Which statement about bisque is true?

Which statement about bisque is true?

• A. The clay has not been fired yet
• B. It is glazed after firing
• C. It has been fired once and is porous before glazing
• D. It cannot be glazed

Answer: (C)

Bisque describes ware that has undergone a first firing. After this firing, the clay is hard but still porous, not yet vitrified. That porosity is essential for glazing because it allows the glaze to be absorbed and adhere properly. Glazing is typically done after the bisque stage, and then the piece is re-fired to melt and mature the glaze. So, describing it as having been fired once and being porous before glazing is the true statement. The other ideas don’t fit: unfired clay would be greenware, glaze is applied after the bisque stage (not after a single firing of unbisqued clay), and bisque can indeed be glazed.

Bisque describes ware that has undergone a first firing. After this firing, the clay is hard but still porous, not yet vitrified. That porosity is essential for glazing because it allows the glaze to be absorbed and adhere properly. Glazing is typically done after the bisque stage, and then the piece is re-fired to melt and mature the glaze. So, describing it as having been fired once and being porous before glazing is the true statement. The other ideas don’t fit: unfired clay would be greenware, glaze is applied after the bisque stage (not after a single firing of unbisqued clay), and bisque can indeed be glazed.