- published: 30 Dec 2013
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Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fused to a ceramic object through firing. Glaze can serve to colour, decorate, strengthen or waterproof an item.
Glazing is functionally important for earthenware vessels, which would otherwise be unsuitable for holding liquids due to porosity. Glaze is also used on stoneware and porcelain. In addition to the functional aspect of glazes, aesthetic concerns include a variety of surface finishes, including degrees of gloss and matte, variegation and finished colour. Glazes may also enhance an underlying design or texture which may be either the "natural" texture of the clay or an inscribed, carved or painted design.
Glaze is used on building materials. The Iron Pagoda, built in 1049 in Kaifeng, China, of glazed bricks is an example.
Ceramic glazes generally contain silica to form glass, in combination with a mixture of metal oxides such as sodium, potassium and calcium which act as a flux and allow the glaze to melt at a particular temperature, alumina (usually from added clay) to stiffen the glaze and prevent it from running off the piece, colorants such as iron oxide, copper carbonate or cobalt carbonate, and sometimes opacifiers such as tin oxide or zirconium oxide.
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