"Terra Cotta" redirects here. For the architectural usage, see Architectural terracotta. For the Chinese sculptures, see Terracotta Army. For other usages, see Terra Cotta (disambiguation).
International Gothic Bohemian bust of the Virgin Mary; c. 1390–1395; terracotta with polychromy;[1] 32.5 x 22.4 x 13.8 cm
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta[2] (Italian:[ˌtɛrraˈkɔtta]; lit.'baked earth';[3] from Latin terra cocta 'cooked earth'),[4] is a term used in some contexts for earthenware. It is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic,[5] fired at relatively low temperatures.[5]
Contemporary terracotta casserole dish
Usage and definitions of the term vary, such as:
In art, pottery, applied art, craft, construction and architecture, "terracotta" is a term often used for red-coloured earthenware sculptures or functional articles such as flower pots, water and waste water pipes, tableware, roofing tiles and surface embellishment on buildings. In such applications, the material is also called terracotta.[6]
In archaeology and art history, "terracotta" is often used to describe objects such as figurines and loom weights not made on a potter's wheel, with vessels and other objects made on a wheel from the same material referred to as earthenware; the choice of term depends on the type of object rather than the material or shaping technique.[7]
Terracotta is also used to refer to the natural brownish-orange color of most terracotta.[8]
Glazed architectural terracotta and its unglazed version as exterior surfaces for buildings were used in East Asia for centuries before becoming popular in the West in the 19th century. Architectural terracotta can also refer to decorated ceramic elements such as antefixes and revetments, which had a large impact on the appearance of temples and other buildings in the classical architecture of Europe, as well as in the Ancient Near East.[9]
Bust of Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun; by Augustin Pajou; 1783; terracotta; height: 55cm, width: 44cm, thickness: 21cm
This article covers the senses of terracotta as a medium in sculpture, as in the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines, and architectural decoration. East Asian and European sculpture in porcelain is not covered.
^Bust of the Virgin, ca. 1390–95, In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2008)
^"Terracotta" is normal in British English, and perhaps globally more common in art history. "Terra-cotta" is more popular in general American English.
^"terra-cotta". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
^"Terracotta", p. 341, Delahunty, Andrew, From Bonbon to Cha-cha: Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases, 2008, OUP Oxford, ISBN 0199543690, 9780199543694; book
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (Italian: [ˌtɛrraˈkɔtta]; lit. 'baked earth'; from Latin terra cocta 'cooked earth'), is a term used...
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been fired below 1,200 °C (2,190 °F). Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious...
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