sgraffito
Scratched surface decoration
Sgraffito is a decorative technique in which a top layer of plaster, slip, or glaze is scratched through to reveal a contrasting color beneath.
The method appears in pottery, ceramics, and wall decoration, producing designs that emerge from the material itself rather than being painted on.
The term comes from Italian, meaning "scratched." The artist used sgraffito to create intricate patterns on the vase's surface.
Cutting into material
- scratchingRaking with nails
- scoringEarning points in competition
- carvingShaping by cutting away
- layeringForming successive strata
revealing · scraping · tooling · cross-hatching · texturing · grooving · craftsmanship · artisan
European cultural reawakening
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- PompeiiVolcano-buried Roman city
- HerculaneumRoman town buried by eruption
- RomanOf ancient Italy's capital
Byzantine · fresco · antiquity · ancient · archaeological · preservation · restoration · heritage
Fired clay objects
- slipMinor error or misstep
- glazeThin lustrous coating
- clayMoldable earth for ceramics
- greenwareUnfired clay pottery
bisque · kiln · firing · underglaze · porcelain · stoneware · earthenware · wheel
Outer portion
- architecturalRelating to building design
- buildingEnclosed roofed structure
- wallVertical enclosing structure
- ornamentThing that beautifies
decoration · Renaissance · Italian · Florentine · Bavarian · Swiss · Czech · historic
Stacked levels or coatings
- revealMake something visible
- colorVisual hue property
- pigmentColor-imparting material
- chiaroscuroContrast technique in painting
tonal · value · light · dark · polychrome · monochrome · highlight · depth
Decorative wall plaster
- limeAcidic green citrus
- gypsumHydrated calcium sulfate
- coatingApplied surface covering
- renderCause to become
basecoat · topcoat · trowel · substrate · mortar · finish · texture · smooth
Recurring arrangement or template
- designPurposeful creative planning
- geometricRelating to mathematical shapes
- floralOf or like blooms
- arabesqueFlowing ornamental design
scrollwork · figurative · heraldic · ornamental · frieze · border · repeating · symbolic
incising
Cutting into material
- scratchingRaking with nails
- scoringEarning points in competition
- carvingShaping by cutting away
layering · revealing · scraping · tooling · cross-hatching · texturing · grooving · craftsmanship · artisan · handwork
Renaissance
European cultural reawakening
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- PompeiiVolcano-buried Roman city
- HerculaneumRoman town buried by eruption
Roman · Byzantine · fresco · antiquity · ancient · archaeological · preservation · restoration · heritage · traditional
pottery
Fired clay objects
greenware · bisque · kiln · firing · underglaze · porcelain · stoneware · earthenware · wheel · coiling
exterior
Outer portion
- architecturalRelating to building design
- buildingEnclosed roofed structure
- wallVertical enclosing structure
ornament · decoration · Renaissance · Italian · Florentine · Bavarian · Swiss · Czech · historic · restoration
layers
Stacked levels or coatings
chiaroscuro · tonal · value · light · dark · polychrome · monochrome · highlight · depth · figure-ground
stucco
Decorative wall plaster
render · basecoat · topcoat · trowel · substrate · mortar · finish · texture · smooth · skim
pattern
Recurring arrangement or template
arabesque · scrollwork · figurative · heraldic · ornamental · frieze · border · repeating · symbolic · narrative
sgraffitooverlay
Covering placed atop
impasto · relief work · appliqué · encaustic · sprigging
sgraffitooverpainting
Applying pigment over existing layers
building up · bas-relief · encrustation · inlay · mosaic