There is increasing interest in the use of ceramics in gas turbines and internal combustion engines. Because of the possibility of using ceramics for wear-resistant components in engines, there is a demand for information about the wear and friction of ceramics at elevated temperatures. However, before results from laboratory wear tests can be confidently used by engineers and designers, it is important to assess the relevance of these tests. This paper describes equipment for performing wear tests in continuous sliding at temperatures up to 1500°C. The tests can be carried out in air, vacuum or other controlled atmospheres under applied loads of 5 to 100 N and speeds up to 1·5 m/s. Some initial results of tests on reaction-bonded silicon nitride are described.