In the context of art, the term Body is used in pottery and refers to the structural portion of a ceramic object, or may refer to the material or mixture from which the ceramic object is made. Body refers to a mass of clay formed from several kinds of clay, fluxes, silica, grog, and other ingredients required for color, plasticity, warping, cracking, shrinkage, porosity, firing temperature, texture etc. Body is to be prepared from a mixture of clay and materials because single natural clay may not have all of the features required for a specific ceramic technique which a potter use.  Regardless of whether it is earthenware, stoneware, or porcelain, the principles of forming a body are the same.