Arts & Culture
The Technique of Sgraffito in Renaissance Pottery
Quick fact
The word 'sgraffito' comes from the Italian verb graffiare, meaning 'to scratch' — the same root as 'graffiti'.
Why this is interesting
You've probably scratched pictures into wet sand at the beach — Renaissance potters perfected that same playful gesture into a sophisticated art form. But how do you make paint-like layers on a pot that you can scratch away?