In a nutshell, greenware is raw clay. Clay that has not been fired or ‘baked’. Potters throw pots and until they are fired, they are greenware. It does not matter if an item has been sculpted by hand, cast with a mold, earthenware, porcelain, stoneware or any other form of clay, until it is fired it is raw or greenware.
While in the unfired state, it can be broken quite easily. Most fragile is cast porcelain, then cast earthenware, then sculpted bodies. This is primarily because of the density and thickness of the item as well as the fragility of the clay body.
When handling raw clay ware, it is important that you support the bottom rather than trying to pick it up from the top as the weight causes stress and can cause the piece to snap and or crumble.
In its raw form, most clays can be crushed and recycled; however once fired, they cannot. There are two major differences between clay bodies – Low-fire and high-fire. Low-fire clays are those that require lower temperatures to reach maturity as opposed to those which require higher temperatures.
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