ART 211
CERAMIC VOCABULARY
appliqué
kneed
bisqueware
leather hard
blowout
mishima
bone dry
pierce
burnish
score
coil
sgraffito
engobe
slab
fettling knife
slip
impress
slip trailing
incise
stamping
kiln
wedge
Appliqué A form of decoration in which pieces of clay are fastened t the surface of a clay
vessel by scoring & slipping. A technique common in material design especially quilting but also
in metal work.
Bisqueware Ceramic work which has been fired once in preparation for glazing.
Blowout An explosion which occurs in the kiln when too much moisture, uneven moisture, or
air has been trapped in the clay during firing.
BoneDry A condition of clay when the clay is very dry and brittle. A stage after leather hard
when only chemical (H2O) water is left.
Burnish A decorative technique in which the surface of leather hard clay is rubbed smooth or
polished.
Coil A long snake-like piece of clay. Ceramic products using snake-like piece of clay in their
construction.
Engobe A variety of slip used for decorating pottery. Usually thicker than typical
slip, it is applied to leather-hard or dry clay bodies. Engobes usually have lower clay
content and also can be used on bisque-fired ware.
FettlingKnife A tool used in trimming ceramic ware. Also called a Potter’s Knife.
Impress A decorative technique in which hard objects are pressed into the surface of soft clay.
Incise Cutting, engraving, or carving into the clay body.
Kiln A furnace used for firing ceramic wares.
ART 211
CERAMIC VOCABULARY
LeatherHard A term that describes clay that has dried to the limit of its shrinkage but still has
enough moisture to retain its original wet color. At this stage the clay body can be handled,
trimmed, burnished, and carved without becoming misshapen, for it is no longer in the plastic
state.
Mishima A method of decorating ceramics originating in Korea. Depressions are
made in the clay by stamping or incising into plastic clay and filled with an engobe of contrasting
colored slip.
Pierce A decorative technique in which areas of the clay are cut out leaving a design in the clay
body.
PyrometricCones Small triangular cones made of ceramic materials that are compounded to
bend and melt at specific temperatures.
ReinforcingCoil. A coil placed on the inside of a vessel where two slabs meet to strengthen
the joint.
Relief A decorative technique, which carves away the negative spaces leaving the design in relief
(raised) on the clay body.
Score To cut, scratch, or roughen up the surface of the clay usually in preparation for joining
two pieces of clay using slip.
Sgraffito A method of decorating (known in the past as graffito) in which a design in created y
incising or cutting lines through one layer of colored slip before firing.
Slab A piece of clay that is flattened with a rolling pin. A method of ceramic production using
this form of clay.
Slip A very fluid mixture of clay and water sometimes with colored oxides added. It is used for
decorating and joining pieces together.
Slip Trailing. Squeezing or painting colored slip on a clay body to decorate the surface.
Stamp Pressing objects in the clay to make a design in the clay body.
Wedge To prepare a lump of clay until it is in a homogeneous, plastic condition, free from air
bubbles.
Create a x-word puzzle with this vocabulary by going to Puzzlemaker©. Save the puzzle and
print it off for your portfolio. (http://www.puzzlemaker.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.html)
ART 211
CERAMIC VOCABULARY
Puzzelmaker© can be accessed by going to my website http://www.ilstu.edu/~eostewa. Click
on the links page and find puzzelmaker under “Curriculum Resources.”