Mud and Water Man - ACE039.5

Cardew looking at pots in the museum at Jos, Nigeria. He describes the features of an Ibo palm-wine pot, and talks about how he wanted to adapt local skills and designs to his brief of producing glazed tableware. Man making and decorating a casserole, based on traditional designs but which will be glazed and fired at high temperature.
Cardew at an old tin-mine where he found the clay they needed for high-temperature firing, and the importance of using local materials. VO Abuja potters mixing clay and grinding materials for glazes by machine. Cardew VO continues. Pots being tipped in red slip made from local clay and rock. Decorating by the sgrafito method technique. White slip decorating. Covering slip with glaze. Cardew VO continues. Setting the kiln (designed and built by Michael O’Brien). Starting and tending the fire. Cardew talking about preferring the "mud and water" aspects of potting to the firing. His VO relates how he was encouraged to stay away from the kiln as his presence seemed to be accompanied by problems.