Redware

Redware describes ceramics that, due to the presence of iron in the chemical composition of the clay, form a red body when fired. Red clays of this type and artefacts made of such can be found throughout the world. Redware is a term somewhat synonymous with terracotta however terracotta to some extent implies that the clay body is earthenware rather than stoneware which is fired at a higher temperature and is more resistant to weathering, however this distinction is itself based on somewhat continuous variables. Furthermore, redware is a term more applicable to deep orange-red colours than the broader definition of terracotta. Fine examples of redware can be found from the Classical and especially Roman world and Mesopotamia.