Women using traditional pottery

 

A visual exploration on the theme of women using their pottery in performance, creation, transportation, market sales and rituals.

 

Adrica, Toubou woman souvenir seller. western Ennedi. Chad

 Toubou woman souvenir seller. western Ennedi. Chad

Photo – © Jacques Taberlet.

 

The traditional usage of pottery taps into a rich vein of customs, from tribal ceremony and production techniques to being integrated into dance performance and street festivals. The ancient traditions used the pot as a metaphor for sustenance and divine plentitude following the ancient tribal belief of enacting visual rituals to attract abundance. The Bihan Parab “Indigenous Seeds Festival ” in India has a procession of women carrying decorated earthen pots containing seeds accompanied by youths with drums, which passes through all the villages.. The leading woman carries a special pot constructed with paddy seeds, symbolizing Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Ritual dancing among worshippers of the thunder deity, Shango, sometimes balance a pottery container of fire on their heads while dancing. The Egbado Yoruba have dances that include balancing “delicate terracotta figures” on their heads while moving their arms and torso.
Some of the surviving ancient cultures value and preserve these traditions even more so now with the pervasive growth of modern technology.

 

 

Calabashes being sold by a female street merchant ,Mali

Selling Calabashes on the street in Mali, Africa

 

The American Native Indians have undergone a revival of their indigenous pottery art and rescued techniques and knowledge from the claws of obscurity and created successful enterprises from their traditional arts. It has been recognized as an essential path to preserving their ancestral traditions and craftsmanship and has led to the advancement of their art forms and become a vital resource.
It’s fascinating to see that many of these cultures prefer to adhere to the ancient traditions of their ancestors, excavating their clay, using hand assembly and firing their pots using age-old practices rather than modern techniques. The reverence to their traditions has reinforced their culture through its methods, simplicity and spiritual observations of feast days, seasonal festivals and tribal laws. These customs can date back thousands of years and carry a deep resonance so its understandable how pottery making and other crafts have helped to maintain a sense of cohesiveness in their culture. An ancient belief existed that Athena, the patroness of crafts, imparted rejuvenation to women who dedicated themselves to creative tasks such as – pottery, weaving, tapestry, and playing music.
Sometimes the whole family is involved in the production of the pottery crafts, and the woman are the primary artisans. Their innate sensitivity is respected, especially with certain pots and figures created with specific decorations that can impart spiritual awareness through their physical handling. In some instances, the pottery arts is solely a matriarchal endeavor.

 

Traditional pottery making at Kalabougou village in Mali

 

 Kalabougou women making a mound to fire their pots

Kalabougou women using tree cuttings to make a mound to fire their pots

Segou, Mali

 janetgoldner.com

 

 

The women-in the village of Kalabougou on the River-Niger specialise in producing hand made clay pots

 Women from the village of Kalabougou on the River Niger baking their hand made clay pots

 

 

Quenching - Steam rises from a burning hot-pot that-has been immersed in the berry mixture. The older woman-behind is picking up a smaller pot with a pair of tongs

 Quenching –  Immersing hot pots into a berry mixture. The older woman in the background is picking up a smaller pot with a pair of tongs

 

 

A red stone slip,-from an at market, is applied to the formed and dried pot before firing

 A Kalabougou woman applying a red stone slip for glazing, from an art market, to the formed and dried pot before firing.

janetgoldner.com

 

 

 

Allan Rickmann flickr - Kalabougou women firing pots

  Kalabougou women firing pots, Mali – Africa

Allan Rickmann –  flickr

 

 

Female potter making large clay pots at the village of Kalabougou

 Female potter hand making large clay pots at the village of Kalabougou

 

 

tribal woman forming clay in Mali

Tribal woman forming a pot – Kalabougou village

photo by Jacqueline Hoerter & Patrick Houdebine

See video below for more Kalbougou Pottery

 

 

Fratelli-Fanciullacci jug

 Fratelli Fanciullacci jug with glazed and unglazed surface

 

 

 

Karaja pottery-making

Pipe smoking female potter

Ceramic is an art form exclusive to women among the Karajá in Brazil

Photo: Vladimir Kozak

 

 

Acasia wood figure of a servant girl. New Kingdom._louvre_museum

 Acasia wood figure of a servant girl. New Kingdom, Egypt

Louvre Museum

 

 

Africa Zulu girl carrying a clay pot on her- ead

 African Zulu girl carrying a traditional pot

 

 

Alfarera of Cocucho in Charapan,-producing pot with her daughter

 Alfarera of Cocucho in Charapan, Mexico – making a pot with her daughter

 

 

A woman sells pots at Hassan Nagar in city of Hyderabad

Selling pots at Hassan Nagar in city of Hyderabad

 

 

Bal Anat pot dancing

 Zoraida performing the Pot Dance Choreography as part of the original Bal Anat belly dance troupe begun by Jamila Salimpour in 1968 in California

 

 

Bal-Anat.-Pot-dancer

 Bal Ana dancing

 

 

 

Clay Pot Sotho People

 Sotho woman with pot, ZA

 

 

Costume-femminile-di-Monti-Portatrice-d'acqua-in-costume-di-Monti,-comune-della-Provincia-di-Olbia-Tempio

 Woman carrying pot in a Olbia Tempio street parade, Italy

 

 

Dogon Tribe People

 Dogon Tribe women with pots

 

 

b97e29e52f9aef48fa9bd24cd8e282bf

 Apache woman with woven pot

Photo – Native News Network

 

 

Matka,-a-traditional-game-in-which-group-of-men women and children break-a-pot-which-is-full-of-butter

Children playing Matka, a traditional Indian game where a pot of ghee is broken.

