Traditional Red Clay Pottery Included on the UNESCO National Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Cyprus)

Kornos village is known for its pottery craft using the red clay of the region which is still practiced entirely by hand and included on the UNESCO National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The main instrument used to create the distinctive red pottery of various shapes and sizes is a low, slow turning, foot-powered wheel. Pieces include: pitharia (jugs used to create the bulger wheat soup 'trachanas' and used to store wine and water in olden day village life); pitharouthkia (pots to cook meat); kouzes (medium-shaped pots with necks, used to serve water), and big, open cooking utensils.

In olden days, the pots were baked in a domed shaped furnace with a high-rise door for 10 to 12 hours. During baking, the Kornos furnace’s door would be sealed shut with pieces of broken pottery.

The traditional pottery has a simple design which is limited to a few decorative strips that adorn the pots, a little below the neck, which are carved using a comb. Three techniques were applied for the decoration:

Stikti (punctate): a piece of comb is used to press down on the pot’s surface, as it is being spun on the wheel. This achieves linear designs. Furthermore, a splinter of wood or matchstick is used to create small superficial cavities / holes.

Anaglyfi (embossed): the potter creates by hand various types of birds, which it places in the belly of the pot. She designs embossed decorations on the lip of the pot or around it.

Trochoti (circular): it is a small cylindrical wheel made from wood, which is mounted on a poll in a way that allows it to spin. They would carve various shapes on it (i.e. squares) and then spin it around the pot. This decorating method is no longer used today.

Pottery created today has more decorative and aesthetic value, rather than practical and has evolved to include new types of pots such as fruit bowls, vases, mini jugs etc. After decorating, the pots are baked in modern ovens operating on gas or electricity.