Ceramics Vocabulary

1. One of the oldest human art forms.
4. Fine-grained earth materials formed by the decomposition of igneous rocks; plastic when wet; strong when dry; and rock hard when fired.
5. The surface quality of a material—how it feels or appears to feel.
7. Rolled,snake-like ropes of clay, joined together to build pots.
10. Hard Clay that is too firm to bend but soft enough to carve; the consistency of cheddar cheese.
12. A special furnace or oven made of heat-resistant materials, used for firing pottery.
13. or roughing up a clay surface in preparation for joining two pieces together, usually with slip.
15. Finely ground clay particles mixed with water. Used to join clay pieces, decorate surfaces (underglaze), or create raised texture.
16. Unfired clay that is ready or nearly ready for firing.
17. Surface decoration created by filling an impression in a clay surface with another clay or slip.
19. The three-dimensional shape and structure of an object.
20. The kneading process used to remove air bubbles, lumps, and excess moisture from clay before use.
21. The crack or line formed where two pieces of clay are joined.
22. Colored slip or stain applied to leather hard or bisque clay, usually coated with clear glaze afterward.
24. Construction methods that include pinching, coiling, or using slabs—done entirely by hand.

1. Stage Clay that is moist, elastic, and easily shaped or manipulated.
2. Pottery in any stage: raw, bisque, or glazed.
3. No visible moisture and no dampness to the touch. Clay is ready to be fired.
4. Objects made of clay fired to a high temperature, over 1550 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Clay that has been fired once, at a low temperature. Clay is hard but porous and absorbent.
8. Flat, rolled sections of clay. Can be shaped, joined, or draped over forms—often joined using the score and slip method.
9. Decorating the clay surface by scratching, cutting, or carving lines into it.
11. A white, translucent, nonabsorbent clay body fired at high temperature. First developed in China during the 8th century.
14. A mixture of clay and glass particles with water, applied to bisque ware. When fired, it forms a hard, durable, often shiny or colored surface.
18. Pots formed by pinching a ball of clay between thumb and fingers, starting from a central hole.
19. The process of heating clay in a kiln. Firing is like “cooking” the clay to harden it.
23. Enclosed air spaces within clay that must be removed or they may cause ceramic work to explode or crack.