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Pottery in Bahrain


The pottery industry is one of the industries that Bahrain has been famous for since old times and whose outspread since thousands of years

has been substantiated by archeological research. Many artifacts have been located in the excavations of the various archeological sites. This was mainly due to the abundant availability of the suitable materials for this industry at that time and to the people’s need for pottery utensils for cooking and conservation of water.

A special mud fetched from Riffa’ and characterized by good quality, high purity and malleability is used in the pottery industry. The mud is usually placed in purpose designated basins and is mixed with water into paste using the feet to facilitate formation. Pottery utensils are made using a machine turned by the artisan. The machine which is placed in a hole that covers half his body and consists of a wheel usually mad of wood or iron and is moved by another wheel made of a circular stone moved by the artisan from below using his leg. During the rotation of the wheel in front of him, the artisan would shape the dough with his figures and enters his hand in the vessel he is forming to level the walls from inside. Then, the vessel is decorated and exposed to the sun light to dry and then placed in the oven provided for this purpose.

Pottery is regarded as one of the traditional industries that Al-Jasra Handicraft Center sought to promote in support of the demands of contemporary life without losing its authenticity. The pottery applications have transcended its conventional uses as utensils used for food and drink to other innovative applications, in addition to the introduction of other substances in the process such as the imported clay and glazed colors whose fixation on the clay relies on burning, besides the modern furnaces used in the burning process.

The pottery products in display at the Center are models of the artistic development attained by the Bahraini artisan who has inherited this craft from his forefathers.

Source: Bahrain Tourism