Ignition in atzompa of the first Improved Traditional Kiln of the Learning Pottery Community
In 2019, we begin the second chapter of the Learning Community of Potters, where we focus on the improvement of traditional ovens and new designs. To confirm our knowledge, together we built the first improved traditional oven in Oaxaca in Atzompa, in the house-workshop of the master potter Francisca Ocampo, one of the few comal experts left in that community.
One of the most important characteristics of this oven is that when it is designed and built together, knowledge is dispersed among the participating communities and improvements can be adapted to the ovens of each family. This is very valuable because the needs of each traditional pottery technique are different. On the other hand, when improved traditional ovens need to be repaired, these adjustments can be made by the family itself without the need for an "expert".
Jaguar It is the name with which Francisca and her husband Memo affectionately decided to call the oven that we built in their house-workshop.
When a new kiln is built it is necessary to make a first burn so that the materials with which it was made harden. After weeks of waiting, the second burning came, with the pieces that Francisca and her family made, mainly plates, bowls, and some cups (new to her repertoire that year).
Francisca worked hard to fit the pieces inside the oven (it holds many more than her previous oven) and we could see the sparkle in her eyes when the first logs were inserted and the smoke began to rise very, very high. After freshening up a bit and taking a look at it from time to time, Francisca stopped the fire. The discovery of the treasure would be the next day.
Result?… The pieces were perfect!
With the theoretical and practical support of the teacher Palm Sunday of the Pottery Studies Center, we designed this improved traditional oven that significantly shortens the amount of firewood used and the clay cooking time. Francisca's burning was reduced to 2 hours, almost half the time it took her in her old traditional oven.
In addition to the benefit in fuel savings, burning time, the quality of the pieces and the health of the pottery families, in the long term we see significant changes in the way of seeing and appreciating their trade. We will tell you in a live voice from the artisans:
Since the oven everything has changed. Our life is very different; very exciting. This is what I have noticed with my parents. They see it as the beginning of what can be achieved as a team, as a family... the opportunities for everything that can be done. They transmit that emotion to us. Before [my sister and I] were away from the mud, now we get closer and are interested, just to see the emotion in them. They also invite us to participate more. Even my little sister is more involved. More opportunities are coming, big things. There is a lot of emotion. Especially my mother. They want to learn. My dad stopped working the mud to bring more income to the house. And now he was interested again.
He believed in mud again!
—Vianney Ruiz, Francisca's daughter.