Museum of the mud
The Museu del Fang (pottery museum) aims to display the rich variety of techniques, shapes and functions that clay pieces have had in different cultures. Pottery has always been present in society, regardless of the period or origin, and it played and still plays a main role in helping to meet the needs of people. The museum focuses mainly on traditional Mallorcan clay pieces, and more precisely on local pottery. At present, some of the pieces have either fallen into disuse, or could soon disappear, if they have not done so already. This is caused by the substitution of clay by other materials in the industrial society. Therefore, it is important to display and preserve them. Furthermore, one of our top priorities is to build a bibliographic and documentary collection and also to promote activities for Mallorcan schoolchildren. The Museu del Fang should be the starting point of a visit that finishes at the pottery.
The museum also focuses on acquiring clay pieces shaped by artists who are not working anymore or have passed away. It is essential that the collection is enriched by pieces shaped by old experienced craftsmen, so that history and memory are also present in the museum. L'Olleria (pottery) The raw material in the pottery is red clay. It is stored and kept dry until it is time to use it. Next, the clay is ground by means of a crumbling machine, turning it into dust. It is then time to incorporate water which transforms the mixture into a paste. After having purged and carefully sifted the paste, it is left to settle. The paste is drained to achieve the adequate texture. Finally, the paste is mixed until it reaches the required flexibility and plasticity. It is now time to make way to the creativity of the person who will craft the piece. A pile of clay is placed on the potter’s wheel and the potter starts shaping his work. The potter uses pieces of wood and bamboo in order to obtain the desired height and diameter. The piece is then lifted off the wheel and the remaining clay by cutting it with a fine wire or nylon string. The potter uses a file to remove the remaining clay. The next step, if required, is to fit the piece with handles. It is then left to dry and after a sensible length of time the potter proceeds to varnish the inside of the piece. The pieces are placed in the kiln, taking care that they are not in contact. In the past, wood was used to feed the kiln, the so-called Arab kiln. Nowadays wood has been substituted by diesel oil, propane or electricity. The pieces should be left to cool in the kiln. The larger pieces are baked in string frames. And so the pieces are finished and ready to be used. The pots and the oval casseroles (greixoneres) are named sometimes according to their function. Thus the saïmera is used to keep lard, the colera to keep curd, etc. They are also named according to their shape. Thus a bomber (convex pot), a calderó (cauldron-shaped pot), a fonda (deep pot) and de coll alçat (long-neck pot). Nevertheless, the most common classification criteria among potters is according to size or volume. Thus the smallest piece is the cassolí or biel (0.25 l), followed by the treset (0.5 l), the malagenya (1 l), the borda (1-2 l), the mitja mà (3 l), the perol (5 l), catorze or quilo (6-7 l) and the largest setze (8-10 l). There are other pottery pieces which are related to their function in the kitchen, such as clay crockery, pots, coffee sets, casseroles, ashtrays, lids, funnels, platters, trays, vinegar bottles, fruit bowls, cruets, mortars, jugs, containers, glasses, saltcellars, sauceboats, cups, bowls, teapots, etc. La Gerreria (white-clay pottery) |
