terrakotta

Terrakotta is a ceramic material made from red or brown earthenware clay that is fired to harden. The term comes from Italian terra cotta meaning 'cooked earth.' Most terrakotta is unglazed, yielding a natural reddish-brown color, but it can be glazed or painted.

Clay is shaped when wet, dried, and fired in a kiln at low to mid-range temperatures (roughly 900–1100°C for earthenware). The resulting material is durable but porous, and typically requires sealing or glazing to be water-tight. It is relatively lightweight and easy to work with, making it suitable for sculpture and decorative architectural elements.

Terrakotta has been used since ancient times for pottery, figurines, and architectural ornaments. Notable examples include the Terracotta Army of the Qin dynasty and Etruscan and Italian Renaissance sculpture. In modern architecture, terrakotta is used in tiles, façade panels, and piping, with glazed variants providing weather resistance.

The characteristic reddish hue comes from iron oxide in the clay; varieties exist with lighter or orange tones depending on the clay composition and firing conditions. In design, terrakotta also denotes a family of warm earth tones.