Women Potters Of Sejnane

Sejnane women's pottery skills are based on producing terracotta artifacts for their homes using particular techniques. This includes cooking utensils, dolls, and animal figurines that represent the surrounding environment. The pots are made by the women themselves, and they also sell them in the village and by the side of neighboring roads. As a result, women occupy a prominent position in the community.

There are a large number of women molding clay in the village of Sejnane in northern Tunisia, using rudimentary methods to create bowls, cooking pots, toys, and dolls whose red and black designs have become famous. Sejnane's women preserve a tradition that dates back hundreds of years: namely, molded pottery, the prerogative of Tunisian women while using the potter's wheel is the province of men.

A traditional method for extracting the clay is by wadi beds, then cutting it into blocks, then crushing and purifying it. Once the clay is soaked in water, it is then kneaded and shaped before being fired. After that, the pots are decorated with two-tone geometrical designs reminiscent of traditional Berber weavings and tattoos. Sales are typically handled by men, making this a family-based craft that promotes family unity. In the face of socio-economic changes, the women of Sejnane have shown their innovation skills and adapted their craft to modern needs and changes in demand. By using traditional and informal education, they are able to pass down their knowledge of how to make handmade pottery. It's been a way of life for generations to create Sejnane pottery, and its unique patterns have been surviving and persisting in all their originality, despite the invasion of modernity and machinery that invaded the artistic fields. For aesthetics, the patterns in Berber craftsmanship illustrate the history, the culture, and the traditions, while at the same time tracing the inspirations born from the everyday life of Berbers. Sejnane artisan potters make and decorate their pottery with natural elements gathered from the agricultural region. Ayari, a respected potter in her 50s committed to preserving ancestral traditions, said that these were Berber motifs, the same as those found on traditional outfits and tattoos.

In communities where daughters are encouraged to attend school, they have the opportunity to learn about the art of firing this pottery alongside their studies. Furthermore, the National Office for Crafts offers training courses for young women who are interested in this activity. Hopefully, all these efforts will bear fruits and multiply.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/pottery-skills-of-the-women-of-sejnane-01406) https://thearabweekly.com/women-tunisias-sejnane-keep-pottery-tradition-alive) (https://www.tunisiatourism.info/en/articles/la-poterie-de-sejnane-patrimoine-immateriel-de-lhumanite) (https://qartaj.com/blog/discover-the-tunisian-handicrafts-sejnane-pottery-unesco-(heritage#:~:text=The%20pottery%20of%20the%20women,figurines%20inspired%20by%20their%20environment.)