A heated enclosure used to fire, harden, bake, or otherwise heat-treat materials; in sculpture it is especially associated with ceramic clay.
A kiln is a furnace, oven, or heated enclosure used to dry, harden, bake, fire, or otherwise heat-treat materials. In sculpture, kilns are most commonly associated with ceramic processes in which modeled clay is transformed by firing into a durable ceramic body.
Kilns vary widely in size, fuel, atmosphere, and temperature range. Electric, gas, wood, and other kiln types can produce different firing conditions and surface effects.
Etymology
An old English word with roots in Old English cylene or cyln, referring to an oven or furnace.
Sculptor Notes
For sculptors working in ceramic, firing is not simply a finishing step. Clay body, wall thickness, moisture, firing schedule, support, and atmosphere all influence whether a sculpture survives the kiln and how its final surface develops.
References
https://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?subjectid=300022798