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underglaze

1 7.5

A colored design painted on pottery before the final glaze and firing

noun
/ˈʌndərˌɡleɪz/

Specialized

: engobe

Traditional Chinese porcelain often features intricate underglaze designs in cobalt blue.
underglaze blue
underglaze blue decoration
underglaze porcelain

Examples

She used blue underglaze for her pottery.
The artist painted a delicate blue underglaze on the bowl before firing it.
After applying the underglaze, the potter covered the vase with a clear glaze.
The artist applied a layer of underglaze before firing.
The artist applied a vibrant underglaze to give the pottery a unique finish before firing.
Using an underglaze can create beautiful designs on ceramics that stand out after glazing.
The intricate details of the vase are highlighted by the rich blue underglaze beneath a shiny surface.

Synonyms

undercolor

vsunderglaze

Specialized

1 7.7

A color layer placed under paint to change the final look

is used specifically for colored decoration under a final glaze on pottery before firing

engobe

vsunderglaze

Specialized

1 9.9

A thin layer of liquid clay mixed with colour used to coat pottery before or after heating

is a surface decoration applied under final glaze before firing

Surface Forms

underglaze singular

underglazes plural

Morphology

underglaze = glaze (transparent) = under + glaze

The noun denotes a decoration or material placed beneath the final glaze, so its meaning is a direct compositional 'under' + 'glaze'.

Etymology

Underglaze comes from under 'below' and glaze 'shiny coat'. It means the colored decoration painted below the final shiny coat so the colors stay and show after the pottery is heated.