THE POTTERY

The traditional earthenware made in La Bisbal presents a number of common traits with that made in other towns, and shows a slow evolution both in the forms themselves and the technologies used. They are pieces made on potter’s wheels, fired only once in firewood kilns construction or stables), black (household implements with a blackened finish due to the reduction firing process) and glossy or glazed finish (straw-coloured, reds and greens achieved using slips and lead or galena glazing). Glazed decoration was limited to certain parts of the ware in the case of vessels for holding liquids (pitchers, poals -urns used to fetch water from wells- , pots, urinals); local slips (red and white) were used to color flat pieces such as dishes, trays, washboards, or bowls. 

The different pieces recovered provide a glimpse of the great skills of the potters of La Bisbal. Their forms follow criteria of functionality, balance and skill which governed a rural way of life where craftsmanship was highly valued. They are objects which evoke and transport us to the context and the world of proportion, and display a complete harmony and balance between the producer –product and the end-user.