{"content":[{"text":"‘One way to find out,’ responded Sal. ‘Give it a go with a few teabowls or such like","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.083617,"width":0.649904,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"before we’re ready to do the next firing.’","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.107556,"width":0.31568599999999997,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"‘I suppose it’s no coincidence that the pebbles on the beach are mostly in the three","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.155587,"width":0.658031,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"primordial colours,’ remarked Sara. She was well aware that Sal based most of her","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.179526,"width":0.662893,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"designs around red, white and black as these pigments, along with sandy ochre,","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.203466,"width":0.636949,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"were the first to be used by humans when doing cave paintings all those millennia","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.227405,"width":0.648814,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"ago.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.251344,"width":0.03493199999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Black came from soot or charcoal, but the others came from white chalk and","bbox":{"left":0.205525,"top":0.251344,"width":0.6048450000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"different types of iron-rich rocks.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.275284,"width":0.25550799999999996,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"And, given that pots are made from clays which are","bbox":{"left":0.4261,"top":0.275284,"width":0.40835800000000005,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"also terracotta, buff or white then this colour scheme was almost integral to making","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.299223,"width":0.657832,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"pots.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.323163,"width":0.03914299999999998,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sal was always disappointed that firing to higher temperatures to produce stoneware","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.371193,"width":0.671907,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"meant that she could not use terracotta clays, as these were only suitable for firing","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.395132,"width":0.6539599999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"up to earthenware temperatures.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.419072,"width":0.260642,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"But she had discovered some pigments which","bbox":{"left":0.431235,"top":0.419072,"width":0.36543300000000006,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"produced a similar shade of red with stoneware.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.443011,"width":0.38130499999999995,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"‘I wonder if the three primordial colours available to potters and early artists","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.49089,"width":0.5970150000000001,"height":0.015543000000000029}},{"text":"influenced why medieval alchemists made red, white and black the basis of the","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.514829,"width":0.626994,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"symbolism of the Great Work,’ Sara remarked to Sal.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.538769,"width":0.420511,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"‘Well, in many ways making pots is itself rather like alchemy – certainly to anyone not","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.586799,"width":0.6758740000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"used to the techniques of refining raw materials and successfully firing,’ responded","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.610738,"width":0.6560840000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sal.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.634678,"width":0.03089900000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"‘Plenty of academics have noted that smelting metals from ore would seem like","bbox":{"left":0.201711,"top":0.634678,"width":0.6279410000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"“alchemy” to anyone not trained to do so, though so far as I’m aware the same","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.658617,"width":0.622241,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"parallel has not been made for pottery.’","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.682556,"width":0.311484,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"‘I wonder if Chinese alchemy has red, white and black as key colours in the","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.730435,"width":0.5969119999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"symbolism?’ Sara continued, without acknowledging her sister’s tangential remark.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.754375,"width":0.6560330000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"‘They are more likely to have five colours, as that is such an important number in","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.802405,"width":0.640021,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Chinese culture,’ Sal replied.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.826344,"width":0.22868699999999997,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"‘I’m suspect Lao Weng would know, even though he","bbox":{"left":0.399357,"top":0.826344,"width":0.414313,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"claims to have little interest in Chinese alchemy.’","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.850284,"width":0.38632399999999995,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Just as Sal was getting her Emporium under way Lao Weng had taken over the","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.898163,"width":0.629894,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"hitherto rather ruinous tide mill on the north bank of the Creake River and greatly","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.922102,"width":0.639982,"height":0.015542999999999974}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}