Glazes can be translucent or change the color of porcelain.
Porcelain, otherwise china or chinaware due to its country of origin, is a hardy, yet striking, ceramic that comes in many different shapes and sizes. Commonly used for decorative pieces such as vases and bakeware, porcelain is a clay made of kaolin rock, feldspar -- a mineral -- and quartz. It is porous or nonporous and the temperature used to fire a molded piece of porcelain determines porosity, which is the ability to absorb liquid. Glazing protects porous porcelain by waterproofing it. In addition to the different porcelains, there are different types of glazes to use on the porcelain.
Understanding Porcelain
Porcelain is the melding of two materials, kaolin white clay and the mineral petuntse or feldspar, a rock-forming mineral that produces crystals. High or low baking temperatures determine how these two materials meld and create different types of porcelain. Hard paste porcelain, or true porcelain consists only of kaolin and petuntse. Developed in Europe to mimic true porcelain, soft paste porcelain consists of clay and various other materials to give it a glass-like appearance. In addition to clay and feldspar, bone china contains burned animal bones.
Celadon Glaze
Celadon glaze is light green, with a grayish tint that resembles precious Chinese jade. Developed in China, celadon is made by firing iron oxide to yellow by the flame, then reducing the heat to reveal a blue-green or cyan color.
White Glaze
The natural pigment of the white clay makes up the white glaze. It is translucent over the natural porcelain. There are trace amounts of iron oxide in the clay and glaze, which leaves the white with a very light hint of cyan color. Less iron in the material produces a whiter glaze.
Black Glaze
Lime and lime alkali produce a pure black glaze or one with some color. Colored black glaze includes several color combinations, including oil drop glaze, hare's fur glaze, turtle shell glaze and partridge feather spot. Different iron contents and reduced oven temperature determine the color pattern.
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