![]() ![]() Underneath this layer of glaze the rough stony clay is always perceptible, even if not always visible. Glaze is glossy and reflective, but the reflecting surface consists of a millimeter or so of glass covering the clay. The difference which non-potters sense without knowing it - and which fascinates potters - is that the surface of a burnished pot doesn't wear a coat hiding the clay itself from view. Though glazed pottery can be brighter and more colorful, a burnished clay pot has a glow from within and a warmth that glazed pottery doesn't possess. Non-potters naturally assume that all pottery is glazed, and the glossy surface of a burnished pot seems like a different and intriguing sort of glaze. Potters who burnish are often asked, "what glaze is that?" by curious admirers of their work. In this post, Sumi Von Dassow explains the basics of burnishing clay, from the tools to use, to a couple of basic techniques. It is hard to resist picking up and handling a piece of burnished pottery. A burnished pot also has a soft, tactile quality all its own. But many choose to finish their work by burnishing because of the subtle, earthy beauty a burnished clay surface possesses. Nowadays, most potters turn to glaze for that purpose. ![]() Historically, burnishing clay was a method used by early potters to make their pottery more watertight and sanitary. Pottery Making Illustrated Submission Guidelines.Pottery Making Illustrated's Print Mailing Schedule.Ceramics Monthly's Print Mailing Schedule.Workhouse Clay International ICAN Merit Award.ICAN Making a Difference in Ceramics Award.Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition Award. ![]()
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