Manufacture

Techniques

| Home | Vessels | Bowls | Manufacture Techniques |

Burnishing

        Burnishing is a surface finishing technique that produces a surface with the appearance of glazing without having to use a glaze. It involves the rubbing of a tool against leather-hard clay to modify the texture and light reflecting qualities of the surface. This can be done with the use of a variety of smooth hard objects such as bone, stones and even a piece of a gourd.

        The surface produced can be regular in finish, but when the tool is used directionally on the object a pattern can be produced. The burnished lines have a consistent luster, and the overall effect is a combination of luster and matte or a non-uniform luster. This technique produces a surface similar to polishing and smoothing. The piece below shows simple burnishing in which no design has been produced.