In pottery, leather-hard is the condition of a clay or clay body when it has been partially dried to the point where all shrinkage has been completed, and it has a consistency similar to leather of the same thickness as the clay. At this stage, the clay object has approximately 15% moisture content.

What does leather hard mean in ceramics?

LEATHER HARD - Refers to clay that is dry enough but still damp enough to be joined to other pieces or carved without distortion. Clay at this state resembles leather. Hard to bend and soft enough to be carved.

What is leather hard clay good for?

Leather hard clay is partially dried clay. Because it still has around 15% water content, it can still be worked. However, it is firm enough that it does not distort when handled. Leather hard clay is versatile and can be trimmed, scored, smoothed, burnished, painted with slip or underglaze, and joined.