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Materials & Techniques

Ceramic/glazed earthenware, c.1948

Read ‘The Kiln -A Personal Perspective’ by Eva de Jong-Duldig originally published in the catalogue of the exhibition The Duldig Ceramics: A Retrospective, Caulfield Arts Complex, 1988. This essay by the daughter of Karl and Slawa Duldig is a first-hand account of the family’s early life in Melbourne and the industrious and creative environment in which they lived. It describes the process for the production of ceramic or glazed earthenware.

What are the steps involved in producing these decorative one-off items?

What methods and materials can be used to create different visual effects?

Look around your home, shops and galleries and find objects which may have been produced in the same way. As you walk around the exhibition, list other ceramic pieces and describe their colours and images. What were some difficulties Duldig faced in setting up his pottery business?

Gather ideas about colour, design and function as you walk around the exhibition. Use these ideas to experiment with in making your own ceramic object.

How was Karl Duldig influenced by the Australian environment in this and other similar ceramics in the exhibition? Look at both the clay and the decoration.