Slipware ispottery identified by its primary decorating process whereslip is placed onto theleather-hard (semi-hardened) claybody surface before firing by dipping, painting or splashing. Slip is an aqueous suspension of a clay body, which is a mixture ofclays and other minerals such asquartz,feldspar andmica. The slip placed onto a wet orleather-hard clay body surface by a variety of techniques including dipping, painting, piping or splashing.[1]
Principal techniques includeslip painting, where the slip is treated like paint and used to create a design with brushes or other implements, andslip trailing, where the slip, usually rather thick, is dripped, piped or trailed onto the body, typically from some device like thepiping bag used to decorate cakes. The French term for slip isbarbotine, and this term may be used for both techniques, but usually from different periods.[2]
Often only pottery where the slip creates patterns or images will be described as slipware, as opposed to the many types where a plain slip is applied to the whole body, for example most fine wares inAncient Roman pottery, such asAfrican red slip ware (note: "slip ware" not "slipware"). Decorative slips may be a different colour than the underlying clay body or offer other decorative qualities. Selectively applying layers of colored slips can create the effect of a painted ceramic, such as in theblack-figure orred-figure pottery styles ofAncient Greek pottery. Slip decoration is an ancient technique inChinese pottery also, used to cover whole vessels over 4,000 years ago.[3]
Many prehistoric and historic cultures used slip as the primary decorating material on their ware, especially in early periods. These include most prehistoric cultures of theMiddle East and much laterIslamic pottery, cultures in many areas ofAfrica, most pottery-making cultures in the Americas, earlyJapanese (and laterOnta ware) and muchKorean pottery. MuchMycenean ware,Ancient Greek pottery andAncient Roman pottery used slip, as did pre-industrialized potters in many areas of Europe, includingGreat Britain, most notablyThomas Toft in theStaffordshire Potteries.[4]
Later potters mostly combined or replaced the use of slip withceramic glazes and pigments offering a tougher finish and a wider range of colours. But a variety of slipware techniques were revived by variousstudio pottery movements from the 19th century on. In EnglandBernard Leach and in AmericaMary Louise McLaughlin were among the leaders of these revivals.[5]
A coating of white or coloured slip (sometimes called by the French termengobe inAmerican English) can be applied to the whole body of the article, or just one part, such as outside or inside of a cup or jug, to improve its appearance, to give a smoother surface to a rough body, mask an inferior colour or for decorative effect. Slip can also be applied by painting techniques, in isolation or in several layers and colours.Sgraffito (or "sgraffiato") involves scratching through a layer of colouredslip to reveal a different colour or the base body underneath. Several layers of slip and/or sgraffito can be done while the pot is still in an unfired state. One colour of slip can be fired, before a second is applied, and prior to the scratching or incising decoration. This is particularly useful if the base body is not of the desired colour or texture.[6]
Chinese pottery also used techniques where patterns, images or calligraphy were created as part-dried slip was cut away to reveal a lower layer of slip or the main clay body in a contrasting colour. The latter of these is called the "cut-glaze" technique.[7]
Slipware may be carved or burnished to change the surface appearance of the ware. Specialized slip recipes may be applied tobiscuit ware and then refired.
An example of slipware artifact is theHarvest jug.
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