Fayoum Hand-Painted Ceramic Plate · Small

Hand-painted Egyptian ceramic plate from the Fayoum Pottery School, Tunis village. Wheel-thrown from Nile Valley clay, these small plates depict scenes from the everyday life of the Fayoum countryside - donkeys, birds, palm fronds and human figures rendered in natural dyes on an ivory glaze. Each plate is individual; variants differ in the arrangement of motifs. 

The Craft. Made from clay sourced from the Nile Valley, each plate is wheel-thrown and left to dry before decoration begins. The surface is painted entirely by hand - village scenes drawn from the everyday life of the Fayoum oasis: figures, donkeys, birds and palm fronds rendered in natural dyes. A clear glaze is then applied over the whole piece and the plate is fired once, sealing colour, decoration and form in a single pass through the kiln. Because each plate is painted individually, the arrangement of motifs varies from piece to piece.

The Heritage. Although pottery-making was widespread in Egypt during Pharaonic times, by the late 20th century decreasing demand had led to the craft's near disappearance. Life in the farming village of Tunis in the verdant Fayoum oasis took a dramatic turn in the 1980s when Swiss-born potter Evelyne Porret made the village her home. Together with her husband Michel Pastore, she opened the Fayoum Pottery School, inspiring the village children to tap into their creative potential. Today, those students have opened their own workshops, exhibiting true artistic talent and reverence for their mentor whilst keeping the ancient craft alive.

The Maker. Mahmoud Yousef eagerly joined the Fayoum Pottery School at age ten, though his love of clay began earlier when he played on his family's farm, using clay to model the rich wildlife of the oasis. He continues to work with clay today, as stylised animal and vegetal motifs, particularly the jolly donkey, keep springing from his steady hand.