ceramics quiz

air pockets

enclosed air spaces within clay that must be removed for may cause ceramic work to explode or crack

bisque ware

clay that has been fired once at a low temperature. Clay is hard, but porous and absorbent

Bone dry

no visible moisture and no dampness to the touch. Clay is ready to be fired

ceramics (what temperature is fired)

objects made of clay fired to a high temperature, over 1550 degrees

clay

finely grained earth materials formed by decomposition of igneous rocks; plastic when wet; strong when dry; and rock hard when exposed to red heat

coils

rolled, snake-like ropes of clay, joined togehter to build pots

embossment

raised surface design on clay piece

glaz

a combination of miniscule clay and glass particles mized with water; applied to bisque ware before firing. during firing porcess mixture adheres to the form, giving it a hard, durable surface. glaze can be colored, opaque, clear, translucent, or matte

greenware

unfired clay ready or nearly ready for firing

hand building

construction processes that include pinching, coiling or building with slabs

incising

surface decoration made by scratching, cutting, or carving lines into clay at various depths

inlay

surface decoration created by filling an impression in a clay surface with another clay or slip

kiln

a furnace or oven built of heat-resistant materials for firing pottery. heat is produced by electricity, propane, natural gas, or wood

leather hard

clay too firm to bend but soft enough to carve

plastic stage

moist and elastic to touch; clay is easily manipulatedp

porcelain

a translucent, non absorbent body fired at high temp. white and hard it was first developed in chine during the 8th century

pottery 

one of the oldest art forms explored by mankind. many now-extinct cultures throughout the world that did not use written language, but wrote in forms of potteryd

scoring

scratching or roughing up the clay surface; used in combo with brushed on slip, scoring is preparation step for joining two or more separate clay pieces together

seam

the crack formed where two pieces of clay are joined

slabs

rolled flat sections of clay

slip

finely ground clay particles mized with water 1) used for joining two pieces of clay 2) brushed on for decorating purposes 3) squeezed or extruded onto the surface for a raised effect

texture

quality of a surface

3-D

when all three dimensions (length, height and weight) can be touched

under glazes

colored slip or liquid stain applied to leather hard clay or bisque ware, then coated with a clear glaze

ware

pottery pieces in the raw, bisque, or glazed state

wedging

a kneading process, manipulating the clay to remove air bubbles, lumps and excess water