Le 17 janvier Sr. Ema has been having some foot pain, and as there are very limited podiatrists in Rwanda, we decided to swing by the center that makes shoes for handicapped people – surely the doctors would be able to help. The facility is just off the main road from Kigali to Butare, and so we had tried yesterday to stop by – we just hit their lunch break. Today, stopped on our way back to Kigali, planning perfectly to arrive as the office opened.
Sr. Lumiere and I waited as Sr. Ema checked in and realized that we could be here a while. Well it’s just our luck that on the same premises is a pottery workshop!
We headed into the little shop and were absolutely amazed at the beauty and variety. The pieces were created from a light grayish clay, decorated with navy paint and gloss. Wow – the crispness of the two colors alone was incredible. Big vases, small vases, teeny vases, large bowls, enormous casseroles, small casseroles, candle holders, plates, teapots, mugs – you name it, they had it. And they even had a Nativity set, which was quite beautiful.
We walked around the shop for a while in sheer amazement at the splendor, when the owner came in. Would we like to see some pottery being made? Is that a serious question!?
I stopped at the car to get Sr. Lumiere’s and my cameras, because this had officially turned into a hidden gem on our journey, one that we had no choice but to document. I filmed as the worker formed a lump of clay into a vase in not more than five minutes. It was unbelievable. He explained the process, too, but he knew neither English nor French so I was left out of the tutorial. Sr. Lumiere would translate key tidbits for me, making sure I could follow.
It was at this point that it started to feel like the fieldtrips we used to take at Greenwood Elementary School. Most closely, I related this to Sturbridge Village, thinking of how we would watch basket weaving and glass making demonstrations.
We thanked the man and continued on our tour with the owner, who showed us the drying process, the kiln, and the massive wells in the ground where the clay is dug up. I tried to follow this as much as I could, but a lot was left up to my imagination – he would point at an object and explain in Kinyarwanda, thus leaving me to guess what he might have said.
Coming full circle back to the store, we were even more eager to buy a few pieces of this truly incredible art. Sr. Lumiere bought a few matching vases for the chapel at Kigali, and I picked out a few miscellaneous things that I just couldn’t not get. My absolute favorite thing is a twelve-inch tall vase with navy paint steaked down the sides and little white dots scattered throughout the blue. I’m sure I would have found this beautiful long before Africa, but as I’m here this vase seemed all the more significant. The vase reminds me of the African night sky.
Sr. Ema, knowing where we must have headed off to, came into the shop just as we were packing up our goods. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to manage getting these delicate treasures all the way back to the States whole, but it’s worth the struggle.
Sr. Lumiere and I waited as Sr. Ema checked in and realized that we could be here a while. Well it’s just our luck that on the same premises is a pottery workshop!
We headed into the little shop and were absolutely amazed at the beauty and variety. The pieces were created from a light grayish clay, decorated with navy paint and gloss. Wow – the crispness of the two colors alone was incredible. Big vases, small vases, teeny vases, large bowls, enormous casseroles, small casseroles, candle holders, plates, teapots, mugs – you name it, they had it. And they even had a Nativity set, which was quite beautiful.
We walked around the shop for a while in sheer amazement at the splendor, when the owner came in. Would we like to see some pottery being made? Is that a serious question!?
I stopped at the car to get Sr. Lumiere’s and my cameras, because this had officially turned into a hidden gem on our journey, one that we had no choice but to document. I filmed as the worker formed a lump of clay into a vase in not more than five minutes. It was unbelievable. He explained the process, too, but he knew neither English nor French so I was left out of the tutorial. Sr. Lumiere would translate key tidbits for me, making sure I could follow.
It was at this point that it started to feel like the fieldtrips we used to take at Greenwood Elementary School. Most closely, I related this to Sturbridge Village, thinking of how we would watch basket weaving and glass making demonstrations.
We thanked the man and continued on our tour with the owner, who showed us the drying process, the kiln, and the massive wells in the ground where the clay is dug up. I tried to follow this as much as I could, but a lot was left up to my imagination – he would point at an object and explain in Kinyarwanda, thus leaving me to guess what he might have said.
Coming full circle back to the store, we were even more eager to buy a few pieces of this truly incredible art. Sr. Lumiere bought a few matching vases for the chapel at Kigali, and I picked out a few miscellaneous things that I just couldn’t not get. My absolute favorite thing is a twelve-inch tall vase with navy paint steaked down the sides and little white dots scattered throughout the blue. I’m sure I would have found this beautiful long before Africa, but as I’m here this vase seemed all the more significant. The vase reminds me of the African night sky.
Sr. Ema, knowing where we must have headed off to, came into the shop just as we were packing up our goods. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to manage getting these delicate treasures all the way back to the States whole, but it’s worth the struggle.
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