Pottery-Serbia

Zlakusa pottery making is a practice that relates to the knowledge and skills involved in making unglazed vessels for thermic food processing. The thing that makes Zlakusa pottery unique is that the pots are made of clay and calcite, and the wheel is run exclusively by hand. The process takes seven to ten days, and includes the preparation of clay paste, shaping, decoration, finishing, drying and baking. The finished vessels are decorated with geometrical ornaments, which are made with wooden or metal tools, and handles are added to some vessels. According to food experts, the dishes which are prepared in these pots have a unique taste.

The small village of Zlakusa is closely associated with the pottery due to its link with the natural environment, which provides the high-quality raw material. Nowadays, cultural activities, such as the Zlakusa Festival and the pottery courses at the Arts School in Užice, provide an important key mode of transmission. In 2020, Zlakusa pottery making was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

If you would like to learn more, please open this link: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/zlakusa-pottery-making-hand-wheel-pottery-making-in-the-village-of-zlakusa-01466

You can also watch a relevant video: https://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/document-5353

Photos taken from: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/zlakusa-pottery-making-hand-wheel-pottery-making-in-the-village-of-zlakusa-01466

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