Earlier this week I spent an interesting afternoon in Bristol at an Instagram workshop run by Matt Inwood – he does his workshop in a couple of different venues and as they are foodie related, all end with a lovely meal. It was great to learn new skills and meet new people – and in some cases put faces to Instagram names that I have been following for a while . . . the wonders of this virtual world of ours!
But – to cut to the chase and return to the topic in the title . . .
Part of the workshop was a hands on session taking and editing images using props Matt had brought along to the workshop.
This is one of the pictures I took.
And, as I said in my INSTAGRAM caption,
I couldn’t NOT photograph this plate from the middle of Morocco in the Middle of Bristol!!
It reminded me how much I love this very particular ceramicware, from a single village in Morocco.
It is incredibly tactile, and full of beautiful inconsistencies.
The colour and texture is a result of the particular alchemy created by the potters of Tamegrout – a small village in the Draa Valley of Southern Morocco – and remains a family affair handed down the generations.
The characteristic green colour comes from the particular combination of the clay from the Draa River bed ,the composition of the glaze and a single firing process.
Like so many things in Morocco, basic utilitarian objects become a thing of beauty, and a traditional craft is kept alive and remains a vibrant part of the culture – and if like Matt you are lucky enough to find one at a car boot sale in Bristol, cherish the fact that it was made by hand in a village far far away . . .
For more information there is a lovely piece on the village and the pottery written HERE on the Couleur Locale blog.
x
