Monday, November 8, 2004

Fake Glazes- Glaze names cont' A glaze made from wood ash has a distinctive look- browns, tans, creams, and often drips that goes green when thick.  It is prized amongst potters for its historical reference, it was an early glaze technique, and especially for the fact that making your own includes a lot of sieves, ball mills, tests, and time.  It is not an easy task, and books have been written about it. So what of fake ash glazes? Of course, for those who appreciate the historical reference and extra effort the original takes, a fake version is just that...fake.  To such a person, a pot with such a glaze is in some way 'fake.'  This would be doubly true if the pot was assumed to have a real ash glaze, then later found to be a fake ash glaze (even if the maker was not trying to hide that fact.) However, for another person just liking the look of the glaze, maybe it matches their curtains or something, the type of glaze used does not really come into play.  If the person does not know about the type of glaze used, the pot is just a nice pot. However, if such a person does learn that the glaze was a "fake ash glaze", I think the word 'fake' is such a pejorative that the pot would have a negative aspect in such a person's mind. Now, "Fake Ash Glaze" is in someway just short hand for potters to communicate with each other about what the glaze is going to behave.  It could have been named "Brown Glaze with Green Drips." No perjorative or fake stuff there...but not as descriptive to potters either. 10:26:18 PM