Hamouda, Joseph Bull’s contact, works in the pottery village. Nearby, there’s an Amm Arafa, a supplier that offers all the glazing and pottery materials. Amm Arafa passed away a couple of months ago, and his daughter and sister now run the store. Hamouda’s workspace is well-equipped for experimentation, with two kilns—a medium-sized one and a smaller one that heats up faster, making it perfect for testing.
During our conversation, Hamouda mentioned Minya and Naqada, where he had worked with John O’Caroll, constructing kilns and creating pottery reminiscent of pre-dynastic Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles. The kilns in Minya are traditional, dug into the ground, and would be accessible for us to experiment with as well.
He explained the impact of different kiln types on materials. While his kilns are electric and gas-fired, the original wood-fired kilns cause oxidation that alters colors, particularly with copper oxide, resulting in unintended shifts in hues. To avoid this, he suggested placing materials in sealed vessels to control the firing process.
Hamouda gave us a tour of his upstairs space, which functions as both a museum and a showroom of his experimental work.
While we were discussing material lists, Joseph Bull sent us notes, which we reviewed with Hamouda. He confirmed that acquiring everything was manageable but advised getting supplies in advance.
We will need:
- Ball clay
- nepheline SY
- Soda Ash
- Baking soda
- silica/ quartz
- copper carb
- Epsum salt