Content uploaded by Dr. Badar Almamari
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Dr. Badar Almamari on Nov 14, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
For Attaining Far Heachins
Developrnent of Omani Fcttery:
Raku, Ash, Salt, Luster and
erystalline Glau es"
Flesearcher: Bader Mohamrned Hashid Ai-Mamari
l-ecturer in the Arts Department, college cf Education,
Sultan eaboos University
Master in Pottery frorn Royal university of rechnorogy,
Melbourne-Austratia.
PHD researcher in pottery at University of salford, uK.
The shape of pottery pots produced by the Omani potter is not the rea
problem facing Omani pottery. As consumers, it is no matter how devetope:
is our life, still we need dishes, cups and containers with all its shapes,
fact, the lack of product quality, preciseness of work and variety of colo.s
and pottery glazing is considered a real obstacle against interior and exte" :.
marketing. This research presents practical solutions for the innovation :.
pottery industries in a more effective and practical way. The researcher is gu :=
sure that taking these solutions seriously shall lead to a great developmen: :,
this industry.
Despite the fact that pottery industry has positively been developed. t-:
reason for the decline of the quality of pottery product lies in the glaz -:
problems. Most of the Omani potter products wither those produced in Bar a
Pottery Factory or even those produced by private institutes like Handicra:s
Center in Ruwi, depend on ready exported glazes. Not only this but als:
those glazes are divided into three simple and incompetent types:
o over Glaze: to apply colors and decoration on a glaze layer.
' Under Glaze: to apply colors and decoration and after firing the produ::
is glazed with transparent glaze. Then it is fired for the second time.
ln-Glaze: a mixture of colors (wither oxides or colored powder) and z
transparent glaze.
The problem of Omani pottery does not relate with either the form or ti:
marketing but rather it lies on the quality of the product in comparison w,:-
the exported one. The question being raised when talking about produc:
quality is that why did the glazes remain undeveloped?
It is undeniable that most of the Omani pottery clays are classified as
Earthenware clays like the red clay from Bahla or the salboukh clay whic-
can withstand high temperatures. ln fact, that is one of the obstacles tha:
hindered the development of Omani Pottery glazes and therefore limited its
marketing. That is why some workshops (like the Arts Department potter..
workshop at Sultan Qaboos University) depended on exported pottery cla,
which is able to withstand high temperatures.