Terra cotta

Terracotta, terra cotta or terra-cotta (Italian: “baked earth”, from the Latin terra cotta), a type of earthenware, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic, where the fired body is porous. Its uses include vessels (notably flower pots), water and waste water pipes, bricks, and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines. The term is also used to refer to items made out of this material and to its natural, brownish orange color, which varies considerably. In archaeology and art history, “terracotta” is often used to describe objects such as figurines, not made on a potter’s wheel. Objects made on a wheel from the same material, are called pottery; the choice of term depends on the type of object rather than the material.