Low-fire clays are divided into two types according to their color after firing. Darker-colored bodies (most commonly red), and the white and buff clay bodies. The idea of low-firing white clay bodies actually began further back to Europe, when pottery factories began trying to duplicate the porcelain ware that had become available from eastern Asia. These clay bodies required large quantities of fluxing agents, in order to lower the melting temperature for the relatively clean mixtures of kaolin and ball clays. The white bodies of today are still composed of about half clay and half added fluxing agent, such as talc.