 

 

 

lithograph, Muramasa Kudo, Japanese

Reclining women with pot – Japanese lithograph –  Muramasa Kudo

 

 

 

Hopi-Girl-With-Jar

 Hopi woman with a jar.  Their art used symbols and signs to represent their ideas, beliefs, dreams, and visions.

” The most successful imitator of this ancient ware, who is not a Hopi at all, but the Tewa woman Nampeyo, of the village Hano, says that its superiority was obtained by the use of lignite, by which the prehistoric potters were able to fire their vessels for several days; but a well-informed traditionalist, on the contrary, asserts that it is the result of burying the clay in moist sand for a long time, perhaps two moons, which ’caused something in the clay to rot’.”  – crystalinks.com

 

 

Ganges pot protest, India

 

 

Up to 400 women  participating in a yatra ( pilgrimage ) in a celebration of their identity as women and equal human beings. In defiance, they took water from a pump at the Ganges River designated for use only by upper caste peoples, which excluded them. After they took the water back to their villages they returned to the Ganges riverside once again, throwing the pots into the river, and collectively taking a vow that they would not let themselves be oppressed in the year ahead.

(WNV / Priyanka Borpujari)

 

 

 

(WNV--Priyanka-Borpujari)

Ganges Yatra – Bihar’s Khagaria district – 2011

 

 

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Photo by 20th-century Indian photographer A.L.Syed

 

 

Indian girl weavng Photo by A L Syed

Indian girl weaving  Photo by A.L.Syed

 

 

india---EnlasdunasdeKuri-India-(FILEminimizer) Three Indian ladies carrying water pots

 Indian water bearers

enkaustikos.blogspot.com.es

 

 

 

Lucinda Mudge handmade coil vases,The Gallery at Grande Provance, Franschhoek

Painting handmade coil vases, – Lucinda Mudge

The Gallery at Grande Provance, Franschhoek, South Africa

 

 

 

Nesta Nala---famous-for-her-sought-after-pottery-specifically-the-Ukhamba--a-smoke-black,-thin-walled,-round-bottomed-beer-pot,

 Nesta Nala—famous for her sought after pottery specifically the ‘Ukhamba’–a smoke black, thin walled, round bottomed beer pot,

 

 

Off to Market, Madagascar,-2006

Pot bearing women walking in the early morning through giant Baobab trees to the market in Madagascar, 2006

phoho- Beth Moon

 

 

Indian pottery factory

A women strolling past a pottery shop –  Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

indiapictorial.com

 

 

 

Pot-Seller-in-Pondicherry

 Painting pots in Pondicherry

 

 

 

Production of pottery by women of the Kabylia and Aures mountains

A woman from the Kabylia and Aures mountains making pottery

 

 

 

Purepecha Woman and Clay Pots in Cocucho, Michoacan, Mexico

A Purepecha Woman with her clay pots in Cocucho, Michoacan, Mexico

 

 

 

Rosa-Covarrubias

Rosa Covarrubias circa 1926 by Edward Weston

 

 

 

Royal Worcester Egyptian Water Carrier James Hardey

Royal Worcester ‘Egyptian Water Carrier’ figurine modelled by  James Hardey

1919

 

 

 

Nuer woman carrying a pot.

Nuer woman, Sudan

 

 

 

San Diego City & County Adminstration Building

Art Deco statue of women with pot –  San Diego City & County Administration Building

penfoto – flickr

 

 

 

Senegal---Street-Art-Save-My-Life

Street art in Senegal

 

 

 

South-Tunisian-woman

South Tunisian girl with pot

 

 

 

The daily grind-Traditional painted house in Kassena, Burkina Faso. By Louis Montrose

 ‘The daily grind’– Traditional painted house in Kassena, Burkina Faso.

