Glasiertes

Glasiertes is a term used in ceramics to describe pottery, porcelain, or glassware that has been coated with glaze and fired so the coating fuses to the body. The glaze forms a vitreous, often glossy surface that can seal the ware, resist moisture, and provide color and decoration.

Glazes are glassy coatings made from silica with fluxes and stabilizers, sometimes colorants. Typical ingredients include silica, alumina, fluxes (such as soda, feldspar, lime), and colorants such as cobalt, copper, iron, or manganese oxides. They may be transparent to reveal the clay body, opaque, or matte. Glazes are applied by dipping, brushing, spraying, or pouring, and then fired in a kiln to temperatures appropriate for the ceramic body (earthenware, stoneware, porcelain). The firing temperature and atmosphere control the glaze's properties, including gloss, hardness, and color.

Glazed wares can be decorated with underglaze or overglaze techniques. Lead and cadmium pigments were common in older glazes but are restricted in modern foodware; contemporary glazes are formulated to be lead-free and food-safe when properly fired and handled.

Historically, glazing dates to ancient Mesopotamia and East Asia, both to improve durability and to enhance aesthetics. Glazed porcelain became a hallmark of Chinese and later European ceramic traditions, with tin-glazed maiolica and lusterware among notable styles.