Methods of making black pottery

Our films show László Bese, a local potter who makes black pottery in his house, which is situated in Szentes in Jókai street. The most important elements are making the pot on the kick wheel, decorating, firing and cleaning the products.

1. part - Making pots and decoration
László Bese is working on his kick-wheel in his house

Clay is thrown on wheels operated by foot, known as kick wheels. The necessary amount of material for one paticular pot is placed on the Bese is burnishing the potscentre of the upper, small wheel, while the bigger wheel below is turned by foot. When the pots are dry, they are ready to Bringing out the pots from the workshopdecorate and to burn. The burnishing of black pottery with river stones is the oldest and most generally used form of decoration.

2. part - Stacking the kiln
Putting pots on the edge of the kilnDuring stacking, great care must be taken to arrange the pots in such a Putting pots inside the kilnway that they do not touch each other, otherwise the parts that are touching will be grey Increasing the measure of the kiln with bricksor mottled. When stacking is completed the firing Covering the top of the kiln with broken roof tilesbegins.

 

3. part - Firing
Inner part of the kilnThe kiln is built in the yard.  The colour peculiar to black pottery is determined by the special firing techniques, Cross-section of the kilnalthough the quality of the clay and especially the iron oxide content are also important factors.

Front view of the kilnThe kilns in Szentes and Nádudvar were the most similar, shaped like beehives inside, built Making fire in the gap of the kilnwith walls of adobe and surrounded with banks of earth, one to one and a half metres high. They were divided into two chambers: one for the wood fuel and the other for the Covering the gap of the kilnpots. At first a small fire is made, then the stoking is gradually increased until Smoothing the material covering the kilnthe interior of the kiln and the pots have heated up.

4. part - Taking out the pots
Cleaning the edge of the kilnThe pots are covered with a layer of fine soot when taken out from the kiln. The potter Opening of the kilnmust clean them.

Cleaning of the pots