From Shelley Esaak,
Your Guide to Art History.
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Definition:

(noun) - Derived, in a number of steps/languages, from the Latin culina (cookstove) a kiln is an oven or furnace capable of holding hot fires and maintaining the heat necessary to drive nearly all moisture out of something heated in its interior.

In art, kilns are used to "fire" clay and porcelain pieces to their hardened final states in what is known as the "bisque firing". In the next step (or steps), the "glaze firing(s)", is/are used to affix decorative glazes. Due to the extremely high temperatures needed to successfully fire either of these processes, they would not be possible without a kiln.

Pronunciation: kiln

Also Known As: oven, furnace