Saudi Gazette report

The southern region of Najran has a rich tradition in handicrafts. It is here where a small segment of Saudi society is engaged in various crafts, inherited from their ancestors, to earn a livelihood. Some of these crafts have faded into oblivion while others, such as the traditional art of pottery, are fighting for survival, Makkah daily reported.



As a craft, the popularity of pottery is diminishing as most of those engaged in the field have quit because they can no longer afford to make a living from selling pottery. In the past, traditional potters produced various types and sizes of household items, including utensils, plates, jars, jugs, casks, water pitchers, pots, braziers, vases, frames and fumigators.



The earthenware was also used to manufacture furnaces for preparing bread and the traditional rice and meat dish known as mandi.



Some potters from neighboring Yemen are also engaged in this trade in Najran. Saleem Ahmed is one of them.



Ahmed said that he inherited the art of pottery as a trade. “I used to make earthenware products by using clay from mountainous regions as it is more suitable for these products. As far as ordinary clay is concerned, there is a high risk of breaking or cracking when exposed to fire.”



Ahmed went on to explain how he makes earthenware items.



“In the beginning, I prepare purified red clay, mix it with an adequate quantity of water, mold it in required size and shape on the potter’s wheel and then place it in an open area for exposure to the sun for two days or until it dries up. Then, I place the item for baking in the kiln for about eight hours and, finally, I remove the finished and fired clay object,” he said adding that nearly 100 pieces are placed in the kiln at a time.



Afterward, Ahmed dyes the fired items and draw designs on them before finally displaying them for sale.



Referring to various hurdles faced by potters, Ahmed said the most important problem faced by potters is the non-availability of suitable raw clay. “There are also difficulties in selling the product and, sometimes, we are forced to sell at lower rates, thus incurring losses,” he said.



Ahmed is now engaged in making the tallest earthenware smokestack in the world.



“I hope the 10-20 meter long chimney will find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The smokestack, which will be a cultural landmark in the Najran region, is estimated to cost around SR50,000,” he said.



Saleh Al-Mureeh, director general of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in Najran, said handicrafts are still in vogue in some Arab countries.



“Several people want to use these traditional items mainly because of their comparatively lower price. In the Kingdom, people stopped using earthenware and other heritage items in favor of modern products. Potters find it very difficult to earn a livelihood from the craft and hence most of them abandoned their traditional trade,” he said.



Al-Mureeh said the SCTA and several arts and cultural societies are exerting efforts to preserve the heritage craft by encouraging potters through remunerations and incentives during fairs and festivals. They also provide training to those interested in acquiring skills in the trade.