Marcia Selsor on sun 13 may 01
Dear Bret,
Modern times are the end to traditional pottery and the local needs
supplied by the local potter. I saw this happen in Spain where modern
plumbing eliminated the need for "cantaros" the jug used for carrying
the water home from the well.
The bad thing about plastic jugs is that they do not sweat and cool the
water. But who needs that if one has a refrigerator? I agree that the
poor women who have to haul water are living in drudgery. Water is heavy
whether it is in plastic or pottery. We romantics may lament the loss of
traditional pots, but everyone should have a chance for improved quality
of life such as running water- plumbing. So much of traditional pottery
was based around supplying water.
I studied this aspect of Spanish pottery for many years and wrote about
it in anthropology publications. It is a reality of modern times.
Marcia in Montana
Bret Hinsch wrote:
>
> Ryszard Kapuscinski, a journalist who spent 40 years in Africa, just
> wrote a book called "The Shadow of the Sun" - vignettes about life in
> Africa. Although most of the book is extremely depressing, he also
> describes some of the ways life in Africa has improved in recent
> decades. According to him, one of the greatest advances in the life
> of African women is the use of plastic water containers to replace
> traditional pots. He says that the plastic jugs are much lighter than
> pots, so women are much less tired after carrying water to their homes
> from the local river or well. He says that this has been a
> revolutionary advance for "the exhausted African woman".
>
> It's a pity that those beautiful earthenwares are dying out across
> Africa. But to the women who have to carry them every day, lugging
> around heavy pottery probably seemed like terrible drudgery. If
> plastic really is that much more practical than earthenware, the
> traditional pot seems bound to become extinct in Africa, except where
> it is kept alive by a few collectors who appreciate its aesthetic
> value.
>
> Bret in Taipei
>
>
>
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--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/Tuscany2001.html
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/Gallery.html
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