Sherry mcDonald Stewart on fri 25 apr 97
I had a small business, and in this business, I found this exceptional
pottery made in Tunisia. It was sold in sets, called cous cous sets. You
alll know cous cous don't you? You can get a box from the grocery store
to try if you don't. At any rate, it is a staple food in that part of
the world. The bowls were varied, serving size, straight sided, large
open shapes with a relatively small foot. The clay was a red earthen
body with that cookie glaze kind of majorica in white, but full of
bands of purple and pink fushias, done so beautifully. What a treasure I
had found. And at a small place in the world trade center in Dallas,
outside of the permanent showrooms.
This was the first time Tunisia had traded with the US! Can you
imagine? And I found it! They made sconces, and lanterns that you would
die for. They sold bedoin rugs and jewerly, and all kinds of wonderful
things. I bought from them, and I was only open part time, yet, people
saw the pottery in the window, and some thought it Italian (it was
better than) I soon had a growing clientele, and this , in a small Texas
town!
I was about to make a deal with them to handle the thick silk bedoin
rugs on consignment, when the potter died! Yes, this wonderful potter
died...and this new business tried to find another potter to duplicate
his work. I got new sets, but they were not the same. The business
folded almost overnight! That, my dear potter friends, who make
functional objects, is how important one potter was who lived in this
world has been, and I am sure there are many stories more. Tunisia has
not since, to my knowledge, traded with the exported to the US. Couldn't
fly without the potter! Not rugs, not jewerly, nothing but clay could
hold that business together.
I thought it was incredible, and it occurred to me that many of you
would enjoy this story, .......Sherry
Veronika Jenke on mon 28 apr 97
______Assistant Curator of Education
______National Museum of African Art, S.I.
Do you happen to know the name of the potter in Tunesia?
Send responses to E-Mail afaem013
FAX 202 357-4879
Internet: afaem013@sivm.si.edu
Bitnet: afaem013@sivm
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