Ball clays are considered highly plastic and are often the basis of many commercial clay bodies. They can be added to raw clays to increase plasticity or to slips and glazes to help keep materials in suspension. OM4 is a specific variety known for consistent particle size and performance.
Handling Notes
- OM4 Ball Clay has higher plasticity and shrinkage compared to kaolin and other clays
- It is typically blended with other materials and is rarely used alone
Sources
- Levy, Matt, Takuro Shibata, and Hitomi Shibata. Wild Clay: Creating Ceramics and Glazes from Natural and Found Resources. London: Herbert Press, 2022.
In Use
Have you used this material?
Please contact Mellanee Goodman, Program Director, Curator, and Materials Specialist, to start a conversation about submitting your work for inclusion on this site.
mgoodman@centerforcraft.org