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1 Production process
Raw materials The basic raw material for terracotta is clay. Different types of clay brought from different places are used for the products. The clay used to make terracotta products are red clay, which they get from the nearby nursery, Poita clay, which they get from Bihar and Than clay, which they from Thangadh in Surat.
Mixing of the soil The proportion is 40% of red clay, 40% of Poita clay and 20 % of Than clay. The red clay is for the colour of terracotta. Poita clay is basically the clay found in the Ganga River and is very fine. It is soft and makes it easy to work on wheel. Than clay is used to maintain the temperature of the products while baking. Normally, potters use fibre sand, coal powder and horse dung. In the process of baking, these elements get burnt and leave small pores at their place which allows air to enter the pot and keeps the water cool. For terracotta products, the mixture of these three clays is kept in water for 4-5 days. The more it is kept in water, the more it gets soft and thus, it is easier to make products with better finishing.
Making of the products After the clay is ready, Mr. Sanjay delivers the pack of clay to each house where the ladies make the arte facts whenever they get time. While making the products, they make different parts of the product and then join them using clay paste to give the final shape.
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Clay Art
dehu gaon