Abstract
Rajasthan is a state located in India. It has some of the oldest living crafts practiced by traditional craftsmen. Pottery is a traditional handicraft practiced by Prajapati families for generations. They are settled in various parts of the state and their pottery reflects distinctive regional style and technique. There are twenty-five Prajapati families actively involved in pottery in Pahari. village at Bharatpur district. They have been producing functional products such as water pots, flowerpots, etc. by using conventional pit firing. Amongst them, Motilal and his family have progressed much ahead of the conventional practice, in terms of style, functions, and techniques. Their workshop is known as the ‘Maati Cookware’. They make finished cookware baked in an especially designed kiln for higher temperature along with the application of the Saggar method through the reduction process for producing a range of decorative clay products. Intrigued by his efforts the authors used an ethnographic approach to understand the lives of the Prajapati community, sustainability, creative potential, development, and improved traditional pottery. There are two distinctive methods and techniques, the design of kilns, and the style of products. Upon studying their existing methods the authors planned some design interventions and recommended several process modifications to improve the body of the Saggar container and to increase the efficiency of the kiln. This study aims to understand the scope of design intervention in traditional pottery with an exploratory, collaborative and immersive strategy for the betterment of the craft.
Presenters
Arman OvlaStudent, Ph.D, Indian Institute of Technology of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India Satyaki Roy
Indian Institute of Technology of Kanpur
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Pottery, Utilitarian, Saggar, Reduction, Kiln, Exploratory, Collaborative, Immersive
