Overglaze enameling
Overglaze enameling is a ceramic decorative technique in which colored enamel pigments are applied to the surface of pottery after the initial glazing and firing. The decorated piece is then fired again at a lower temperature to fuse the enamel colors to the glaze surface.
In this method the pottery is first glazed and fired in the kiln, producing a finished glazed surface. After the initial firing, enamel pigments made from finely ground glass mixed with metal oxides are painted onto the glaze. The piece is then fired again at a lower temperature so that the enamel melts and bonds with the glaze without disturbing the underlying surface.
Overglaze enameling allows potters and ceramic painters to create a wide range of colors and detailed decorative designs. Because the decoration is applied after the first firing, artists have greater control over the painted motifs and can produce complex patterns, floral designs, and pictorial scenes.
The technique became especially important in Japanese porcelain traditions. It is widely associated with decorative styles found in Imari ware, Kutani ware, and other porcelain produced in Japan from the early modern period onward.
