About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

If you are looking to explore semi-matte glazes in the mid-range, these are great glazes to start that exploration. The surfaces, although semi-matte, are solid and food safe when fired per manufacturer's instructions. I also find the surfaces very appealing to the touch. Definitely worth trying!

Manufacturer's Site

Pros

• Tactily lovely semi-matte surfaces, tight enough for food safety.

• Subtle color breaks over edges give extra life and richness to the glaze.

Cons

• These glazes are not marked as semi-gloss or semi-matte, which would have been very helpful.
• As of this writing, these glazes may be a bit difficult to locate. Contact Duncan via their website.

Description

• The Renaissance line, as of this writing, consists of 16 colors. Fire to Orton Cone 5-6.
• Surfaces can go from semi-matte to semi-gloss, depending on firing. Developed for use in electric kilns.
• Comes in 8 fluid ounce, sturdy plastic jars.

Guide Review - Duncan Renaissance Cone 5-6 Glazes

Duncan Renaissance Glaze series is a real treat if you are looking for the subtleties in both color and texture in an oxidation (e.g. electric kiln) firing. They are semi-gloss to semi-matte glazes, that still remain food safe when fired per manufacturer's specifications to Orton cone 5 or 6.

The glazes are "textured", meaning the color breaks depending on thickness of the raw glaze coating. For example, the color will break over incised or impressed lines or patterns.

This is very subtle with many of the Renaissance glazes, lending a quiet interest that in many ways is more engaging and pleasing than bolder color shifts.

One of the greatest things about these glazes is that I find myself drawn to the pots they have been used on. The tactile sense of these glazes is rich, warm, and very inviting. They can take a pot that would be pleasant to handle into a pot you don't really want to put back down.

Further, although these glazes are semi-opaque, they can "play well" with both underglazes (such as Duncan's Concepts underglazes) and overglazes. (I do need to mention that I have used underglazes with them, but have not done any overglazing with them. Information on overglaze application is drawn from the manufacturer.)

Manufacturer's Site

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.