Women collecting clay pots in a dry outdoor area with scattered branches and many pottery pieces.
A woman standing in front of a large pile of straw and clay pots, holding a stick, wearing traditional clothing and jewelry, with a serious expression.
A person with dark skin wearing a colorful headscarf, dirty shirt, and patterned skirt stands on a pile of rocks and dry branches, looking away. The scene appears to be outdoors on a clear day with a blue sky.
A woman throws hay into a large open fire on the ground, with flames and smoke rising into the air, during daytime.
A wildfire burning through dry grass and bushes, producing large flames and thick black smoke.
A woman running away from a burning field of dry grass or brush, smiling as she moves away from the fire.
Three women in traditional colorful headscarves and dresses stand outdoors with smoke in the background, with their profiles visible.
Person walking through a smoky environment with a bundle of hay, with a tree and fire in the background.
A woman and a child are burning a pile of hay during a fire, with smoke billowing in the background.
Women working outdoors at a pottery kiln site, with fire and smoke in the background, surrounded by scattered clay pots.
A person is holding a long stick and stirring a steaming clay pot inside a metal basin on blackened ground, with smoke rising from the pot.
A person standing in a foggy, hazy environment, holding what appears to be a stick or a tool, with indistinct surroundings due to the fog.
A person stand on a dirt path surrounded by a wildfire with large billowing clouds of smoke and flames on the ground, with a few trees visible in the background.
A woman carrying a bundle of hay walking past a wildfire with thick smoke and flames in the background.
A woman dressed in traditional clothing watching a large wildfire in the distance.
Silhouette of a person holding a machete against the sun during daylight, with others in the background.
A smiling African girl wearing a blue headscarf is outdoors, eating a snack.
A man wearing a colorful headscarf and patterned pants works outdoors, stirring a mixture in a metal basin amidst several emptied clay pots, with a smoky, hazy background and bare trees.
Young boy sitting on a large plastic container in a dry, dusty outdoor area while women in the background are tending a fire with pots and other items.
A pile of traditional clay pots in a rustic outdoor setting with dried grass and distant trees on a sunny day.
A cow standing in a body of water with trees and reeds in the background.
View of a boat on a calm river with a distant shoreline. The boat's structure partially obstructs the view, showing water reflections and a misty or foggy atmosphere.
Two ceramic pots on a wooden surface inside a rustic room with wooden walls and soft natural light.
Silhouette of a person standing in a small boat on a calm body of water, with distant boats and trees visible against a hazy sky.
Brushfire Potters of Mali
Through Obakki’s new endeavour to finding unique craft in all parts of the world, we ended up in the Niger river off of Segou in Mali. This remote region was accessible only by boat - and one gentleman’s job solely was to make sure the boat didn’t have water leaking through the multiple holes in the hull. At one point we even got out and pushed the boat through shallow waters.
Eventually we ended up in this village where these ladies were actively collecting brush and pots they made from nearby clay and made an enormous fire. This happens every single weekend. The raging heat of this large “kiln” cures the pots, then they’re dosed in water to cool down. These pots end up on a boat and shipped to Segou, then to Bamako at local markets.Since tourism died down in 2012 due to terrorism near Timbuktu, this village has looked for alternative methods to sell their product.
This all happened at a very peculiar time - it was the last major trip to Africa in January 2020, just before the pandemic really erupted in Europe.