for ceramic of various types at the time. For at least 3000 years moulds have been used in much of Central and South America for figurines, vessels and decorative pieces. The process of creating the early moulds is not known but it is believed that they were created by pressing clay around a pre-existing vessel and then dividing it into two halves. These two halves are then removed as it begins to dry.(sfu.ca/archaeology). Earthenware pipes from Thai and Burmese Hill tribes are mould made using bi valve molds and terracotta pieces from India are mould made and hand painted so each one is unique. .