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| António, The Potter of Molelos Black Earthenware |
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Molelos is a village of the municipality of Tondela, in the district of Viseu, that is located in the region of Beira Alta, in an area flanked by two ridges of mountains at the central region of Portugal (the mountain of Caramulo and the mountain of Estrela). This village is one of the last places where ceramics is still manufactured by the reduction cooking process, which allows the obtaining of pieces of black clay. This process consists in the complete obstruction of the earthenware at the end of the cooking creating an atmosphere loaded with carbon. It deposits all over the pieces and a physical-chemical transformation of the metallic oxides of the clay takes place due to the carbon monoxide. This is done in a little deep hole named "Soenga". Nowadays there are only few potters who use this traditional cooking process in the soil, with firewood and pine tree needles, using a firewood oven instead, more practical and functional. During the process of "Soenga", the potter's experienced eyes observe the colour of the pieces, to determine when the process is finished. At the same time, he puts in green branches quickly to create the smoke, which prevented to escape, impregnates the pieces that in this way acquire the characteristic black-leaded colour. These black shiny clays are soft to touch and its production includes a phase of meticulous finishing that gives them a perfect and beautiful look. After they leave the wheel, the pieces have to dry, losing slowly part of the water that exists in the slurry. This process can take up to three weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity of the air and demands great surveillance, because the earthenware has to get dry slowly but constantly, or else there is the risk that it cracks or splits, becoming useless in this way. In Molelos, after the pieces have dried up but before they have entered the kiln or into the hole, they are "brunidas", in other words, they are thoroughly smoothed with a roller stone, and there are pebbles which are in possession of the same family for over a hundred years. This process of smoothing off the roughness of the clay is the one that in the end gives the characteristic and exclusive metallic shine to these pieces of the black clay of Molelos. António Marques is a young man with an experience of about 13 years, who is determined to maintain the prestige and the old and traditional trait of this black pottery of Molelos. António still makes some of the traditional pieces, such as the “hidden trick pitcher", the "moringue", a two-spout pitcher, and other ancient pieces that he likes to bring back to life, reviving the memories he has from his place of birth. |
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Hidden Trick Pitcher (small) Black Clay Pitcher |
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Pitcher with Cover Black Clay Pitcher |
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Two-Spout Pitcher Black Clay Two-Spout Pitcher |
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