Glossary

enamel

A vitreous, usually opaque, protective or decorative coating made from silica heated in a kiln or furnace, and fused on to metal, glass, or ceramic ware. It is often applied as a paste which solidifies during firing as areas of color. Also, an object, usually very small, having such a coating, as in a piece of champlevé, cloisonné, bassetaille, or plique-a-jour. In ceramics, specially prepared low-firing colors with a high flux content.

zenga

Paintings which are a part of the Zen tradition of Japanese Buddhism. Zenga are often painted by priests, and are typically ink drawings and calligraphy.

Example: Hakuin Ekaku's One Hand Clapping, 1766

zinc

A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. Used in galvanizing iron, it is often alloyed in making brass, bronze, various solders, and nickel silver, in manufacturing many products including various household objects. Atomic symbol Zn; atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.37; melting point 419.4° C.; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2.

zinc white

White formed from zinc oxide, giving pure cool cover. In oil it needs much medium, and has some tendency to crack. In watercolor it's known as Chinese white.