After our tour of the underground city in Cappedocia we had the chance to visit a pottery shop. We walked under an archway and into a room dug out of the tufa cliff, similar to the cave dwellings we had been visiting. There we found a potter's wheel and a potter sitting next to a heap of clay. The host began to explain the process as the potter began to turn his wheel by spinning it with his foot. The wheel turned slowly at first, and then faster and faster as his foot continued to "pedal" the spinning disc around and around. A wad of red clay became a small, squat vase, and then suddenly it elongated into a graceful, curved urn. A lip miraculously appeared and the neck got narrower and the bowl fatter. It all happens like magic as the potter simultaneously spins the wheel with his feet and molds the piece with his hands. What coordination! A think thread is used to slice the base of the piece off of the wheel and then it is placed on a tray and after drying for a few days it will be painted and fired.
We figured that was the show, but next we were led through a rock tunnel and suddenly we were in a huge room full of brightly and ornately painted bowls, urns, jugs, platters, everyday items and works of art. The showroom was huge and completely hidden, carved into the cliff. That was the everyday showroom, and next we were led to the art quality showroom where we saw artists painting intricate patterns on pieces of every shape and size. This is very tedious, detailed work and requires exceptional fine motor skills.
After the demonstrations we had a chance to walk around the showrooms and look at the beautiful creations.
Don's pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment