From soil to the artifact; how?
After having located a proper deposit of soil, the digging started using spade and hoe. Then, the clumps were broken into smaller pieces, often thanks to the help of women and kids. At the end of this first phase, clay was transported with a wagon to the workshop and throw into a pit, covered with water to get completely moistened, then the clay remained even for a whole day in the pit where it was mixed with a shovel from time to time. Later, the dough was stretched out on a long and strong oak table and it was hit for a long time with iron branches, doing specific movements, almost ritualistically. Then it started the grinding process, which consisted in passing the clay dough between two parallel rollers, which had opposite turning directions: this phase was very important because it degassed clay and let it acquired the necessary plasticity to be easily handed. When the dough became sufficiently homogenous, it was recomposed and then cut with iron, copper or brass strings and it was attached to a wall without plaster to dry. Later, it was tanned: each piece was hand-made shaped, pressed, and sifted with fingers to remove extraneous materials which could create air bubbles or also explode during the firing process. After having soaked and recomposed the clay, it was divided in different balls and covered to keep it wet.
At this stage, finally, the potter sat in front of the lathe which started to turn thanks to experienced feet strokes. At this point the potter gave the vessel a shape and a soul, showing in this way all his talent. The object obtained from this work had to dry until it became ready to be baked in specific ovens (once they were fuelled with wooden bundles, nowadays they are fuelled by electricity or gas). When it got colder the manufact could be decorated in a very simple way (vertical black stripes or with the sketch technique), or left raw or glazed, or enchained, that is enclosed in a cage of strings to give resistance to the object.
Nowadays ceramic tradition in Appignano lives on through artisan workshops, semi-artisans, or more industrialized factories. The Scuola Comunale di Ceramica MAV (Maestri Vasai Appignano), Marica Sabbatini’s “L’atelier della terra”, “Ceramiche Taruschio”, Bozzi Company, Laura Scopa’s “Forme Attuali” and Elena Buran’s artistic workshop. The production of the typical objects of our land and tradition is still alive and enriched using innovative techniques and shapes.
