AusBonsai

This was a pot I bought at the last Ausbonsai markets . It's been a relatively mild winter so far but it's been disintegrating before my eyes .

Is it temperature related sno?

It looks like the middle is made from plaster?

Squizzy

Ah Sno.... Damn fine pot indeed, but very likely not stoneware - seems porous, and has absorbed water which has frozen and cracked the pot. The best test when buying might be to rap it with your knuckle - stoneware has a clear ring, earthenware/low fired stuff will have a duller thud. Test some pots out so you can tell the difference.

Good luck,

Gavin

Hi Squizzy . Yes the frost caused it . It happens to low fired ' raku ' ceramics .

Hi Gavin . I asked before I bought it and I tapped it and it sounded a bit like stone ware ,obviously my ear isn't quite in tune . Interestly it's breaking up along the glaze lines .

It may just have been water freezing in the crackle cracks, but I don't know. Raku is traditionally low fired, but modern potters sometimes do a high-fired bisque (first) firing just for that reason. Nasty, whichever way. Condolences. A lovely "frosty" glaze for your snow territory.

Gavin

Ouch indeed, Sno!

It's interesting to note that the ink the potter has used to enhance
the crackle has been drawn into the body of the pot along the glaze
fractures. That suggests that the clay is underfired. If the body was
vitrified this wouldn't have occurred.
I hope this isn't a locally made pot!?!!

Pat

Hello.
Sno... Best Buy one of Pat's pots.

Cheers.
Irish.

Hi Pat ,I hope the fishing is good . When I try to scratch the clay under the glaze it is quite hard maybe still frozen . I think the potter was some bloke from Sydney . Beautiful shaped pot and glaze I'd love to have the same high fired .

Hi Irish , I hope the fishing is good for you too . Maybe something like this . So I repotted it this morning about 11 o'clock .i had to water it first to unfreeze it . The potting mix could of been used as a hammer . A little bit big and not your normal color for a red quince .

The frost certainly sorts good ceramics from poor ones.

I hope your Fergus pots are laughing at Jack Frost.

Hi Steve . The Fergus pots are are cool . In more ways than one .

I'm not sure that this winter has been particularly mild down here Sno. With no rain and cloud cover it gets pretty nippy at night.
One of my cheap Chinese pots has also been ravaged by winter. Though not as bad as that one you had.

Mine only cost a couple of $ so no great loss.