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KC Pottery has a number of pottery designs available, many with decorative hand carving, along with glazes which reflect the picturesque colors and landscapes of northern Minnesota. Unlike mass-produced or assembly-line pottery, each piece from KC is made with detailed care – from the wheel-work and the carving to the glazing and the firing – all the way to the packaging. KC Pottery features classic and unique shapes and styles, allowing you to choose from a wide range of ceramics. Whether it’s for a special gift, an exquisite addition to a collection, or a decorative accent, KC has just the right piece. When you see KC, you know it’s a mark of quality.
The variety of products, styles, and colors that we offer make it available for anyone to find just the right piece.
Production Description:
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Lamps
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Drop-in Sinks
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Vessel Sinks
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Vases
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Oil Lamps
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Collector Display Sets
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Crockery Sets (Cookie Jar, Honey Pot, and Utensil Crock)
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Decorative Basins and Pitchers
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Beverageware (Coffee Mugs, Drinking Glasses, and Wine Goblets)
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Servingware (Pitchers, Platters, Bowls, Casserole Dishes, Wine Coolers, Gravy Boats, Creamers, Soup Tureens, Pie Plates, Vienna Bread Bakers, and Oil and Vinegar Bottles)
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Tableware (Bowls and Plates in three sizes)
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Bird Houses and Bird Baths
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Dog Bowls
These items come in a variety of patterns, incorporating custom-made natural glazes. Many pieces are also hand-carved with unique yet classic designs such as pine cones, flowers, foliage, and Southwestern patterns. Because the pieces are all hand-thrown, hand-glazed, and hand-carved, they are one of a kind.
The Pottery Process
Throwing:
First the vessel is thrown on the wheel, and then it dries to a leather-hard stage overnight.
Carving and Texture:
After the vessel is at the leather-hard stage, it is trimmed. Then texture or hand carving is added.
Logo:
Once the piece is trimmed, the genuine KC logo is stamped on the bottom to give it the mark of quality.
Drying:
The vessel dries out for several days before it is fired. At this stage, it is called "greenware."
Electric Kiln Firing:
Once the vessels are dry, they are loaded into an electric kiln and then fired for the first time, (bisque firing) which hardens the piece into a less fragile state called bisqueware. This firing takes one day, and then the pieces cool inside the kiln the next day.
Glazing:
The vessel is removed from the electric kiln and is now ready to be glazed. The hand-mixed glaze recipes were developed and perfected specifically for our gas kiln with the result being a range of unique colors and combinations. All the glazing components are natural and lead-free. Once the glazed piece is fired in the gas kiln, it is food-grade and oven, dishwasher, and microwave-safe.
Gas Kiln Firing:
The vessel is loaded into our gas kiln for the final firing, called the reduction firing. This firing takes about twelve hours, and the kiln reaches temperatures of up to 2370˚F. The temperature of the kiln is watched over closely throughout the day and increased manually every few hours. During this process the kiln is put into "reduction," which means it is starved of oxygen. This is the stage that brings the characteristic beauty out of the glaze and makes each piece individual. During this stage of the firing, some of the glazes develop speckles or splashes of different colors due to the process of oxygen being pulled out of the clay body. After the firing, the pottery cools within the kiln for 36 hours.
Finishing:
After the gas kiln is unloaded, the bottom of each piece of pottery is sanded to ensure that there are no sharp areas. At this point, wicks are put into oil lamps, lamps are assembled, and the pottery is packaged for sale.
The detailed process used to make our hand-thrown pottery makes each piece individual and of heirloom quality. Both the decorative pieces and the functional-ware are produced from all-natural clay and glazed with natural mineral glazes – a truly "green" process.
When you see KC you know it is a mark of quality.
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