LIVING TERRACOTTA

 

 

Terra cotta (Italian: "baked earth") is a ceramic. Its uses include vessels, water & waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction. The term is also used to refer to items made out of this material and to its natural, brownish orange colour.
 

An appropriate refined clay is partially dried and cast, moulded, or hand worked into the desired shape. After further thorough drying it is placed in a kiln

The unglazed colour after firing can vary widely, but most common clays contain enough iron to cause an orange, orangeish red, or brownish orange colour, with this range including various colours described as "terra cotta".

History

Terra cotta has been used throughout history for sculpture and pottery, as well as bricks and roof tiles. In ancient times, the first clay sculptures were dried (baked) in the sun after being formed. Later, they were placed in the ashes of open hearths to harden, and finally kilns were used, similar to those used for pottery today. However only after firing to high temperature would it be classed as a ceramic material. The most famous terra cotta statues are those of the Terracotta Warriors in China.

 

The process of production is as followings:

• Firstly, the craftsmen place the clay ( which has been previously dried and milled) in a special fosse dug out in the ground. Then they add water and knead manually until obtaining an homogeneous textured clay.

• Secondly, the craftsmen take out a part of this clay in a handcart and they put it in a wooden mould placed on tables to give form to the earthen tiles, bricks and skirting boards.

• Immediately after, the craftsmen put all the pieces on large shelving units where they are dried with the Mediterranean sun. The time of drying depends on the time of year, in the heat of summer it usually takes a few days and in winter it can take about a week. This step is the most important because it is necessary for the craftsmen to be in constant vigilance at all hours of day and night. So that the pieces dry evenly and suitably they must check the risk of rain. If it rains is it necessary to cover all the pieces with plastic sheeting or they run the risk that the rain will lose them all the pieces in production.

• When they pieces are dried they are carefully stacked in the kiln. The kiln is built following the Arabic tradition. There are three walls made with earthen bricks. In the lower part of the kiln is the fuel (the wood). When it burns it gives the necessary heat to bake the clay. In the top part there is a space where the craftsmen put in the pieces to be baked. This step is achieved manually and meticulously. After the unbaked tiles have been carefully stacked, they must close the kiln hermetically with clay to make use of all the heat given by the combustion of the wood. This baking process lasts about two days. After this period they must leave the material till it cools. And finally, they take it out manually.
This method of production of handmade tiles, bricks, earthenwares and skirting boards is a highly skilled traditional craft and requires an artistic trait, In this case handed down three generations.