Fire the pendant. Once you finish embellishing the mask, let the clay dry completely. You can hasten the process by putting it in a toaster oven or on a hot plate that is set to low. Place the mask, face up, on a kiln shelf on a bed of vermiculite. Fire the clay according to the manufacturer’s directions for the type of clay you used.
Finish the pendant. Once the mask is cool, you can give it a satin or shiny finish, or you can add a patina. For a satin finish, use a steel or brass brush to burnish the mask until you have scrubbed off the white residue that occurs with firing. For a shiny finish, place it in a tumbler with stainless-steel shot and burnishing compound for at least 30 minutes. After tumbling, rinse it in clean water.
For a patina, use a brass brush to burnish the piece, but do not tumble it. Use a commercially available metal patina solution (available from hobby and craft stores), or dissolve a tiny pea-size piece of liver of sulfur in a cup of very hot tap water. Using plastic tongs, quickly dip the mask in the solution and immediately place it in a bowl filled with cool water. If you want a more intense color, repeat the process. Each time you immerse the piece in the liver of sulfur solution, the color will darken.
Slide a cord, ribbon, or chain through the bail and the mask is ready to wear.