Recently I had the opportunity to be taught by a women in my town how to make clay pots from scratch. Over a period of 3 mornings throughout a week period, we made them. I was so thankful for her patience in explaining all the steps and in helping correct all my mistakes.
So this is from what it all started: river sand, red clay with sand, and dark clay. She had to go about an hour away to get the good clay.
We mixed about 1 pound of red clay, 2 pounds of dark clay, and 2 handfuls of sifted river sand. We add more river sand as we went so that we got the molding clay to be the right consistency. It was at the right consistency when kneading the mixture sounded like the clicking of bubble gum. This was only the beginning of getting hands dirty.
Once the things are mixed together, it was time to look for tiny stones in the mass, one piece after the next.
So this picture leaves out a few steps in between. After we had gotten most of the stones out, we made the mixture into a french bread and then connected the ends. From there, we worked up the mixture so that we started to make the bottom part of the pot. So what you see in the picture above was made but with the top edges resting against the stump. Thus we started with the edges and worked our way up slowly curving it to make the bottom of the pot. I still think it was amazing that we could seal the bottom without lifting up the pot to put pressure with our hands on the other side so that it would seal easily (you see, we could not lift the pot up until the next day). If you look about 3 pictures down, you can see in the background 2 pots flipped over drying. The pots we left exposed except for the rims, which were maintained moist by wrapping them in plastic so that they could be molded the next day. This is where the picture brings us. The next day if the pot dried enough, the pot's rim could then be worked on. In the picture, my teacher is using a corn cob to extend the pot's rim out. After using the corncob, a shoe heel is used to smooth the surface out. (The process of using the corncob and then heel was used several times including when extending out the pot from just the original material when shaped like a french bread connected at the ends.)
Here she's using part of a shoe heel to smooth the pot.
The next three pictures show her working the final touches on the rim of the pot. In the picture below she is using a piece of damp folded cloth to get the right texture and form for the pot's rim
Here she's inspecting her work to see if it's reasonably shaped and even.
Now, using and old metal spoon, the pot is scraped out (only from the day before where it is dry and hard enough) fixing bumps and taking out excess clay.
One of the final touches to the body of the pot is the handles. We made skinny tubes of equal length and then just stuck them on to the side. We then stuck a little bit more clay on for support, but that was it. I thought the handles were going to be really complicated, but I was sure wrong.
Here's my work of art to the right. No one could take a picture of me working on it, though, I did not try too hard myself since my hands were so muddy. After this step, the pot would dry a little more, be scraped at a little more for irregularities and excesses, and then would be given some natural dies (orange and white). Finally we would use a stone to smooth the pot out for good.
On the day that we were to fire the pots, this person had been busy working gathering banana leaves for her horse. The strap she has in her hand went around her head and the rope went behind her where it carried the heavy leaves. All I have to say is that she is tough.
The pots were put over 3 stones (and a broken pot) so that they were not resting on the ground and so that air and heat could get inside them. Then pine bark was carefully placed in between them and around them making almost a furnace.
This is what can happen when it rains when you are firing the pots. Luckily this did not happen to us.
Success!
I have some other random pictures as well:
No this is not an advertisement for the next Batman, it's a friend I found on my bathroom curtain. No Uncle Ben, I did not kill it.
Here is a picture of the road which leads to the community where I work. The coffee plants are flowering masking everything in a sweet perfume of honey. For a week or two, I could not even smell the pig and dog and horse poop which is everywhere.
So this is from what it all started: river sand, red clay with sand, and dark clay. She had to go about an hour away to get the good clay.
We mixed about 1 pound of red clay, 2 pounds of dark clay, and 2 handfuls of sifted river sand. We add more river sand as we went so that we got the molding clay to be the right consistency. It was at the right consistency when kneading the mixture sounded like the clicking of bubble gum. This was only the beginning of getting hands dirty.
Once the things are mixed together, it was time to look for tiny stones in the mass, one piece after the next.
So this picture leaves out a few steps in between. After we had gotten most of the stones out, we made the mixture into a french bread and then connected the ends. From there, we worked up the mixture so that we started to make the bottom part of the pot. So what you see in the picture above was made but with the top edges resting against the stump. Thus we started with the edges and worked our way up slowly curving it to make the bottom of the pot. I still think it was amazing that we could seal the bottom without lifting up the pot to put pressure with our hands on the other side so that it would seal easily (you see, we could not lift the pot up until the next day). If you look about 3 pictures down, you can see in the background 2 pots flipped over drying. The pots we left exposed except for the rims, which were maintained moist by wrapping them in plastic so that they could be molded the next day. This is where the picture brings us. The next day if the pot dried enough, the pot's rim could then be worked on. In the picture, my teacher is using a corn cob to extend the pot's rim out. After using the corncob, a shoe heel is used to smooth the surface out. (The process of using the corncob and then heel was used several times including when extending out the pot from just the original material when shaped like a french bread connected at the ends.)
Here she's using part of a shoe heel to smooth the pot.
The next three pictures show her working the final touches on the rim of the pot. In the picture below she is using a piece of damp folded cloth to get the right texture and form for the pot's rim
Here she's inspecting her work to see if it's reasonably shaped and even.
Now, using and old metal spoon, the pot is scraped out (only from the day before where it is dry and hard enough) fixing bumps and taking out excess clay.
One of the final touches to the body of the pot is the handles. We made skinny tubes of equal length and then just stuck them on to the side. We then stuck a little bit more clay on for support, but that was it. I thought the handles were going to be really complicated, but I was sure wrong.
Here's my work of art to the right. No one could take a picture of me working on it, though, I did not try too hard myself since my hands were so muddy. After this step, the pot would dry a little more, be scraped at a little more for irregularities and excesses, and then would be given some natural dies (orange and white). Finally we would use a stone to smooth the pot out for good.On the day that we were to fire the pots, this person had been busy working gathering banana leaves for her horse. The strap she has in her hand went around her head and the rope went behind her where it carried the heavy leaves. All I have to say is that she is tough.
The pots were put over 3 stones (and a broken pot) so that they were not resting on the ground and so that air and heat could get inside them. Then pine bark was carefully placed in between them and around them making almost a furnace.
This is what can happen when it rains when you are firing the pots. Luckily this did not happen to us.
Success!I have some other random pictures as well:
No this is not an advertisement for the next Batman, it's a friend I found on my bathroom curtain. No Uncle Ben, I did not kill it.
Here is a picture of the road which leads to the community where I work. The coffee plants are flowering masking everything in a sweet perfume of honey. For a week or two, I could not even smell the pig and dog and horse poop which is everywhere.
So this is from a while back. I am not sure if I mentioned it, but I won 2nd place in a mountain bike race in my town. In the picture, I am with the town's elected queens.
Here is some of the family at the restaurant where I used to eat. I'm holding a heart-shaped potato.
Here we're making toothpaste.
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