Burnishing

A method of smoothing leather-hard or black hard clay using a hard smooth object such as a stone, spoon, or piece of glass. This method provides the object with a polished appearance. Burnished pots are normally unglazed. However, fine slips are sometimes used to enhance the decoration. Burnishing not only gives a lustrous finish but also improves the clay’s durability by making it even more resistive to water absorption.