faience

(noun)

A low-fired opaque quartz ceramic that creates a glass-like material in bright shades of blue, green, white, and brown. Originates from Ancient Egypt.

Related Terms

Examples of faience in the following topics:

  • The Third Intermediate Period

    • New emphasis was placed on the king as the son of a god and explained through the use of royal faience and precious metals.
    • New emphasis was placed on the king as the son of a god and explained through the use of royal faience and precious metals.

  • Late Egyptian Art

    • The faience sculpture below shows the god Pataikos wearing a scarab beetle on his head, supporting two human-headed birds on his shoulders, holding a snake in each hand, and standing atop crocodiles.
    • This glazed faience sculpture of the god Pataikos shows a somewhat naturalistic departure from traditional depictions of Egyptian deities.

  • Minoan Sculpture

    • The small-scale sculptures of the Minoans were produced in many different materials including ivory, gold, faience, and bronze.
    • For instance, faience, an quartz ceramic, is an Egyptian material.

  • Etruscan Artifacts

    • Indeed, at some Etruscan tombs, physical evidence of trade has been found in the form of grave goods, including fine faience ware cups, which was likely the result of trade with Egypt.

  • Nubia and Ancient Culture

    • These two groups traded gold, copper tools, faience, stone vessels, pots, and more.

  • Ancient Egyptian Art

    • Faience was sintered-quartz ceramic with surface vitrification used to create relatively cheap, small objects in many colors, but most commonly blue-green.

  • The Rise of Egyptian Civilization

    • Mud bricks were mass-produced, copper was used for tools and weapons, and silver, gold, lapis, and faience were used as decorations.