Fujairah: A unique little pottery factory can be found in the village of Thoban just before the Friday market on the way from Dubai to Fujairah.
A small road leads you off the main highway to Huwarah Pottery.
This pottery has been operating for 17 years out the village of Thoban. As you go into the dim concrete building, workers from South India Kerela are making pots at their wheels.
One worker was putting decorative markings on some oval shape pots and another one was mixing clay in a small electric mixer. All these guys knew exactly what they where doing, all with smiles on their faces.
Rows and rows of pots where standing all over the place, in all shapes and sizes, from one metre tall to the smallest of pots.
It is interesting to see the process of creating pottery, from molding the clay on the wheel through to seeing how the pots come alive.
This skill has been passed down for generations from father to son.
Most of the potters working here picked up the skill in their home country India. What amazed me even more was to see the pride these men took in their work.
This was not just a job but a passion.
The clay they use to make these pots comes from Iran. Once a year they get one 100 tons, but some fine clay comes from Sharjah and Dubai.
Most of the designs come from the potters' own creative thoughts and keep changing, so there is never a shortage of new designs.
Prices for these pots range from Dh5 to Dh1000, depending on the size and design. Some of these pots end up at the Friday Market where mainly tourists will buy them.
The potters also receive orders from hotels that will need a whole range of pots or ask for something specific. Sometimes people come to the factory and buy between 200-300 pieces at a time, the potters said.
I’m drawn to a massive kiln - the kiln used to fire all the pots these men make. It takes two days to stack this massive oven with more than 1,500 pieces at a time.
It is a challenging task getting all the pots in as there is a specific stacking order in which the pots are arranged, to get the best quality results out of the fired clay.
Once all the pots have been stacked the entrance of the kiln is sealed with a clay door. It then takes another 24 hours to fire the pots and another 24 hours for the kiln to cool. Standing next to the closed kiln you can feel the intense heat.
The real magic happens when the door is removed after the firing and all the pots can be seen inside, their colour changed from dull brown to a bright pink. Then the men carefully remove the pots in a specific order.
They form a chain to pass down the pots which forms a lengthy line. Each one knows exactly what to do and where to stack the pots. I was amazed to see the amount of pots coming from the oven.
It takes the six men three hours to empty the kiln, with pots filling every last space available on the floor.
While some of the potters were stacking their last pots, a few of them were starting to mix a fine powder with a deep red colour. I’m told this is the final touch to complement the pot and give it its true character.
As the pots are painted with deep red paint, it is spectacular to see how the colours develop as soon as the paint is applied and the skill and speed with which this is done.
This has been a remarkable experience to see how these pots are made and the time effort and heart that goes into making each pot.
One thing I know is I will never look at these pots in the same way when I see them in a garden filled with flowers, or standing somewhere in a hotel lobby.
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