Beautiful transformations
Pottery town is located in the cantonment area of Bangalore. This community was formed during the British rule in India. Many potter families are said to have migrated here from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The government allotted this plot of land for the community to practice their traditional craft of pottery. Today this community is known for its famous Eco- Ganesha dolls made for the festival of Ganesha Chathurthi. They also supply kulhads (tea cups) to various catering companies across the city.
There is never an hour of rest in pottery town during the day. The potters are seen doing wheel work starting from eight in the morning to eight at night. Its a very grounding experience to watch them skillfully shaping and moulding wet clay. It is indeed an important cultural asset of the City
Scenes from pottery town
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Shades of brown
As you walk around pottery town you will notice the many shades of browns around you. The drying kulhads and Diyas are seen spread on the ground, creating a beautiful landscape of earthy tones.
The process
Raw material
The first step to working with clay is to filter sand and add water and kneed it to a dough consistency.. When the clay is going to be used for jewellery making it has to be very fine textured so the filtering of sand needs to be done 2-3 times
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Sculpting
The picture above shows sculpting done for terracotta Jewellery. pen caps, leaves twigs, balling tools and clay sculpting tools are used to create patterns in the clay. Often the clay has to be slightly dry before sculpting for best results
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Moulding
The wet clay is thrown on the wheel before it is molded using both hands. This is the process for making kulhads and jugs etc.
For Doll making silicon/pop moulds are used along with hand sculpting tools
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Finishing
Finishing for dolls involve painting. For earthenware they often use a plastic sheet to rub the surface before firing to achieve a glossy finish. This method is also used in jewellery . Finishing is usually done by the women in the house.
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Slabing
Slabbing is another process which is used to make pendants, panels etc. The clay is rolled out evenly into a slab using a roller pin. slabbing machines are available these days.
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drying
Wheel made pottery is first left under the sun for about 1 day to dry completely. you will recognize when the clay changes color to a lighter shade that it is dry. In the case of slab work this can take up to a week depending on the size of the slab. slab work is dried in the shade to avoid crack formation. Jewellery beads dry in 2 hours time in the shade.
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Firing
Firing is the process of burning the clay in a kiln for hardening.
For Red firing the dried items are placed in the kiln and burnt for 8 hours steadily increasing temperature to 900-1000 deg.
for black firing the items can be closed in a clay vessel with wood powder and tightly sealed with clay on top.
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Assembly
This is an added process while making jewellery which involves using pliers and nichrome wire to thread the beads together to make various accessories
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Bead by bead
Unfired
Red firing
Black fired
polished unfired beads
beads start to silver when over-fired
Geetha's message for all our viewers
Spread Good Vibes
Buying a product which is handcrafted transcends monetary value for the artisan. It is about appreciation for the process involved and the person crafting it. See value in our products beyond what is visible to the eye . Recognize value in the thought process, time effort and care with which each object is made. A happy and content customer means most to us.