Ceramics Vocabulary Home | Ceramics | Drawing | Photography | Foundation Art BAT - A slab or platform on which clay is handled; a circular device attached to the wheel-head. BISQUE - Unglazed clay, fired at a low temperature. BISQUE FIRING - The process of firing unglazed clay to a low temperature to harden the clay and drive the physical water from it. The approximate temperature of this firing is 1815 F. CLAY BODY - A mixture of different types of clays and minerals for a specific ceramic purpose. COIL CONSTRUCTION - Ropes of clay that are stacked to form a wall. This technique is one of the most commonly used hand-building methods. GLAZE - A glassy coating that has been melted onto a ceramic surface. GREENWARE - Unfired pottery that is bone-dry, a state in which clay forms are the most fragile. KILN - Enclosed containers of various sizes- built of refractor brick and heated by electricity, gas, oil, or wood to temperatures from 1500 F. to 2340 F. in which pots are fired. LEATHER HARD - Clay which is dried sufficiently to be stiff, but which is still damp enough to be joined to other pieces. PLASTICITY - The property of a material enabling it to be shaped and to hold its form. UNDERGLAZE - Colored decoration applied to bisqued clay, then coated with a clear glaze. Typically made of clay slip and raw pigment. WEDGING - Method of kneading clay to make it homogenous; ridding the clay of all air pockets. GLAZE FIRING - Typically the second firing of a piece pottery which has been coated with glass forming materials. The approximate temperature of this firing 2300. SLUMP MOLD - A plaster form which is used to support wet clay in the early stages of construction. PRESS MOLD - A plaster form which clay is compressed into, resulting in a repeatable shape or texture. CENTERING - The act of aligning the clay on the potter's wheel in order to proceed with forming and shaping. SHORT ANSWER SECTION Student should also be familiar with the following:
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