Vocabulary Flashcards
Ceramic
Having to do with clay or glass or the making of objects from clay or glass.
Slip
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.
Score
to draw or make lines into clay
Slip/Score Technique
method used in hand building to connect two pieces of clay
Wedging
Is the process of kneading the clay so as to remove air pockets and create uniform consistency of clay.
Coil Method
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.
Stoneware
high-fire clay. Stoneware is waterproof even without glaze; the resulting ware is sturdier than earthenware.
Slab
a flattened out piece of clay.
Bone Dry
Clay that is completely dried but not yet fired
Greenware
A term used to describe un-fired clay objects in general
Bisque Ware
Clay objects that have been fired for the first time and without any glaze applied to them
Glaze Ware
bisque ware that has been glazed then fired
Fettling Knife
Is a special knife-like tool with a fairly flexible blade for cutting into moist and leather-hard clay
Loop Tool
A special tool with a wooden handle and a wire loop at one or both ends
Sprigging-On
A term used to describe the technique of adding small clay forms as decoration on the surface of pottery forms; also called applied decoration.
Incising
Is a decoration technique, created by carving lines into the clay or carving small areas out of the clay but not perforating it
Kiln
A furnace designed specifically for heating clay to the temperatures necessary to make it permanently hard and stone-like.
Element
The heating coils of an electric kiln. (Tired or burned-out elements refer to elements which carry too little or no electrical current for producing heat).
Firing
Clay is hardened by heating it to a high temperature, fusing clay particles.
Glaze
Glass-forming chemicals, usually with colorants added, that applied in liquid form to bisque ware and fired in a kiln, form a pleasing, usually glossy coating to the surface of the clay. (It can be colored, opaque, translucent, or matte).
Slip Clay
Clay in liquid form
Bat
A plaster disk or slab for clay work
Casting
A clay form made from a mold (may also be called “plaster castings”
Casting Slip
Is liquid clay used in the process of forming objects with molds. Also called “slip”
China
A term which usually refers to the bone china of England, but also is associated with vitreous white wares and porcelain.
Conditioning Coat (glaze or under-glaze)
Is a thin coat of color that will soak into the green ware or bisque ware
Cone
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 kiln.
Cone Plaque
A small clay cone holder used when cones are placed on the shelf of the kiln to stand
Cone Temperature
The mixture of time and temperature at which to cone will bend to show the kilns temperature on the shelf.
Earthen ware
A low-fire clay body which is fired to maturity at approx. 2000 F
Food-safe
A product that has been tested and safe to eat or drink off of
Foot
The base or the part of the piece of ceramic on which it rests
Gloss
A shiny, Glass-like finish
Kiln Wash
Coating over the kiln shelves to protect them from glaze drops
Leather-hard
Greenware that is allowed to become firm but still retains its wet look.
Matte
A soft finish with little or no shine
Opaque
Color which does not allow other colors to show through
Peep Holes
Small holes in the side of a kiln used for viewing shelf cones and ventilating the kiln during the firing process
Pin Holes
Tiny holes in the final surface finish of a glaze or underglaze
Plasticity
Refers to ability of clay to be formed into a shape and retain it
Posts
Articles that support kiln shelves during firing
Semi-Matte
A satin-like surface which has a slight sheen to it
Semi-Opaque
Colors which generally allow only dark colors to show through
Semi-Transparent
Slightly colored and/or speckled colors which allow most colors to show through with only slight distortions
Shelf Cone Temperature
The cone temperature that is fired on the shelf of a kiln. The amount of heating the ware actually receives.
Sponge
Usually refers to a natural sponge used for cleaning and decorating green ware. (Also includes synthetic sponges)
Transparent
Clear base colors which are free from cloudiness or distortion
Under Glaze
A color which is usually applied to green ware and in most cases is covered with a glaze
Vent Holes
Small holes punctured in wet green ware that allow air and gasses through to escape during firing (could also be referred to as peep holes).
Pinch Pots
Pots that form their shape by the potter constantly pinching and stroking the clay to create a bowl shape.
Terra Cotta
A brownish-orange earthenware clay body commonly used for ceramic sculpture
Wheel Thrown
A piece of clay placed on a potter’s wheel head and shaped in motion. (Pieces could be made by more than on wheel-thrown piece)
Hand building
Technique of building pots using only the hands and simple tools rather than the potter’s wheel. (Using the potter’s wheel to create pottery is called “throwing”
Pinch
Method of shaping clay by inserting the thumb of one hand into the clay and lightly pinching with the thumb and fingers while slowly rotating the ball of the palm of the other hand.
Coil
Technique of building forms by rolling out coils, or ropes of clay and joining them together.
Molding
Pressing flat slabs of clay into molds to create various shapes or forms
Stages of Dryness
3 basic stages: Wet, leather-hard, and bone dry
Sgraffito
Decorating Technique where different colors of clay are placed on top of each other and then a pattern is carved into the clay to reveal the contrasting color underneath.
Wax Resist
Technique where patterns or designs are created by brushing a wax medium over and area of clay, slip, or glaze to resist the final glaze application when wax is dry.
Slip Trailing
Method of applying slip to green ware through a tube or nozzle like icing a cake.
Stamping
Technique of pressing forms into the clay to get decorative effects
Majolica
Method of firing a piece of green ware, applying a thin enamel that forms a white opaque porous surface, painting a design on it, and applying a transparent glaze.
Mille Fiore
Method of creating designs by folding different colored clays into bars , then slicing them to duplicate the design over and over again for each slice.
Firing
Process of eating pottery to a specific temperature to bring a particular change in the clay.
Reduction
A kiln firing with insufficient oxygen resulting in the formation of carbon monoxide which pulls color from the glaze and clay and changes the color in the coloring oxides
Oxidation
A kiln firing with a full supply of oxygen. (Like electric kilns)
Raku
Method of firing pottery that takes a ceramic piece in tis green ware states and quickly takes the temperature up almost 2000 degrees.
Mouth
the opening at the top of the vase
Neck
narrower part that leads from the body of the base to the mouth
Body
the main part of the vase (usually largest part).
