Clay Balls are an item obtained by breaking clay blocks without Silk Touch. Each clay block drops four Clay Balls, which can be crafted back into a clay block or smelted into bricks.
Clay Balls are primarily used for making bricks, which are used to make brick blocks, flower pots, and decorated pots. They can also be found in the mason and desert house chests of villages.
Since clay generates naturally in riverbeds, swamps, and lush caves, it is a renewable resource that can be farmed for brick-based construction and decoration.