Pottery Terms

This is the natural decomposition of granite and igneous rock which when heated to high temperatures becomes permanent.

• dough

• clay

• dirt

• brick

When the texture of clay is soft, pliable and easy to work with.

• leather hard

• slip

• plastic

• bone dry

Thought to be the first known technique of forming clay with only your hands. Achieved by rolling the clay into a ball, inserting thumb, and gradually squeezing the clay into thin walls.

• coil

• thrown

• slab

• pinch

This is any clay that has not been fired and it is extremely fragile in this state.

• bone dry

• green ware

• glaze ware

• bisque ware

This is when you scratch the surface of the clay where another piece of clay is being added. If this is not done along with slipping then the 2 pieces of clay will not stick together.

• scoring

• slipping

• grooving

• planting

This term refers to the TOP edge of the piece.

• neck

• lip

• foot

• back

A mixture of pigment and liquid clay used for detail on ware before the first firing.

• glaze

• grog

• slip

• underglaze

A compound of minerals that is applied to the surface of bisque ware and that forms a glassy surface when fired making the ware waterproof and decorative.

• underglaze

• glaze

• grog

• slurry

This is the second firing, where pots coated in glaze are heated to a very high temperature and become waterproof.

• bisque fire

• glass fire

• on fire

• glaze fire

When a piece of art has a specific use, it is called ...

• non functional

• functional

• useful

• not useful