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Few people know that the work of the cooking pot makers from Goiabeiras, (a borough of Vitória) has been officially recognized as part of the National Cultural Patrimony. Although the Association of Cooking Pot Makers of Goiabeiras has only existed for 20 years, some people say the tradition of making these black pots has been around for over 300 years. “We know that the local Indians used to make clay pots. I don’t know if they were the same kind, but they did exist. Around here, in Goiabeiras, most families have always made all the pots and dishes they need. Today, there are more than 40 members in the association”, says Luci Barbosa Sales, who is 65 years old and has worked at the Association’s workshop for 12 years. The technique used to make the pots has been handed down the generations, and since the founding of the Association men have joined women in the work, helping to fire the pieces, prepare the clay and sometimes moulding. In Goiabeiras, craft artists still use the traditional technique for making pots. There are no potter’s wheels, moulds or the popular coil technique. The cook pots are moulded straight from big blocks of clay, smoothed over using a piece of gourd (inside) or a stone (outside). Each piece must be fully dry before being fired, and as soon as they are taken out of the kiln they are painted with a solution made with the bark of mangrove trees. “We work by the mangrove, and we must protect it, and teach the youngsters about its importance”, says Luci. It’s impressive how such a traditional technique continues despite the urban growth, and is now the main source of income for the local craft artists. |
