What is Ceramic Glaze?
Ceramic glaze is a glassy substance that has been applied to a ceramic object, and then fired to meld it with the ceramic. Ceramic glaze may be used for purely decorative reasons, to strengthen the underlying ceramic, or to waterproof the vessel. Ceramic glaze is used for everything from vases, to bowls, to plates, to decorative pieces of ceramic artwork. Early glaze was used primarily to make earthenware vessels suitable to hold drinks and liquid foods, since without the glaze the clay simply soaks up the liquid overtime, imbuing the vessel with its taste, and weakening it.
Ceramic glaze is a glassy substance that has been applied to a ceramic object, and then fired to meld it with the ceramic. Ceramic glaze may be used for purely decorative reasons, to strengthen the underlying ceramic, or to waterproof the vessel. Ceramic glaze is used for everything from vases, to bowls, to plates, to decorative pieces of ceramic artwork. Early glaze was used primarily to make earthenware vessels suitable to hold drinks and liquid foods, since without the glaze the clay simply soaks up the liquid overtime, imbuing the vessel with its taste, and weakening it. The earliest ceramic glaze appeared in Mesopotamia in the 9th century BCE, on decorative tiles. Centuries later this glaze was adapted to be used in drinking vessels, leading to a great improvement in their use. Early earthenware was suitable for water, which dried out fairly easily, but was almost entirely unsuitable for wine and milk. The adoption of glazing let these vessels flourish, and transformed the way cer
