The Disappearing Craft of Traditional Pottery (The Earthenware Industry) in Neelum Valley

Travelling from Muzaffarabad towards Neelum Valley, a few kilometres before Athmuqam, a link road leads into a small side valley. Although the natural beauty of this area is undeniable, until the first five years of the present century, it was known throughout Neelum Valley and as far as Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, Naran and Kaghan for something beyond its scenic surroundings.

Within this valley lies a small settlement called Gatli, comprising approximately forty to fifty households. The settlement is inhabited by members of a single extended family that has grown considerably over the generations. What once distinguished this small village was its centuries-old tradition of producing earthenware. The pottery made here was renowned across the surrounding regions, attracting customers from distant areas who came to purchase various clay products, ranging from traditional tandoors to drinking glasses and other everyday household utensils.

Today, however, this once-thriving craft has disappeared. The last person practising it passed away two years ago. Although demand for traditional earthenware still exists, nobody in the village possesses the skills required to produce it.

According to local estimates, pottery production began in Gatli when the first member of the family settled there, establishing a tradition that continued for several centuries. Over time, the craft developed in sophistication, and its reputation extended beyond the geographical boundaries of the region. The settlement is believed to be approximately three hundred years old, suggesting that earthenware production continued here for nearly two and a half centuries.

The Traditional Process of Earthenware Production

Making earthenware was an exceptionally labour-intensive process requiring considerable skill, patience and attention to detail.

First Stage: Preparing the Clay

The process began with the collection of a particular type of clay, locally known as “Las” (لس). Unlike ordinary soil, this was a reddish, crumbly clay with properties suitable for pottery production.

The clay was first sifted to remove larger stones and coarse particles. White river sand, collected from nearby riverbeds, was then mixed into it before kneading. The mixture was thoroughly worked by hand until it achieved the required consistency.

After kneading, the prepared clay was left in a shaded place for approximately three days. During this resting period, the clay underwent a process locally described as fermentation, producing what craftspeople called fermented clay. This completed the first stage of preparation.

Second Stage: Shaping and Drying

In the second stage, the prepared clay was placed on a manually operated potter’s wheel. Small quantities of water were gradually added as the wheel rotated, allowing the craftsperson to shape the clay into various household items.

These included tandoors, earthen water pots, traditional water vessels known as lotas, plates, drinking glasses, jugs and bowls.

Once an object had acquired its basic circular shape, it was carefully removed from the wheel. The craftsperson then used rounded wooden or stone tools to beat and shape its interior, gradually refining the vessel until the desired form was achieved.

After shaping, the unfinished pottery was placed in direct sunlight for two to three days. The drying period depended largely on weather conditions and the intensity of sunlight. During winter, when temperatures were lower and sunlight less intense, the process could take five to eight days.

Exposure to sunlight gradually hardened the clay, making the objects sufficiently firm for the final stage of production.

Third Stage: Firing the Pottery

The third and final stage involved preparing a traditional firing kiln.

First, the interior walls of the kiln were coated with a fresh layer of clay. Particular care was taken to seal any openings that might allow air to enter. Kilns varied in shape and size according to the type and quantity of pottery being produced, although a typical kiln measured approximately twelve to fifteen feet in height and six to eight feet in width.

Wood was initially burned inside the kiln, after which it was allowed to cool for one day. The dried earthenware was then arranged inside in carefully organised layers.

Between the pottery vessels, the craftspeople placed high-quality deodar cedar bark. Obtaining this bark required considerable effort, as people had to travel deep into distant forest areas in search of dried trees. This task was generally undertaken by women.

Once the pottery had been arranged in layers, with cedar bark placed between the individual vessels, the kiln’s main opening was sealed. A gentle fire was then lit underneath, using deodar wood as fuel.

As the temperature gradually increased, the pottery began to harden through firing. Eventually, the cedar bark placed between the vessels also caught fire. Because bark surrounded each vessel, the heat was distributed around the pottery, helping it fire thoroughly.

This process usually began at approximately two o’clock in the afternoon and continued until late at night.

Once the bark had ignited, the kiln’s smaller opening was also sealed to prevent air from entering. Additional wood was burned at the opening to restrict airflow and maintain the required conditions inside the kiln.

From the initial preparation of the clay to the completion of the finished products, the entire pottery-making process could take approximately fifteen days.

Every stage demanded precision, patience and close attention, as even minor mistakes could affect the quality of the final products.

Traditional Uses of Earthenware

The earthenware produced in Gatli served numerous purposes in everyday household life.

These vessels were commonly used for milking livestock, turning milk into yoghurt, cooking food, preparing lassi (a traditional yoghurt-based drink), and preserving pickles.

In the local language, some of these vessels were known as “Chaati” (چاٹی), referring to a relatively large earthen pot, and “Kutbi” (کٹبی).

These traditional clay vessels were valued for their distinctive properties. Food prepared in them was considered particularly delicious, while water stored in earthen pots remained cool for extended periods.

Even today, earthen water pots can be found along various pathways, where they are filled with drinking water for travellers passing through during the day.

Economic Importance of the Craft

Traditional pottery production also held considerable economic importance for the local community.

After the earthenware had been prepared, buyers travelled from distant areas to purchase these products. In addition to customers visiting the village, local craftspeople transported their pottery by vehicle to surrounding regions two or three times a year, selling their products in different markets.

These trading activities generated a substantial source of income for the families involved.

Skilled potters also travelled to other settlements, where they offered their services on a daily-wage basis, producing earthenware for local households and customers.

The craft therefore supported livelihoods not only through the sale of finished pottery but also through the specialised skills and labour of experienced artisans.

The Disappearance of Traditional Pottery

Despite its long history and economic importance, the craft of pottery-making has now completely disappeared from Gatli.

Not a single person remains in the settlement who possesses the practical knowledge required to produce traditional earthenware.

The younger generation showed little interest in learning the craft, and the skills that had been transmitted within families for centuries were gradually lost.

According to local residents, pottery-making was exceptionally demanding, while the financial returns were relatively low. The amount of labour required was disproportionate to the income it generated, discouraging younger people from pursuing the occupation.

Modern education also contributed to this transformation. Educated young people, as well as members of the preceding generation, increasingly sought alternative occupations that offered easier working conditions and better financial prospects.

Consequently, the traditional craft was abandoned.

The Last Traces of a Lost Tradition

Today, there is nobody left in Gatli who knows how to make traditional earthenware.

The information documented here was gathered from individuals whose parents had practised pottery-making. These individuals belong to the generation preceding today’s youth and have now moved beyond middle age into their later years.

Although they witnessed the craft being practised by their parents, they did not continue the tradition themselves.

Instead, they became involved in various other occupations and sources of income. None expressed an interest in reviving pottery-making or adopting it as a livelihood.

They considered it physically demanding work that provided extremely limited financial returns.

Furthermore, the traditional production methods were outdated and slow, making pottery production increasingly difficult to sustain economically.

Some residents believed that introducing modern techniques and improving access to markets might encourage people to reconsider the craft.

However, they regarded such a revival as highly unlikely, particularly because no one appeared willing to invest the time, effort or resources required to restore the industry.

Thus, a craft that had survived for nearly two and a half centuries, passing from one generation to another, eventually disappeared from Gatli.

With the passing of its last practitioner, the village lost not only a traditional occupation but also a body of practical knowledge concerning local materials, specialised tools, production techniques and the skills that had once formed an important part of community life.

Originally published on: https://jawadparas.wordpress.com/2017/09/29/industry-2/