Found this wonderful quote on the Ceramic Arts Daily forums site; as I am from a Greek cultural heritage I love it!!. .
The Potter's Loud Lament .....
From Homer's Epigram's fragment 14:
"Potters, if you give me a reward, I will sing for you. Come, then, Athena [goddess of pottery], with hand upraised over the kiln.
Let the pots and all the dishes turn out well and be well fired: let them fetch good prices and be sold in plenty in the market.
Grant that the potters may get great gain and grant me so to sing to them.
But if you turn shameless and make false promises, then I call together the destroyers of kilns, Suntribos (Shatter) and Smaragon (Smash) and Asbetos (Charr) and Sabaktes (Crash) and Omodamos (Crudebake) who can work this craft much mischief.
Come all of you and sack the kiln-yard and the buildings: let the whole kiln be shaken up to the potter's loud lament.
As a horse's jaw grinds, so let the kiln grind to powder all the pots inside."
...............................................
You thought it was a joke, about the kiln gods! Not only did the Greeks acknowledge Athena as the Goddess of Craft, there were five, count 'em, FIVE demons who existed solely to torment potters: Suntribos (the Shatterer), Smaragos (the Smasher), Asbetos (Charrer), Sabaktes (Destroyer) and Omodamos (Crudebake). These are the Daimones Keramikoi: fear them!!
FROM LORI WATTS/FINE MESS POTTERY BLOG: Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday 12 March 2013
Monday 4 March 2013
Pottery at Poatina 2013
Happily teaching again this year at Faith and the Arts 2013 in Poatina, Tasmania.
Had 2 projects on the go this year: teaching pottery techniques of handbuilding and wheel work to our workshop participants and the community arts small ceramic sculptures project for 80 people, followed by a raku firing and group exhibition with the other arts disciplines.......a VERY busy week!!!
Workshop articipants made bowls, plaques, dragons, eggcups, coasters, windchimes, plates, jugs, tree, a wombat...... and the fabulous elephant teapot 'Alfonse'.
The studio enjoyed an atmosphere of relaxed, muddy cameraderie amidst conversations of home, art, politics, gardening, faith, work, ambitions, travel and food! Was an exceptional group and I'd like to thank them all for the experience of working with them!!
The community small sculptures project was equally fun. My son rolled out a huge pile golf ball sized pieces of clay while community members stopped by the tables in the community hall and made their pieces. These were loaded into a large metal drum and fired in raku style amoungst flames, sparks and sizzling heat!!
Next day the little sculptures were rescued from the pile of ashes in the bottom of the drum and prepared for exhibition along side the glass workers, painters, printmakers, singers, poets, performers and clowns! An excellent showcase of the week's creative talents.
Looking forward to next year adventure again!
Had 2 projects on the go this year: teaching pottery techniques of handbuilding and wheel work to our workshop participants and the community arts small ceramic sculptures project for 80 people, followed by a raku firing and group exhibition with the other arts disciplines.......a VERY busy week!!!
Workshop articipants made bowls, plaques, dragons, eggcups, coasters, windchimes, plates, jugs, tree, a wombat...... and the fabulous elephant teapot 'Alfonse'.
The studio enjoyed an atmosphere of relaxed, muddy cameraderie amidst conversations of home, art, politics, gardening, faith, work, ambitions, travel and food! Was an exceptional group and I'd like to thank them all for the experience of working with them!!
The community small sculptures project was equally fun. My son rolled out a huge pile golf ball sized pieces of clay while community members stopped by the tables in the community hall and made their pieces. These were loaded into a large metal drum and fired in raku style amoungst flames, sparks and sizzling heat!!
Next day the little sculptures were rescued from the pile of ashes in the bottom of the drum and prepared for exhibition along side the glass workers, painters, printmakers, singers, poets, performers and clowns! An excellent showcase of the week's creative talents.
Looking forward to next year adventure again!
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