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Ceramic 1-2: Terms and Definitions to Know
Banding Wheel - Also called a decorating wheel it will turn to allow for ease in decorating
pots.=
Bat - A disc made of plaster, wood, or plastic which attaches to the wheel head of a potter’s
wheel.~
Bisque or Biscuit - Ceramic ware that has been fired once without glazes.*
Bone Dry - Unfired clay that is free of water and ready to fire.*
Boxwood Tool - Also called a wood modeling tool, these tools are used for cutting, slicing,
smoothing, contouring and pattern decorating in soft clay.~
Burnish- To polish or rub clay while it is in the leatherhard stage. +
Caliper – Used by potters or sculptors to transfer measurements from the model to the clay and
to measure thickness, diameters and symmetry. It is also used for fitting lids to pots by inserting
the narrow end into the pot and then the wide end automatically becomes a sizing guide. =
Casting – to pour slip into plaster molds; allows mass production of one form. =
Ceramic- A clay object made into a permanent shape by firing in a kiln. =
Clay - moist earth dug from the ground, comprised of decomposed granite (rock) and other natural
materials, essentially minerals. The type of clay depends on where it is found……riverbeds, your
backyard….*
Clay Cutter -A tool made of wire or nylon that is attached to a hardwood handle or toggle
handles used for slicing and cutting lump clay. They also cut pots and other items from the
throwing head of the potter’s wheel. +
Coil Method- The handbuilding technique of building forms by rolling ropes of clay, scoring and
joining them together with the fingers or a tool.*
Crawling- The beading and separating of the glaze on a fired piece of pottery. +
Crazing- The crackling and spider web effect seen on fired glaze ware. +
Dryfoot - to keep glaze from the bottom of a piece when glazing ware. +
Earthenware -A low fire clay body that is porous and not waterproof. To be functional, it must
be glazed. It is the lowest firing clay (fires at 1652-1832 degrees). *
Elephant Ear Sponges- Fine grained, flat sea sponges that potter’s prefer to use for wheel work
and smoothing pots. +
Firing- The process of heating the pottery to a specific temperature in the kiln in order to make
clay products permanent. * +
Fluting - method of creating surface decoration and interest on pottery by cutting narrow
vertical grooves into the pot. +
Glaze -A glass like surface coating for ceramics that is used to decorate and seal the pores of the
fired clay. +
Greenware -Ceramic ware that has not been fired yet.*
Handbuilding- The technique of building and forming clay shapes using only the hands and
simple tools rather than the potter’s wheel.*
Hydra Sponges - An inexpensive substitute for natural sponges. They are polyester based
sponges which have good absorption. They are ideal for finishing and general shop clean-up
use. +
Impressions and Textures- decorating soft, damp pieces of clay by marking them with various
textures and different motifs using your fingers, various objects and tools or by making a stamp
to create a particular texture. +
Incised – A method of creating surface decoration and interest on pottery by carving or cutting
surface designs into the clay. +
Leather Hard –A stage in the drying process of clay when the clay isn’t quite dry (is pliable), yet
it is firm enough to carve or burnish. It is the ideal stage for trimming and adding appendages
such as handles and spouts. *
Loop Tools - Tools with ribbons of wire for shaping and trimming ceramic projects. ~
Matte Glaze - a dull-surfaced, lusterless, and non-shiny glaze. +
Pinch Method -A handbuilding method of shaping clay by inserting the thumb of one hand into
the clay while lightly and slowly rotating the ball of clay in the palm of the other hand.*
Porcelain- True porcelain was being made in China and Korea around 960 AD. Porcelain is a
combination of kaolin (a pure white, primary clay) silica and feldspar. When it is fired properly
it becomes highly vitrified (a state similar to glass) that is very thin and translucent (light shines
through it). It is often termed “fine BONE china,” as it contains bone ash or “China Clay”. It has
a ring when lightly struck or tapped. It is often fired at 2372 degrees Fahrenheit.*
Potter’s Needle - A thin, strong needle that is firmly set in a hardwood or aluminum handle. A
necessity for all potters, it is used to cut through and remove the uneven top edge of wheelthrown items or put holes in salt shakers. ~
Potter’s Rib -A small oval, triangular, or kidney shaped hand tool made of wood, plastic, or
metal.~
Potter’s Wheel - Used for making pots; it is driven by hand, foot, or electric power. ~
Scoring- Making scratches on the clay body surfaces or edges before joining the pieces together
with slip. *
Sgraffito- scratching or cutting designs through a colored slip coating to allow the body color to
show through on pottery. +
Slab Method - The handbuilding technique of evenly rolling clay and draping or joining.*
SlabMat- A mat made of a durable non-woven material that is used instead of canvas because it
won’t leave a texture or trap clay. It releases the clay with ease and can be used for slab rolling,
hand rolling, and handbuilding. +
Slip- Clay diluted with water to the consistency of thick cream; used for joining like glue.*
Slip Trailing – Slip (a liquid clay) is applied to the greenware through a tube or nozzle, much like
icing a cake. +
Stain – An oxide that gives a clay body or ceramic piece color only. +
Stamping- The technique of pressing forms into the clay to get decorative effects.*
Stoneware -A high fire, strong and opaque clay body. It fires at temperatures above 2192
degrees. It is denser, stronger, and harder than earthenware when fired. It vitrifies [becomes
glasslike as the particles fuse (melt) together]. It is non-porous (water proof) even without the
glaze but needs to be sealed with a non- leaded glaze to use with food. When fired, the clay is
completely fused with the glaze. This is the clay we use in our class. *
Terracotta –A type of earthenware clay. Literally means “cooked earth” usually indicates or
refers to red or brownish- orange, porous clay body that is often used for inexpensive clay
garden pots and gift ware. *
Throwing- The term used for creating pottery using the potter’s wheel.*
Turning- Completing a piece of ware by rotating it on the pottery wheel and trimming with
tools.*
Underglaze - Colors that can be painted on greenware that will show through a clear glaze. +
Viscosity- The relative runniness of a glaze. +
Wax Resists- The application of melted wax to the foot or body of a clay object to resist the
glaze. +
Wedging- Kneading moist clay to eliminate air bubbles and produce a uniform texture.* +
Mouth – The opening at the top of a vase.
Neck- The (usually) narrower part of a vase that leads from the body to the mouth.
Body –The main part of the vase. It is usually the largest part.
Foot- The part of the vase that meets the floor or table.
*Terms to know for first ceramics test.
+Terms to know for second ceramics test.
~Terms to know for third ceramics test and also study steps to wheel throwing handout.
=Terms to know for fourth ceramics test.