Marchena, Potters
Jas. “Although it is not something sufficiently disseminated or disclosed, Marchena is and was a land of potters, like so many Andalusian towns had their shops to supply the consumption.

Until fifty years ago, and for centuries, clay was used for coating of buildings, from modest to luxury, but also served to draw everyday utensils in which food is kept, others that were used to store alia, personal hygiene, or to give a touch of class. The arrival of oil and plastic come to give the lace to the craft of clay, which in our people disappeared completely. But now we know that the oil will run out sooner or later, and with it plastic.

The craft of clay, pottery and related industries began to live a widespread resurgence, with rising living standards, knowledge of our own tradition, and the level of demand towards constructive and decorative elements of everything that surrounds us in our own home. Only now beginning to realize the error that is constructive and decorative elements destroy traditional roots, “or worse, of historical interest while others pay a fortune to recreate them. And so we see disappearing traditional houses and mills, are destroyed or sold pottery vessels and craft pieces, and other sums paid by a pitcher old imporatnt.

The recent recovery of pottery and ceramics Marchena are two initiatives on the one hand San Cristobal ceramics, created by Juan Rafael Lora, for the manufacture of tiles painted and decorated by hand and on the other hand, the workshop of pottery and ceramics from the School of the Arts Alfonso Fraile, Herero led by Juan Manuel Suarez, who runs the Baroque workshop in Seville Alfalfa. An expert in historic tile restoration, such as the Alcazar of Seville, Seville or some churches that are most valuable in our area next to the Alhambra in Granada. This monitor has been reproduced in the workshop, together with the students, the manual processing techniques tiles.

In the workshop of pottery and ceramics from Marchena has been made for the first time in our town, works like tiles made and hand painted with dry rope techniques and tiling, traditional techniques of Al-Andalus and then decorated with enamels also mano.A made even though the technique of imitation tiles decorate most of the houses de Marchena, the workshop of pottery and ceramics at the School of the Arts has recovered zellij technique, typical of this suite andalusí.Ségún technique, first makes a clay plate, then draw and cut out the piece, which are fitting to each other as a puzzle, which once produced the colorful enameled colorful effect we see in the royal palaces of Seville and the Alhambra of Granada. The Andalusian zellij is a technique that suggests a strong knowledge of traditional technique used matemáticas.Otra the rope has been dry. The dry conditions made tiles out of a plaster cast, pre-painted and carved. Once extracted and baked clay, paint is applied on enamel and becomes a cook. With this technique tiles have been played like the tower of the church of San Juan. Were also made pots, jars and vases with téncica of churro, then aged and decorated completely handmade process, as well as work on a wheel, pottery technique known and most widely used.

Families of Potters
In the nineteenth century, guides and reviews as Madoz, citing the existence of four ordinary earthenware pottery, they produced parts with common characteristics. But the use of pottery and ceramics is present throughout history. No archaeological excavation in the basement, the Period is to be, that does not reveal the existence of ceramic remains of any age, especially Roman and Arabic traditional green enamel.

But it has been the study of the roofs of the church of San Juan, coated pottery to save weight, the more data that has been thrown on the pottery in the last 500 years. For her know that there are over 20 own forms of local vessels, such as water bottles, bowls, mortars, cheese. Ribs in the vaults of the sanctuary and side altars, of 1490 large pieces were found, ranging in size varying according to height, from jars, bowls, Gonzales, according to the book so popular mud and province of Sevilla and Domingo Ramos Gabriel Calvo.

Marchena great family sagas were potters, but Perea Lozano Francisco, is quoted in this work as the last of the potters of Marchena, who missed about 50 years. The last workshop was the active Carrero Francisco Perea, Perea surname, Marchena was linked in this tradition of craftsmanship. Also the family of José Vaquero, came from that art. Cantarero street names as they are sufficiently eloquent.

In the nineteenth century there were several potteries Marchena, but made only two pots, the rest was dedicated to make tiles and bricks. One of the oldest brick kilns was that of Juan Matas. Manuel Vicente’s family, “the saga of Perea, was known for making pots, where pottery of Palomar Road, where they worked two grandparents, Francisco and Manuel, two of them children, just followed the trade ed son Francis, who was until 1957, when it closed the last pottery Marchena.

Marchena potters extracted the white clay, also called the Vicar, in the hills or barriers near the town. The target was used for the vases, being more porous, and red or terracotta for other parts. After removing the mud was washed, the impurities were removed, concrete, is stepping on foot and made a pile of pellets that were taking to knead by hand. For modeling was used a high moved around by the force of foot and cook, an Arabic oven, brick and square.

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