Burnishing (pottery)

Tripod vessel with lid, Maya culture, Mexico or Guatemala, c. 4th-5th century, hand-built ceramic with incised decoration and burnished slip, Honolulu Museum of Art, accession 4183.1
A pot by Maria Martinez, approximately 1945, at the de Young Museum in San Francisco
For the metalworking process, see Burnishing (metal).

Burnishing is a form of pottery treatment in which the surface of the pot is polished, using a hard smooth surface such as a wooden or bone spatula, smooth stones, plastic, or even glass bulbs, while it still is in a leathery 'green' state, i.e., before firing.[1]

  1. ^ Von Dassow, Sumi. "Burnishing Pottery: A Step by Step Guide". ceramicartsnetwork.org. The American Ceramic Society. Retrieved 31 August 2020.