stoneware

thumb|Jian ware tea bowl with "hare's fur" glaze, southern [[Song dynasty, 12th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art (see below)]]

Stoneware is a broad class of pottery fired at a relatively high temperature, to be impervious to water. A modern definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. This definition excludes stone vessels that are carved from a solid chunk of stone. End applications of stoneware include tableware and decorative ware such as vases.