Clay Vocab

Question 0

Sculpture meant to be seen from all sides, all around it

Answer 0

Sculpture in the​ round

Question 1

​Derived from the Greek “keramos”, meaning “burnt stuff” or earthen vessel

Answer 1

Ceramic

Question 2

​Sculpture which projects out from the surface. The back side is not meant to be seen.

Answer 2

Relief Sculpture

Question 3

​A plaster or wood slab for drying out clay or as a platform for working clay

Answer 3

Bat

Question 4

​Ware that has been fired once to a low temperature and is now ready to be glazed.

Answer 4

Bisque

Question 5

​Basically, a decomposed granite-type rock. must have fine particles so that it will be “plastic”. will often contain impurities which affect their color and firing temperature

Answer 5

Clay

Question 6

​A tall thin pyramid made of clay and glaze materials

Answer 6

Cone

Question 7

​A material used in glazes which causes or promotes melting

Answer 7

Flux

Question 8

​A liquid suspension of finely ground minerals containing silica, alumina and a flux which is applied by brushing, pouring, or dipping on the surface of bisque-fired ware. When fired it is a thin glass like coating on the clay.

Answer 8

Glaze

Question 9

​Pottery that has been completed and formed but not yet fired.

Answer 9

Greenware

Question 10

​A structure made of refractory (resistant to heat) clay materials for firing ceramics

Answer 10

Kiln

Question 11

​Clay which is dried sufficiently to be stiff, but which is still damp enough to be joined to other clay pieces

Answer 11

Leather-hard

Question 12

​A fluid suspension of clay and water

Answer 12

Slip

Question 13

Kneading a mass of clay to expel the air, get rid of lumps, making it homogeneous and to strengthen the clay by aligning the microscopic clay platelets.

Answer 13

Wedging Clay

Question 14

​A method of construction where the artist molds the clay into a form such as a bowl by squeezing the clay between the thumb and fingers while rotating the clay.

Answer 14

Pinch

Question 15

​A method of construction where the artist forms a base of clay, then forms long snake like pieces that attach to the base first and then circle around and build up the sides of the form.

Answer 15

Coil

Question 16

​A method of construction where the clay is pressed into an even and flat pie crust. A roller of some type may be used. The sides, top and bottom are cut out and assembled. can be layered and cut to enable equal pieces required for the vessel.

Answer 16

Slab

Question 17

​A method of attachment for two clay pieces. The clay is etched with a knife type of tool in the form of loose x’s on both pieces in the area being attached. Then the artist dips his/her finger in water and run’s it along the marked areas of both pieces, then presses the pieces together to form adhesion.​

Answer 17

Score and slip