TAPPI — Vertical and horizontal interruptions along the sections lines of a mosaic drawing. Their function is to make joining lines invisible once the mosaic is laid.
Tegula — Latin word for a flat roof tile with upturned flanges along the long sides.
Terracotta — Baked clay, the material of pottery, tiles and bricks.
TERRAZZO — From Italian “terrace”, a type of flooring created by embedding small pieces of various materials, such as marble, granite, quartz, or glass into a cementitious or epoxy resin binder. The materials are often of different colours, sizes, and shapes, which can be arranged in specific patterns or left random for a more natural look.
Tesellarius — also tesserarius, craftsman who specialised in (opus) tessellatum, that is floor mosaic.
Tessellatum — 'Tessellated'; commonly used in the phrase 'opus tessellatum' to distinguish floor mosaic from wall mosaic and from OPUS SECTILE.
tessera (tesserae) — a small piece of stone, glass and etc., usually in the shape of a square, used in creating a mosaic. It is also known as an abaciscus or abaculus.
Tin glaze — A glaze made by adding tin to a lead glaze which becomes an opaque white when fired.
Transfer printing — A method of transferring designs and images from engraved copperplates or lithographic stones to ceramic surfaces, with the aid of a thin paper tissue or gelatine bat.
Translucent glazes — transparent glazes to which small amounts of ceramic colour have been added, allowing the printed or relief moulded design of the tile to show through.
Transparent glazes — Clear glazes used to cover tiles to make them impervious to water or dirt and to provide a protective covering for painted and printed decoration.
Trompe l’oeil — Form of artistic representation which produces an illusion of reality so as to 'deceive the eye'.
TROWEL / NOTCH TROWEL — Metal rectangular tool with a handle that is used to comb and spread adhesive. It has notches on two ends and flat edges on the others.
Tube lining — The piping of delicate lines of slip on to pottery and tiles to form raised lines that separate areas of coloured glazes.
Tunnel kiln — A continuous kiln fired by gas, oil or electricity in which ware passes through a stationary firing zone in the centre of the kiln. The ware is placed on the refractory lined decks of a series of cars that move slowly through a long straight tunnel.
