Another unknown fact to me (at least unknown prior to my advent in Turkey) is that Turkey has a long and storied history in ceramics, dating back a very long way. During our stay in Kapadokya, we got to tour a ceramics studio.
The rivers of the region of Kapadokya product a good red clay which has been used for centuries by local potters, perhaps back to Hittite times.. The studio where we stopped, Venessa Seramik and Pottery, is a family studio. The gentleman to the left below is the son of the founder; the younger man to his right is his cousin.
Below you see a very traditional container often used for wine. This is done from a single block of clay.
Here, the potter cuts it open to demonstrate that he was able to make the complete container.
We then walked through their workshop. The gentleman below is decorating the piece - by hand. He has done this kind of work for 40 years; this was to be one of his last pieces. Due to the concentration and detail, he can only work two to three hours a day on it.
A view of the workshop:
Ceramic tiles which join together for a picture:The different steps of coloring and firing ceramics, along with the changes in colours:
Examples of their work:
Along with rug weaving, I gained a new appreciation of ceramics and how they are made.
How beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThose ceramic pieces are indeed beautiful, talent, skill and the concentration......wow!
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