In Portugal, the village of Bisalhes in Vila Real municipality is known as 'the land of pot and pan producers' or, more specifically, as a town where black pottery is made in open earthen ovens. The black pottery is used for decorative or cooking purposes and has been an ancestral traditional practice featured on the village's coat of arms since ancient times.
There is a lengthy process relating to the process of obtaining the 'embolized', which includes storing and separating the clay in the ‘granary’ and adding water to it until the ‘peis’ are created and kept in humid places, but they must still be softened and remove excess air. The ‘embolized’ is then placed in the center of the low wheel at the pace intended by the potter, who then gives birth to the pieces we admire today.
They're allowed to dry in the air, where women use small stones to decorate the sacks by drawing flowers, leaves, lines, or other designs tailored to the moment's inspiration. The next step is cooking, which is one of the most defining characteristics of Bisalhes Pottery. After this challenging task, the wonders are removed and cooled, one by one, and with skill and knowledge, are cleaned of dust, using carefully woven rags.
During the next step, the women place them into baskets and transport them to their homes for preparation for the sales stalls. In this way, two types of crockery are created: "Churra" (utilitarian) crockery, such as oven bowls, baking dishes, and cutlery, and "Fina" crockery, either decorative or functional, such as secret jars, donut jars, plates and so on.
Clay now comes from local tile factories instead of being sourced from pits. With only a few bearers left, waning interest in the tradition from younger generations, and popular demand for industrially made alternatives, the future of the practice looks bleak.
The main problem is the aging of potters. There are currently five who make this their main activity; they are all over 75 years old, and they use processes dating back to at least the 16th century. Over the decades, the transference of knowledge has not been fully safeguarded either within village families or in the training courses held by the local community. It is this fact that prevents new artisans from entering this industry.