Saturday 21 February 2009

Dhank ...


The grounds of the factory are connected to current and defunct pits from where the clay was drawn. It also has its own industrial mixer that saves time and money on the immense task of creating the clay by hand.The end result is a seemingly endless source of bukure burners, bowls, water holders and storage urns. The current factory has been operating since 1993 but its earlier life as a backyard business is evident when you observe the different styles of architecture as buildings have been added on.At the entrance to Bahla is a small pottery works that was developed by the government with some help from Chinese experts. In fact, Beijing has donated a lot of equipment and provided some technology to help further establish Bahla as a pottery capital. Shards of brightly coloured Chinese pottery have recently been excavated on Omani sites.While Dhank is historically known for its genies and alchemy, it seems the best magic is in the beautiful care taken when establishing the souk, which is in the town square and shaded by a huge tree. In this souk, arguably like every souk in the Sultanate, the magic of the potters' paw is for sale in solid clay.

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