Ceramic Vocabulary

Question 1

Ceramic

Answer 1

Having to do with clay or glass or the making of objects from clay or glass.

Question 2

Slip

Answer 2

clay that has been watered down; acts as glue in slip/score technique.Slip a fine,liquid form of clay applied to the surface of a vessel prior to firing.Slip fills in pores and gives uniform color.

Question 3

Score

Answer 3

To draw or make lines into clay.

Question 4

Slip/Score Technique

Answer 4

Method used in hand building to connect two pieces of clay together.

Question 5

Wedging

Answer 5

Is the process of kneading the clay so as to remove air pockets and create uniform consistency of clay.

Question 6

Coil Method

Answer 6

One of the oldest ways of forming pottery.Long strands of clay which are laid on top of each other and joined through blending coil to coil.Coil pieces can be almost any shape and any size.

Question 7

Stoneware

Answer 7

High-fire clay.Stoneware is waterproof even without glaze; the resulting ware is sturdier than earthenware.

Question 8

Slab

Answer 8

A flattened out piece of clay .

Question 9

Bone Dry

Answer 9

Clay that is completely dried but not yet fired.

Question 10

Greenware

Answer 10

A term used to describe unfired clay objects in general.

Question 11

Bisqueware

Answer 11

Clay objects that have been fired for the first time and without any glaze applied to them.

Question 12

Glazeware

Answer 12

Bisque ware that have been glazed then fired.

Question 13

Fettling Knife

Answer 13

Is a special knife-like tool with a fairly flexible blade for cutting into moist and leather-hard clay.

Question 14

Loop Tool

Answer 14

A special tool with a wooden handle and a wire loop at one or both ends, used for carving and hollowing out clay forms.

Question 15

Sprigging-On

Answer 15

A term used to describe the technique fo adding small clay forms as decoration on the surface of pottery forms;also called applied decoration.

Question 16

Incising

Answer 16

Is a decoration technique, created by carving lines into the clay or carving small areas out of the clay but not perforating it.

Question 17

Klin

Answer 17

A furnace designed specifically for heating clay to the temperatures necessary to make it permanently hard and stone like.

Question 18

Element

Answer 18

The heating coils of an electric klin.

Question 19

Footing

Answer 19

The bottom of a piece that rests upon a surface.

Question 20

Firing

Answer 20

Clay is hardened by heating it to a high temperature.

Question 21

Glaze

Answer 21

Glass-forming chemicals.

Question 22

Slip Clay

Answer 22

Clay in liquid form.

Question 23

Bat

Answer 23

A plaster disk or slab for clay work.

Question 24

Casting

Answer 24

A clay form made form a mold.

Question 25

Casting Slip

Answer 25

Is liquid clay used in the process of forming objects with molds.

Question 26

China

Answer 26

A term which usually refers to the bone China of England.

Question 27

Conditioning Coat

Answer 27

Is a thin coat of color that will soak into the greenware or bisque ware.

Question 28

Cone

Answer 28

A mixture of ceramic materials that is designed to soften and bend when the proper mixture of time and temperature is reached in the interior of the skin.

Question 29

Cone Plaque

Answer 29

Is a small clay cone holder used when cones are placed on the shelf of the kiln to stand.

Question 30

Cone Temperature

Answer 30

Is the mixture of time and temperature at which the cone will bend to show the kilns temperature on the shelf.

Question 31

Earthenware

Answer 31

A low-fire clay body which is fired to maturity at approx. 2000 oF.

Question 32

Food-Safe

Answer 32

A product that has been tested and determined to be safe for use on surfaces which come in contact with food or drink.

Question 33

Foot

Answer 33

The base or the part of the piece of ceramic on which it rests.

Question 34

Gloss

Answer 34

A shiny, glass-like finish.

Question 35

Kiln Wash

Answer 35

The refractory coating applied to the top of the kiln shelves to protect them from glaze drips.

Question 36

Leather-Hard

Answer 36

Greenware that is allowed to become firm but still retains its wet look.

Question 37

Matte

Answer 37

A soft finish with little or no shine.

Question 38

Opaque

Answer 38

Color which does not allow other colors to show through.

Question 39

Peep Holes

Answer 39

Small holes in the side of a kiln used for viewing shelf cones and ventilating the kiln during the firing process.

Question 40

Pin Holes

Answer 40

Tiny holes in the final surface finish of a glaze or Underglaze.

Question 41

Plasticity

Answer 41

Refers to the ability of clay to be formed into a shape and retain it.

Question 42

Posts

Answer 42

Articles made of refractory material which support kiln shelves during firing.

Question 43

Semi-Matte

Answer 43

A satin-like surface which has a slight sheen to it.

Question 44

Semi-Opaque

Answer 44

Colors which generally allow only dark colors to show through.

Question 45

Semi-Transparent

Answer 45

Slightly colored and/or speckled colors which allow most colors to show through with only slight distortions.

Question 46

Shelf Cone Temperature

Answer 46

The cone temperature that is fired on the shelf of a kiln. The amount of heating the ware actually receives.

Question 47

Sponge

Answer 47

Usually refers to a natural sponge used for cleaning and decorating greenware. There are also synthetic sponges available for ceramics.

Question 48

Transparent

Answer 48

Clear base colors which are free from cloudiness or distortion.

Question 49

Under glaze

Answer 49

A color which is usually applied to greenware and in most cases is covered with a glaze.

Question 50

Vent Holes

Answer 50

Small holes made by puncturing the wet greenware with a needle tool when two pieces of ware have been attached. These small holes allow the air and gases to escape during firing. Also refers to the peep holes in the side of the kiln.

Question 51

Pinch Pots

Answer 51

Starting with a ball of clay the potter opens a hole into the ball and forms a bowl shape through a combination of stroking and pinching the clay. Many coil-built pieces are constructed on top of a pinched bottom.

Question 52

Terra cotta

Answer 52

A brownish-orange earthenware clay body commonly used for ceramic sculpture.

Question 53

Wheel thrown

Answer 53

The term throw comes from Old English meaning spin. A piece of clay is placed on a potter's wheel head which spins. The clay is shaped by compression while it is in motion. Often the potter will use several thrown shapes together to form one piece (a teapot can be constructed from three or four thrown forms).