By Louis Montrose

 

 Tunisian Bedouin-woman.-Africa

An old postcard photo of a Bedouin girl in Tunisia

 

 

 

The famous Venda potter,-Rebecca Matibe sits-in her garden with one of-her sculptures behind her and one of her traditional pots

Renown Venda potter, Rebecca Matib

 

 

Matka earthen pot race in desert sand dune Bikaner camel festival-2011

Woman racing with Matka earthen pots in the desert at the Bikaner camel festival-2011

 

 

Vintaage-postcard-Chaouri-girl

Vintage postcard of a Chaouri/Berber girl

 

 

 Ghana Kassana mub home

Women painting a mud house with zigzag notifs – Kassena Compound, Ghana

 

 

 

Traditional dress of Afghanistan

An Afghani women wearing a traditional outfit

 

 

 

Woman in pottery shop, Jaipur, India

Pot emporium, Jaipur, India

 

 

 

Tribal-Dress--code,-Jaisalmer-,-India

A women wearing a tribal dress in Jaisalmer, India

Photo J. Versteeg

 

 

 

Four women carrying water jars,on their heads

 Women carrying large water jars

 

 

Royal Dux porcelain-Figurine-Grecian man and woman carrying pots

Figurine of Grecian man and woman – Royal Dux porcelain

 

 

 

From-the-book,-African-Image-by-Sam-Haskins

From the book, African Image by Sam Haskins

 

 

 

FRENCH SCHOOL (19th Century). Woman with Urn. Bronze with greenish-brown patina.

Woman with Urn – French Art Nouveau

1900’s

 

 

 

French Art Deco Figural Statue by Pierre LeFaguays, 1920's.Standing woman holding a pot

French Art Deco Figural Statue by Pierre LeFaguays

1920’s

 

 

 

detall-de-les-rajoles-by-Matilde-Martínez Portugese wall tiles

Detall de les rajoles by Matilde Martínez

 

 

 

Harem-Dancer Raqs-Sharki-with-veil - Middle Eastern belly dnacer

Raks Sharqi veil dancing on elevated heels with pots

 

 

Dassanech-woman with spear and pot

Daasanach warrior girl

 The Daasanach tribe is one of the ancient tribes of Africa. These pastoralists live in three different East African countries, Kenya, the Sudan, and Ethiopia.

 

 

 

19th C. Terracotta figure of Rebecca at the well by Friedrich Goldscheider female sculpture

Terracotta figure of Rebecca at the well by Friedrich Goldscheider

19th Century

 

 

Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953), Pâte de verre, Vase.

Pâte de verre, Vase by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953)

 

 

 

Omo-Valley Mursi tribe woman with pot

Mursi tribe woman with pot, Ethiopia

 

African girls with small pot

Photo Irving Penn – 1967

 

 

Girl carrying brass pot Welcome-Ceremony.-Rajasthan,-Northern-India

Welcome Ceremony. Rajasthan, India

 

 

Royal-Dux-Art-Nouveau ceramic sculpture of a girl with a pot

Royal Dux Art Nouveau Ceramic Figural Bowl

 

 

 

Furio-Piccirilli sculpture of an angel carrying a pot

Sculpture by Furio Piccirilli

Photo by Eugen Neuhaus

 

Kalabougou pottery in Mali

 

 

 

Also see the Veniceclayartists post – Women with Pots

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT POST  —  ‘2 ceramicists with vivid illustration’

 

9 Comments

  1. james gano
    Posted May 5, 2015 at 7:02 pm | Permalink

    thank you for showing me this super collection of pots I am just starting

  2. shakilafarook
    Posted June 29, 2015 at 1:31 am | Permalink

    very nice

  3. marga boustedt
    Posted January 9, 2016 at 9:32 am | Permalink

    Very interesting to notice the photographers different approaches of the photograped women- ethnografic, sexualized, cheramic, orientalistic or touristic. Thanks for sharing!

  4. ELSA
    Posted January 21, 2016 at 3:38 pm | Permalink

    Senti una sensacion agradable ver estas fotografias. me llamo tanto la atencion de las chicas de color, que hermosas qué naturalidad. solo queria decir que me agradaron tanto. admiro a los artistas, que quede asombrada de la belleza de sus trabajos. Saludos desde Peru. No se el ingles, cuanto me gustaria conoocer los comentarios.
    Saludos
    Elsa.

  5. robbie
    Posted January 21, 2016 at 7:18 pm | Permalink

    translation from above- I felt a nice feeling to see these photographs. I therefore call the attention of the girls of color, how naturally beautiful. just I wanted to say that pleased me so much. I admire the artists that I was amazed at the beauty of their work. Greetings from Peru. No English, as I would like conoocer comments.
    Cheers
    Elsa.

  6. sharron wilcock
    Posted June 4, 2016 at 1:57 am | Permalink

    Thank you very much for all these images very interesting

  7. Anonymous
    Posted June 26, 2016 at 8:39 pm | Permalink

    Thank You very much for this interesting information about Ceramics and Pottery Arts. It has really helped in my research on Pots, currently am working on shooting a documentary about Pot and its various uses in Africa and i look forward to work with you. +2348030904810 http://www.potofafrica.com

  8. Pinki
    Posted July 19, 2016 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    Wonderful sharing !

    Matka is not an Indian traditional game. Matka is a clay pot in Indian language Hindi.

    Children are playing a drama related to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna has been used to steal butter breaking Matka. So every year on His birthday ‘Janmashtami’ kids as well as elders do the same.

    Just for info !!!

  9. shakila - Mauritius
    Posted January 21, 2022 at 6:42 pm | Permalink

    I have gone through all the photos.very beautiful. This remind me of ancestors who were working hard for success. each one expressing something important. I love the traditional way of cooking the claypot. Great ideas.

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