Ceramic bowl · Kabyle · Burnt sienna

Medium shallow rustic bowl in warm terracotta clay with hand-painted Amazigh symbols and geometric patterns- a functional serving piece that brings Mediterranean coastal charm and authentic North African craftsmanship to your table.

The Craft. Made on a traditional potter’s wheel, these bowls are modern interpretations of traditional Kabyle designs. The Kabyle people, now spread all around Algeria, have struggled to keep their culture alive, and renditions by modern ceramicists of ancestral pottery show vibrant reinterpretations of the symbols of the past, notably the lozenge and seeds (symbols of feminine and masculine fertility), the eye (protecting against the evil eye) and the diamond (symbolising the union of opposites).

The Heritage. The indigenous people of the mountainous regions east of Algiers, known as Kabyles, have retained a strong sense of Amazigh identity. Amazigh translates as ‘free people’, and the Kabyles, also known as Berbers, have succeeded in keeping with their ways as a testament to their millennial ancestry that ties with the ancient Egyptians. For hundreds of years, Kabyle women have produced earthenware objects for use in everyday life, for both domestic purposes and ritual occasions. Decorations drew on geometric Amazigh symbols transmitted generationally, and every vessel was particularised in the tradition of the woman’s own tribe or village.

Maker. Born in the Kabylie, Zahra Bacha turned to pottery after a career in teaching, under the influence of her sister, renowned ceramicist Ouiza Bacha. Zahra converted to pottery motivated to continue her sister’s life-long work for the preservation of the Kabyle pottery and culture. From her atelier in Algiers, Zahra revisits traditional forms, symbols and techniques to create modern vessels with a vibrant touch of colour. She fires her pieces two to three times using electric and wood-fired kilns.