The pottery industry has been connected to wilayat Bahla in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate for ages. However, it is not the only place in Oman where people are famous for this industry. Wilayat Wadi al Maawil in al Batinah South is also known for its connection to many traditional crafts, pottery included, specifically in Musilmat village where people still practice the craft.
“We inherited this craft from our forefathers. It grew to become a source of income for us”, says Khamis al Khusaibi, a craftsman.
After producing their goods, the craftsmen market and sell them at the wilayat level and the neighbouring villages using traditional methods and making use of modern means of communication such as social networking sites or in cooperation with the competent authorities.
“The process begins with obtaining the appropriate and special soil for this industry, which is known as the madar soil and the sabkha soil, and we find it in some places in the village or outside it”, says Khamis.
He added that the madar is extracted from the ground at a depth of two meters, unlike the sabkha that we get from the surface of the earth. then we purify the soil well, the madar is brewed in water for a period of one day.
The sabkha soil is put on a surface made of palm tree leaves, ready to be mixed with the madar soil. The same amount of the two kinds of soil should be mixed carefully until it becomes a flexible clay that the craftsmen can cut and shape as they like.
Then it is dried. After making more than 200 pieces, the products are collected to be put in the oven for the burning process, where they are placed very carefully and between them are gaps so that the fire reaches all sides. They are left there for some hours. Khamis explained that in the old days the palm trunks were used to light the fire. Recently, the electric furnace and others were used. Then the pots are examined well to check that none is affected by the severe heat. the good ones are displayed, marketed and sold.
He added, “in the moulding process, we use a special machine to rotate the clay on, called (the moulding machine), which is moved by the foot, and we do the clay shaping process manually with high skill and accuracy, using a little water to produce the desired shape. Some products may be engraved and some are coloured according to the request of customers.
