C. vocabulary ceramics 05

CERAMICS VOCABULARY

The student may learn the following vocabulary:

(Terms that are bolded may apply to upper level classes)

appliqué decorative technique that involves adding molded clay to a vessel surface
armature something to support clay while it is being formed
banding wheel rotating flat wheel on a small stand that is spun by hand to apply bands or
lines to round pots
bas-relief a kind of carving in which the figures are raised from a flat background to
give a three-dimensional appearance
bat circular device on which clay is handled and attached to the wheel-head
bisque ceramic pieces that have been fired once without glaze while in the
greenware stage
body the main part of a vase
bone dry clay that is completely dried but not fired
burnishing rubbing leather-hard ceramic pieces with a tool, such as a stone to produce
a glossy surface
caliper measuring tool for checking symmetry and fitting lids to pots
casting to pour clay slip into plaster molds; allows mass production of one form
centering act of aligning clay on the potter's wheel
clay earth with special plastic quality that becomes hard when fired
coil rope-like form of clay
combing decoration created in clay by dragging a coarse comb
cone mixture of clay and glaze with a specific predetermined melting point used
in firing
crackle glaze a glaze containing minute cracks in the surface
crawling separation of glaze coating from the clay body during firing
crazing undesirable and excessive crackle in the glaze which penetrates through the
glaze to the clay body
dipping glazing pottery by immersing it in a large pan or vat of glaze
drape mold molds of plaster for draping a slab of clay until dry
dry foot foot of a ceramic piece that has been cleaned off of glaze
earthenware pottery that matures at a low firing temperature
emboss to mold, or carve in relief
engobe making clay products permanent through firing at high temperatures in a
kiln
extruder tool that produces specific shapes when clay is forced through a hollow
tube
faceted relief surface in which a round pot is decorated by cutting or shaving the
wall; which creates a multisided form

feathering decoration made by drawing a sharp tip through wet slip
fettling process of finishing the surface of a piece of clay work
firebrick coarse brick used for lining kilns
firing method of heating to make pottery hard in a kiln
fluted shallow parallel grooves cut into a clay form to create a relief surface
decoration
footring circle of clay that forms the base of a pot, or by adding a ring of clay by
hand
gallery ledge formed on the inside of the rim of a pot that locates the lid and holds
it in place
glaze glass-forming chemicals with colorants added
greenware unfired dry ceramic pieces
grog fired clay that has been pulverized for adding to clay to reduce shrinkage
hand building refers to building pots using only the hands and simple tools
incising decoration technique created by carving lines into the clay
inlay an object is incised with a design that a colored clay is pressed into
kiln furnace for heating clay to the temperatures that will make it permanently
hard
leather hard Unfired clay that isn’t quite dry, yet is firm enough to carve or burnish
majolica after firing a piece of earthenware, a tin enamel is applied which dries to
form a white opaque porous surface. A design is then painted on and a
mille fiore transparent glaze is applied. This type of ware was produced in ancient
Middle East by the Babylonians. This method is still widely used in folk
mishima art.
Designs are created by folding different colored clays together into “rods”
mold or bars, then slicing them as if you were slicing rolled cookies. This
duplicates a design over and over for each slice.
mouth A flat surface decoration in which incised or stamped patterns are filled
neck with thick slip and then scraped, leaving slip only in the incised or
overglaze impressed patterns. It should be done on soft to leatherhard clay and
oxidation should not be very deep.
paddle A form or box usually made of plaster of paris, containing a hollow
pierced negative space. The form is made by either pouring wet plaster or slip into
this hollow. (casting)
pinch-pot opening at the top of a vase
narrow part that goes from the body of the vase to the mouth of a vase
decoration applied to a ceramic piece after glazing
kiln firing with a full supply of oxygen (ie: electric kilns)
wooden tool used to shape a piece of clay
when clay walls are cut through, forming holes that serve as a relief surface
decoration
a pinch-pot is made by pressing the thumb into a ball of clay, and drawing
the clay out between the thumb and finger to create a pot

plasticity the quality of clay that allows it to be manipulated and still maintain its
shape without cracking or sagging
porcelain a hard, white, translucent ceramic
press forming commercial method for forming clay objects by pressing soft clay between
two plaster molds
press mold a plaster form which clay is compressed into to repeat a shape
props kiln shelf supports
pug method of mixing clay to plasticity
pug mill a machine for mixing plastic clay
pyrometer used to measure the temperature in a kiln during firing
raku porous low-fired ceramics characterized by deep, subtly changing colors
reduction kiln firing in which there is sufficient oxygen to consume the free carbon
emanating from the heated glaze and clay, resulting in the formation of
resist carbon monoxide that pulls oxygen from the clay body and glaze, forming
color changes in the coloring oxides
rib decorative medium such as wax to prevent glaze or slip from sticking to
the surface of the pottery
scoring a tool of wood, bone, or metal that you hold in your hand while throwing
sgraffito to help shape the pot
To make scratches in the surfaces of clay that will be sticking together
shard A decorating technique developed centuries ago. Leather hard clay is
short coated with an engobe or slip of contrasting color and then a pattern or
shrinkage picture is added by carving through or scraping off the slip to reveal the
slab clay underneath.
broken fragment of pottery
slab roller a soft clay lacking in plasticity that cracks when bent
slip contraction of the clay in either the drying or firing process
slip trailing hand built method of constructing ceramic forms using rolled slabs of clay,
usually held together with slip
soaking large flat table with a roller for making consistent clay slabs
mixture of clay and water used to stick pieces of clay together
spraying decorative technique in which slip is applied to greenware through a tube
sprigging or nozzle, much like icing cake
stages of dryness allowing the kiln to remain at a specific temperature for a length of time to
smooth and settle a glaze
star stilts applying glazes with a compressed air spray machine
stilt applying clay in a plastic state to form a relief decoration
when speaking of clay, there are three basic stages of dryness: wet, leather
hard and bone dry
small four pointed stilts to support work in firing
bar or three pronged support for holding ceramic wares up from the kiln
shelf

soft soap semi liquid soap that allows a release to prevent plaster from sticking
during mold making
stamped surface decoration of pressing objects or materials into the clay surface
stoneware gray, reddish, or tan clay that has been high fired (cones 5 - 10)
surform serrated metal tool used to plane down the edges of pots and molds
terra cotta reddish clay that contains grog
trailing decorating by squeezing slip from a rubber bulb
throwing making pottery from clay on a potter's wheel
turning (tooling) completing a piece of ware by rotating on a wheel and trimming with tools
turntable decorating or sculpting wheel for turning work while working on it
underglaze any color application over which a glaze will be applied
viscosity the non running quality of a glaze
wax resist in this decorative technique, patterns or designs are created by brushing a
wax medium over an area of clay, slip, or glaze to resist the final glaze
wedging application when the wax is dry
wheel method of kneading clay to get rid of air pockets
for making pots; driven by hand, foot, or electric power