Underglaze painting
Underglaze painting is a ceramic decorative technique in which designs are painted onto the surface of pottery before the application of a transparent glaze. After glazing and firing, the painted decoration appears beneath the glaze layer.
In this method the potter or decorator applies pigments made from mineral oxides directly onto the clay body or onto a thin slip coating. Once the decoration is complete, a transparent or translucent glaze is applied over the surface. During firing the glaze melts and forms a glassy coating that seals and protects the painted design.
Underglaze painting allows for precise and detailed decoration, including lines, patterns, and pictorial scenes. Because the decoration lies beneath the glaze, the surface remains smooth and durable.
The technique has been widely used in Japanese ceramics, particularly in porcelain traditions. Blue-and-white decoration created with cobalt pigment is one of the most well-known forms of underglaze painting.
Underglaze painting appears in several Japanese ceramic traditions, including Arita ware, Imari ware, Kutani ware, and Kiyomizu ware.
