Terra sigillata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terra sigillata is a decoration process used in ceramics or in the making of pottery. It is a fine particle clay that is applied to clay that when burnished or polished creates smooth silky surfaces. Terra sigillata is primarily used in low fire applications such as earthenware clays.
Terra sigillata (or "sealed earth") is a name for two distinct items in antiquity. First, it is one term by which Samian ware was known. Secondly, it was a term for a medicinal soil from the island of Lemnos.
The latter was called "sealed" because cakes of it were pressed together and stamped with the head of Artemis. Later, it bore the seal of the Grand Signior. This soil's particular mineralic content was such that, in the Renaissance, it was seen as a proof against poisoning, as well as a general cure for any bodily impurities, and it was highly prized as a medicine and medicinal component.
