Meet the last potter in Beit Shabab BEIT SHABAB, Lebanon: Fawzi Fakhoury’s hands are calloused and brown. Hours of shaping tough clay and standing in front of a burning wood oven have stained them shades darker than the rest of his body and toughened them so they are like leather. He is a short man with salt and pepper hair and bushy eyebrows, dressed in simple, mud-stained clothes. His weathered hands stand testimony to the thousands of pots he has created for the better part of his life. Fakhoury is the last working potter in Beit Shabab. The scenic village is nestled in Lebanon’s mountains just outside of Beirut. Sixty years ago, dozens of Beit Shabab families produced traditional pottery, and the heat from 40 burning ovens could be felt on the streets during the summer, he explains. The town’s name was synonymous with pottery, and people came from around the country to purchase the artisanal clay pots, used for storing everything from arak to grains, olive oil and wine. Now, he is the only one left. Fakhoury’s workshop resembles a hermit’s cave. Though dark and dusty, it remains well used and loved. Perched precariously on the edge of a small but steep ravine, Fakhoury’s working space has a crumbling old stone facade nestled into the mountain itself. Read more: dailystar.lb/Culture/Lifestyle/2013/Jun-20/220923-meet-the-last-potter-in-beit-shabab.ashx#ixzz2WsQzZILO (The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: dailystar.lb)
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:31:27 +0000
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