paper clay saggar
Saggar Firing is the method of creating confined atmospheres within a container or saggar. The saggar can be made out of anything depending on the type of firing from the traditional refractory clay to newspaper. Originally, saggars were used to protect the finish from the debris flying around the firing chamber from the wood or coal fuel source. Roughly 200 years ago, potters decided to reverse this and use the saggars to hold material near the pieces to dramatically change the finish.
pit firing
Pit firing is the oldest known method for the firing of pottery. Examples have been dated as early as 29,000–25,000 BCE, while the earliest known kiln dates to around 6000 BCE, and was found in modern Iraq.
Kilns allow higher temperatures to be reached, and use fuel more efficiently, and have long replaced pit firing as the most widespread method of firing pottery, although the technique still finds limited use amongst certain studio potters and in Africa.
