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Pottery Terms
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B
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J
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K
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L
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M
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N
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Q
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R
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T
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U
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V
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W
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A
Air Bubbles
Air trapped in clay.
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B
Banding Wheel
Small wheel used for decorative purposes.
Bisque
Clay that has been fired once (No longer a liquid, but a solid).
Bisque Fire
First firing, slow fire (This is where the clay goes through its chemical change).
Bone Dry
When the clay is as dry as it can be before firing.
Burnishing
Polishing clay with a spoon.
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C
Carving
Cut out pieces from the clay.
Coiling
When you build with rope lengths of clay.
Craftsmanship
How well the pottery is made.
Crawling
When the clay doesn't stick to glaze (This is because the dust on the clay was not cleaned).
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D
Decorating Pottery
Incising, Burnishing, Sgraffito, Add something to it, Modeling it.
Dipping
Glazing the piece by dipping it in a pot of glaze; this will give it an even coat.
Drape Mold
Placing a slab into a mold (It takes the mold's shape).
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E
Elephant Ear
A sponge used to wet clay's surface.
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F
Fettling Knife
Dull knife used to cut clay.
Firing
Heat kiln to a specific temperature (about 1800F)..LOW Fire.
Foot
The base added to the pottery.
Form
Creative piece.
Formation of Pottery...Bucket to Display Case
Forming, Bisque, Wash, Glaze, Fire, Touch Up, Fire Again.
Function
Piece made from another object.
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G
Geometric
Mathematical shapes (Can be found with calculations).
Glaze
Color given to the clay (made from glass, pigment, and water).
Greenware
Piece of formed clay, but it is yet to be fired.
Grog
Bisque dust [added to reclaim bucket to give the reclaim clay a stiffer body].
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H
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I
Importance of Wedging
This technique removes air from the clay, getting the clay to its proper plasticity.
Incising
Scratch the clay for decorative purposes.
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J
Joining
Slip and score two pieces together.
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K
Kiln
Oven capable of high temperatures.
Kiln Shelf
Ceramic shelves used to stack and load kiln.
Kiln Wash
Paint put on kiln shelves so that the glaze doesn't stick to the shelves.
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L
Leather Hard
Semi-dry clay (Good for carving and joining).
Loop Tool
Used to stir clay, sgraffitoing, or pulling clay away.
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M
Matt Glaze
Glaze that doesn't shine upon firing.
Maturation Point
The temperature where chemical change occurs.
Modeling Tool
Wooden tool used to manipulate clay (ex. incising).
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N
Negative Space
In two and three-dimensional art, the space between and around shapes and forms
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O
Organic
Shapes that are naturally formed (found in nature).
Originality
"Ding Ding" I didn't think of doing that.
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P
Peep Hole
Holes in the sides of the kiln used for venting the kiln.
Pinch Pot
Clay pot made with hands (fingers).
Pin Tool
Used for incising and scoring.
Plasticity
The work ability of the clay.
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Q
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R
Reclaim
Recycle greenware.
Rolling Pin
Used to flatten clay.
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S
Scoring
When the clay is scratched in order to join it to another piece of clay.
Sculpture
When 3D clay is built in an additive and subtractive process.
Shinrkage
When clay shrinks after being fired; shrinks about 15-25%.
Slab
Working with flat pieces of clay (used to fold/geometric form).
Slab Roller
Used to roll out large pieces of clay.
Slip
Liquid clay body (When there is more water than clay).
Spoon
Use to smooth or burnish the clay.
Stacking
Process of loading the kiln.
Stilts
Small metal and ceramic piece that holds the glazed pottery above the kiln shelf.
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T
Terra Cotta
Brown, earthen-wear clay.
Texture Stamps
Anything that is pressured into the clay to make a texture.
Throwing
Process of creating pottery on the pottery wheel.
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U
Under Glaze
Any glaze applied to the clay or bisque that will require further glazing later.
Utilitarian Concerns
What you can use the pottery for.
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V
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W
Warping
When the clay changes its shape due to improper drying.
Wedging
Kneading clay to get it to the right plasticity (Removes air).
Wire Tool/Cutting Wire
Used to cut large chunks of clay.
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X
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Y
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Z
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