Glossary of Ceramic Terms
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Matt glaze - A dull glaze surface, not very reflective when fired which needs a slow cooling period or it may turn shiny.

Mold - A plaster shape designed to pour slip cast into and let dry so the shape comes out as an exact replica of the mold.

Maturing point - The temperature at which the clay becomes hard and durable.

Opaque glaze - A non-transparent glaze which covers the clay or glaze below it.

Oxidation - Firing with a full supply of oxygen. Oxides show bright colors.

Palette A range of colors used in the decoration of ceramics.

Potter’s wheel A mechanical wheel on which a potter throws clay pots.

Salt glaze A thin, glassy glaze applied to some stoneware and produced by throwing salt into the kiln at the height of firing. The glaze may show a pitted surface, known as "orange peel"

Satin glaze - A glaze with medium reflectance, between matt and gloss.

Slab - Pressed or rolled flat sections of clay used in hand building.

Slip - Clay mixed with water with a mayonnaise consistency that’s used in casting and decoration.

Slurry - A thick slip.

Sang-de-boeuf A brilliant red ceramic glaze developed in early 18th-century China.

Scroddled A mottled pottery fabricated from pieces of differently colored clays.

Sgraffito A form of ceramic decoration incised through a colored slip, revealing the ground beneath.

Shoulder The outward projection of a vase under the neck or mouth.

Sleeve vase A tall vase of long thin tubular shape.

Slip A smooth dilution of clay and water used in the making and decoration of pottery.

Slip-casting The manufacture of thin-bodied ceramic wares and figures by pouring slip into a mold.

Slip-trailing The application of slip onto a ceramic form as a way of decorating the surface.

Solifleur A vase shaped with a long slender neck, suitable for displaying a single cut flower or bud.

Stoneware The type of pottery fired at a higher temperature than earthenware, making it durable and non-porous.

Studio pottery Pottery that has been individually designed and crafted.

Tazza A large, shallow bowl on a stemmed foot made in glass, silver, and ceramics from the 16th century.

Transfer - The printing transfer of an inked image from an engraved plate to paper or to a sheet ("bat') of tacky glue and from there to a ceramic object.

Transparent glaze - A glaze which transmits light clearly.

Throwing The technique of shaping ceramic vessels by hand on a rotating wheel.

Tin glaze A glassy glaze made opaque by the addition of tin oxide and commonly used on earthenware.

Underglaze A color or design painted before the application of the glaze on a ceramic object. Blue is the most common underglaze color.

Wreathing The spiraling indented rings inside thrown pottery, left by the potter's fingers, or caused by distortions during the firing process.


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