Ceramic Stages of Clay

Very wet clay - used as a glue

• Plastic

• Slip

• Bone Dry

• Leather Hard

Ready to be bisque fired; most fragile (easily broken) stage

• Glazeware

• Bone Dry

• Bisqueware

• Plastic

Clay after first firing; not suitable for food (still porous)

• Plastic

• Leather Hard

• Bisqueware

• Slip

Workable clay, bendable, new clay.

• Plastic

• Leatherhard

• Bisqueware

• Bone Dry

Best phase for joining clay bodies and for carving into and burnishing; too dry to change shape

• Plastic

• Leatherhard

• Bisqueware

• Glazeware

Finished piece with glass-like coating; usable for food items; can be opaque, transparent, or translucent.

• Bone Dry

• Bisqueware

• Leather hard

• Glazeware