2014-15 POTTERY WORDS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS
APPLIQUE: Low relief shapes added to a pot as decoration by scoring and slipping.
BISQUEWARE: Clay fired once, ready to glaze.
BISQUE FIRING: The first firing of dry pots.
BONE DRY: Completely dry, very brittle state that clay reaches when left to dry. Pots should be bone dry before the bisque fire.
BURNISHING: A method of achieving a shine by rubbing the surface of a pot with a spoon or hard smooth surface.
CENTERING: The most critical state when throwing pots on the wheel. Clay forms a symmetrical lump on the wheel.
COIL CONSTRUCTION: Ceramic forming method using ropelike coils of soft clay stacked on top of each other and blended together or scored together to build walls of a vessel.
EARTHENWARE: Low fired pottery, usually below 1100 degrees.
EXTRUDER: Machine that forces soft clay through a die to produce extruded clay shapes.
FIRING: Cooking pottery in the kiln.
FOOT: The base of a pot upon which it can stand.
FUNCTIONAL: Useful, practical pottery. Has a function, such as a mug or plate.
GLAZE: The glassy surface of pottery. The glaze is applied to bisque ware, and melts smooth in the firing and bonds to the surface of the clay.
GLAZE FIRING: Firing pots for the second time in the kiln, this time covered with glaze.
GREENWARE: Dry, unfired clay pots.
HANDBUILDING: Making clay forms by hand, not machine. Pinching, coiling, and slab building are examples.
IMPRESSING: Decoration method caused by pressing something on to the clay surface to create a design or pattern.
INCISING: Carving into clay to make a design or pattern. Also a decorating technique.
To remove (subtract) clay by cutting into the surface.
KILN: A potter's oven used to cook the clay.

LEATHER HARD: Stiff, but not dry clay (still damp). Important because this is a good stage to work with the clay if hand building.
LIP: In pottery, this refers to the rim of a pot.
MATT GLAZE: Glaze featuring a dull, non-glossy surface.
PADDLE: A technique used by slapping the surface of a pot with a paddle or wooden spoon to remove dents or lumps. Will remove irregularities in the surface.
PINCH METHOD: A hand building method achieved by pressing and pinching the clay with your thumb and fingers.
RELIEF: The surface of a pot that is lowered (by carving into the clay) and raised (by adding clay to the surface) to create "hills and valleys." This can also be referred to as incising and applique’.
RIB: Wide, plat hand held tool used to shape, smooth or scrape clay surfaces.
SCORING: Process of scratching the surface of wet clay or leather hard clay in a crosshatch pattern before applying slip or slurry and joining clay.
SCRAFFITO: Carving through slip or underglaze to reveal the clay underneath.
SCULPTURE: A three dimensional work of art, usually non-functional.
SLAB METHOD: A piece of clay rolled out flat. Slabs are then cut out, and joined together by scoring and slipping to create a vessel.
SLIP OR SLURRY: A mixture of clay and water. Used as clay "glue" to hold two pieces of clay together.
STONEWARE: High fired pottery, usually above 1200 degrees.
TEXTURE: An element of visual art. Portrays surface quality and can be seen visually, or felt (examples: smooth, rough, bumpy,)
THROWING: The term used for making a pot on the pottery wheel.
UNDERGLAZE: Colored slip formulated to create decorative results when fired. These are similar to paints for clay.
WEDGING: a way to prepare the clay before use--similar to kneading bread dough.