ART and craft students of the Fiji National University witnessed first-hand the traditional processes of pottery-making during a trip to Nakabuta Village in Sigatoka this week.
Known for their traditional pottery skills, women at the village showed their creative flair and the visitors were challenged to practice their skills for assessment this trimester.
FNU art lecturer Alfred Antonio said the students observed how the Nakabuta potters flatten a lump of clay with a wooden paddle before using a stone and the paddle to shape the clay into a smooth, hollow sphere.
"We are really grateful to the people of Nakabuta for allowing us to bring back a portion of their precious mud for these students to practice their skills," he said.
Students completed the initial preparation stage by clearing the raw mud off rocks before wedging and kneading the lump and gradually adding sand. The first two items made from the prepared clay were pinch pots and beads before they constructed pots using the coil method.