Pottery like the Romans did it

MBOMBELA – Pottery is an art form that has been passed down through the ages, as evidenced by the amount of pottery shards and items found during archeological digs around the world. Last week a group of pottery students from a local studio tried their hand at one of the earliest methods of firing pottery – pit firing.

This method, also used by the Romans, consists of digging a pit, lining the bottom with sawdust and then placing the pots in the hole. Elements like copper carbonate, copper wire, steel wool and banana peel are then layered around the pots. Another layer of sawdust, crumpled newspapers and firewood is added and then set alight. When it has blazed for a while, it is covered with corrugated metal sheets to slow down the burning process. The smoke from the different elements then swirl around the pottery items and creates patterns and colours on it.

Ronnie Kotzé, owner of Artistic Pottery says she has been doing pottery for around 40 years and wanted to try something different. She had never done pit firing before and thought it would be an interesting experience for her students.

They all had great fun researching pit firing and then following the directions to create their own pit. One of Ronnie’s students volunteered a spot on her farm near the Sudwala Caves, as the fire had to be left to smoulder for several days.

Ronnie explains they’d only see their handiwork in a few days as the pottery cannot be removed from the fire until it has cooled on its own. A drastic shift in temperature, such as taking the items from the burning fire into the cool air, would cause the pottery to crack.

Besides the outing to the farm and burying their pottery, the class had lunch together.

As the lasagna, breads and salads were placed on the table, Ronnie and her students chatted about the studio, their work and pottery. Ronnie mentioned that she has 14 students, most of who participated in the pit firing. They created a variety of items like slabs, flower pots, bowls and turtles at the studio to test the pit firing with.

The drawback of pit-fire pottery, Ronnie says, is that the items are not watertight and they are fragile as the temperature pieces are exposed to did not reach as high as in a pottery oven. Additionally, when the pieces are taken out of the pit, they are full of ash and rust and have to be washed with something like Handy Andy. They are then rubbed with wax, which brings out the brilliant colours creating during the baking process.

Ronnie’s students are all very complimentary and say that they have grown to love pottery and going to class. “Her studio is one of SA’s best, a hidden gem. But that’s just 20 per cent of the experience, Ronnie is the rest,” one says. Another says that pottery is form of therapy to her and that she went to class to socialise with her fellow students.

Doing pottery is also great for stress relief as, besides working with the clay, you have to learn to slow down and be patient. “There is no such word as quick in pottery,” Ronnie echoes. “You can’t just quickly create something, it takes time.”

For the artistically-inclined, pottery can be great fun as it’s a mix of different arts like, for instance, sculpting, painting and drawing. “It’s also very rewarding as you start with this little ball and it is formed into something beautiful,” a student mentions. The students and their teacher all agree that a piece of pottery never quite comes out the way you wanted it to look, but that it is something that grows on you.

Checking in on Ronnie a few days later, she cheerily remarked that the pit fire was a success and that they’d definitely try their hand at it again. “We’re very happy with the results and there are already a few beautiful pieces being displayed at the studio,” she said.

To see how the group’s pottery turned out, visit their exhibition at Bateleur Estate in August or contact Ronnie on 083-482-0612.