Faïence technology, more properly called “Egyptian faïence” to distinguish it from certain tin-glazed pottery made at Faenze in Italy. Although it has been called the first high-technology ceramic. It is a non-clay ceramic whose body is composed of silica in the form of crushed quartz or sand with small amounts of lime (perhaps naturally present in the sand) and alkali, added either as plant ash or natron.
It was difficult to form this material because it lacked clay’s plasticity. For this reason, some shapes were first roughly formed by hand or in molds and then had details “carved” into them by abrasion once dry. In this way, faïence technology shared some features in common with stonework, as well as with the pyrotechnical industries such as glass and metalworking.
The quartz body of the faïence, especially if coated with a still fine layer of brilliant white quartz, was probably preferred above-glazed stone since it gave a bright, sparkling, optical effect, whereas glazed stones such as steatite gave a comparatively dull one. It was coated with a soda-lime-silica glaze that was mostly bright blue in color.
The ancient Egyptians knew the material as, a word derived from “shining” or “dazzling” perhaps in reference to the use of the material to imitate precious stones, such as lapis lazuli or turquoise. The glaze could be produced by several techniques. “The efflorescence technique” involves mixing copper, alkali salts, and plant ashes with body constituents.
The body is then shaped by hand modeling, molding, or wheel throwing. The soluble salts in the mixture gradually effloresce on the surface as the piece dries. Firing fuses this efflorescence to give Faïence its glassy surface. Using this technique, glaze thickness varies significantly and may be poor. It has been suggested that ground copper or other metals, which were added as coloring materials, may have been metallurgy byproducts. A glaze powder was embedded in the artifact as part of the “cementation technique.”.
When the glazing powder comes into contact with the body during firing, a chemical combination occurs at the object’s surface. This method is more time-consuming than efflorescence but gives a high-quality, uniform glaze. The object is easily removed from the surrounding glazing powder after firing. In “application glazing,” the glaze is applied to the object as a powder or slurry before firing. The firing then melts and fuses this layer. Unlike pottery glazing, which employs preliminary or biscuit firing, the glaze is added directly to the unfired body. The glaze is often uneven and may retain marks from supports used to separate pieces in the kiln.
Faïence firing temperatures are still debated, though most authorities agree on 800 and 1000°C. Small faïence objects are known from the Predynastic period onward, though it was once thought that faïence actually declined in the early dynastic and old kingdoms. Recent excavations, notably those at Abusir, have shown that this is not the case; faïence technology was used for many architectural purposes, such as inlays, in addition to its use for amulets and for the well-known tiles of the Zoser complex at Saqqara. Efflorescence was the common glazing method at this time, and forming was done using molds along with modeling and abrasion of partly dried pieces. Details of the body could also be built up with body paste.
Vessels were occasionally formed around a core of vegetable material and mud, which was later removed. In the Middle Kingdom, the core-forming technique became common, though cementation glazing and liquid glaze applications are also evidenced. These factors may have helped accelerate faïence production. Animal figurines were popular during this period and, like vessels, those of spherical form, such as hedgehogs, were often made around a core or ball of straw.
The rich burial of an overseer of faïence workers known from Lisht and dating to the 13th Dynasty may attest to the importance of specialist faïence craftsmen at this time. Another production site is Kerma in Sudan. Faïence technology enjoyed a particularly innovative phase during the New Kingdom with the introduction of new colors and color combinations to give polychrome effects.
Efflorescence, cementation, and application are all used during this period. Glass is introduced into some faïence glazes to deepen them, and perhaps also to give them a wider range of colors. Such colorful pieces are known from many New Kingdom palaces such as Malkata, Qantir, and Tel el-Amarna; at Amarna, there is evidence of production. Mold-making of rings and amulets is particularly well attested at Amarna by the numerous fired clay molds found there; ring manufacture was facilitated by an extensive glassy phase in the fired faïence. It has been suggested that faïence throwing was first attempted during the New Kingdom.
Vessel making was extremely sophisticated in this period with very delicate pieces, such as chalices, being produced. Egyptian faïence is exported to Cyprus and elsewhere at this time. By the Third Intermediate Period, faïence technology was commonly used for votive objects, as well as for the numerous shawabtis of the period. Therefore, forward throwing becomes more common. It was during this period, probably around the 22nd Dynasty, that a very shiny variety known as glassy faïence first appeared. This variety may serve as a supplement to glass production which declined after the 21st Dynasty.
Efflorescence and liquid glaze application are the most common glazing methods. With the resurgence of Egyptian culture in the 26th Dynasty came the development of bright green faïence, commonly used for shawabtis, votive items, and vessels. Matte faïence is popular at this time. Despite the fact that factory sites are known from Memphis, the Ptolemaic and Roman industries are still underdocumented. A type of hemispherical bowl, perhaps made in Memphis and/or Alexandria, and vases with secondary painted decoration are both common finds.
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