Totana alfareros see the future in the past

The Barrio de las Ollerias in Totana has produced ceramics for over 2,000 years

There is a long history of ceramics and pottery in the town of Totana, in the south-west of the Region of Murcia, and visitors to the municipality can clearly see evience of this activity everywhere they look, with shops selling locally produced ceramics, tiled street names and references to the importance of the ceramic traditions of the municipality on every street corner.

This is particularly the case of Paseo de las Ollerías, above the west bank of the Rambla de la Santa, and Calle Tinajeras, both of which are named after establishments which in the past produced pots and urns.

It is known that the ceramics and pottery traditions which are still present in Totana go back at least to the Middle Ages, and that the skills and knowledge acquired by artisans were passed down from father to son through the generations. Even before that, though, archaeological remains just outside Totana confirm that similar crafts were carried out here over 2,600 years ago at the Iberian Las Cabezuelas site, where the inhabitants based their society on agriculture, farming and trades such as smithying, weaving and milling as well as pottery.

Even at that time the pottery activity was centred around what is now the Barrio de las Ollerías, at the foot of the hill on which Las Cabezuelas stood. This is because the location provided the three key elements for the potter’s trade: water, clay and space in which to work.

The decline of the Iberians and the arrival of the Romans brought no interruption of the tradition, and from the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD terra sigillata pottery has been unearthed. New developments followed after the departure of the Romans in the 5^th century, and the Moors stamped their own identity on the craft in the 10^th and 11^th centuries, introducing the potter’s wheel and the type of “moruno” kiln which is still in use in some places today and examples of which can be still visited in Totana.

In the past this kind of oven was treated as an asset belonging not to one craftsman but to a whole community, and the moruno kiln which has been restored in the Barrio de las Ollerías in Totana would have been used by numerous craftsmen at any one firing. These firings might take place every three weeks or so, once enough items had been prepared to fill the kiln, and of course getting the temperature and heating times exactly right was of huge importance as the livelihoods of most of the neighbourhood were at stake!

This kiln can still be visited as part of an organised tour with a guide, although is not generally open to the public for private visits.

From the 17th century onwards craftsmen in Lorca and Totana were especially renowned for the typical “tinajas”, or large earthenware pots, which were often placed inside the front door of houses in the arable farmland of the huerta and used to store oil, water or grain. These tinajas were between 70 and 140 centimetres high, and were made from red clay and finished in red ochre, and equally popular were the two-handled jugs and washing bowls produced from the same materials.

Examples of the different phases in the development of pottery in Totana can be seen in the museums of Murcia, Lorca and Almería.

Although the ceramics industry was the mainstay of the local economy during the last 200 years, producing traditional domestic tableware for the domestic market, tinajas for storing olive oil, water and grain and in latter years, garden pottery for the export market, the number of potters has decreased significantly in the last 20 years due to a number of factors, and today there are just around 15 families still pursuing this traditional craft within the town, most of them on the outskirts in an industrial setting.

It has become increasingly harder for the traditional ceramicists and potters of Totana to survive, as cheap Chinese imports which mimic designs from all over the world render it difficult to compete in international marketplaces and automated production makes it impossible to compete in the garden pot sector as these larger ceramic pieces are hand/thrown and constructed in sections by hand, a time/consuming and labour/intensive task even for a master alfarero.

Yet in spite of the difficulties faced by the sector the alfareros of Totana are finding ways to continue with their craft using the past to create a new future.

We visited three different alfareros to learn more about how each has chosen to face the future:

BELLÓN ALFAREROS.
Paseo de las Ollerías, 19.
30850 – Totana – Murcia.
801.    968 424 801.
bio@bellonalfareros.com

Click for map

The Bellón family has been working in the Barrio de Las Ollerías since 1790 and master alfarero Bartolomé Bellón Andreo, who  currently occupies the family workshop, represents the seventh generation of his family and has received numerous prizes and accolades for his work over the years.

Although the business still produces ceramics for the domestic market, production has diversified to include lighting products and a range of innovative, yet traditionally-styled lights, although the pottery has become better known for its highly detailed reproductions of historical pottery pieces.

Initially the focus was on Iberian pieces, due principally to the importance of the Iberian culture in the immediate area surrounding the Region of Murcia, where there were many Iberian settlements, but as time moved on, museums, universities, collectors and even the film industry started to call on the skills of the family to produce authentic reproductions of Argaric, Greek and Roman ceramic pieces.

The attention to detail is extraordinary; each piece an authentic copy of the original, using the correct clay and construction as the original piece, ensuring the colouring, texture and finish is as close to the original as is physically possible, and then breaking and mending the piece to reflect either the work of restorers or the repairs undertaken in the working life of the object, the final patina to all appearances, authentic.

Although the market for this type of work is highly specific, the finished pieces are works of art in their own right and the faked aging makes them highly desirable for collectors of characterful ceramics who wish to create the effect of a collection of antique pieces, but at a fraction of the cost.

Visitors to the workshop can buy pieces off the shelf or commission reproductions of any historical pieces in their own collections.

Lighting can also be made to order in a variety of finishes, or purchased in-situ.
 

ALFAR TUDELA
Ctra. de Mazarrón, km.4
Tlf:   619 198 389
C.P 30850 TOTANA (Murcia)
www.alfartudela.com
e-mail: alfartudela@gmail.com

(Located on the RM 315 1km from the roundabout joining the main motorway RM3 on the old road leading from El Paretón to Totana, about 3 km outside Totana centre).

Francisco Javier Tudela Cayuela is another seventh generation alfarero still working in the Totana municipality and can trace his potting ancestry back to the 17th century when his ancestor Melchor "Santos" Tudela and his five sons worked in the sector.

The workshops of the family are located on the outskirts of the municipality on the old road from El Paretón to Totana and focus principally on decorative items for the home and garden, with a traditionally -styled ceramic piece at the core.

Not wishing to diverge from their core market, producing traditional pots for the home and garden, the company has found its niche in creating original decoration and focuses on innovative painted designs for which it has won many important prizes. Series of large pieces have been produced focusing on historic art, and include series of Egyptian styling, cities of the world, artworks by well-known artists such as Picasso and Van Gogh and even pieces which mimic the embroidery traditions of the Murcian Huerta. Pieces are also made to any design commissioned, and the factory is happy to produce a one-off commemorative piece for a special occasion, or a series of larger pieces for hotels or private dwellings, each one hand-painted to the specific design required.

Local ex-pats wishing to purchase inexpensive unglazed pieces for their gardens can also visit the workshops and buy "seconds" directly at extremely affordable prices, as minor defects during the firing process which render the pieces unsuitable for decorative work are sold from the workshop at very low prices. The workshop also accepts commissions for single pieces, such as a special plate for an anniversary or the home.

Hernández Alfareros
Carretera nacional 340, kilómetro 620
30850 TOTANA
MURCIA
Between Totana and Alhama, alongside Muebles Fulgencio
Tel. 687407908 - 646296252 - 687407909
Email: alfareriaryh@hotmail.com

Web: www.hernandezalfareros.com

Facebook: Hernandez Alfareros

Click for map (NB: The business is located at the back of what appears to be an abandoned shopfront. Drive down the side of the premises and the entry is about 100m from the road,)

This is another seventh generation of alfareros, which is finding a new future in focusing on its past, but in this case maintaining the traditions of the past means creating  a whole new generation of skilled artisans and this family focus on education.

A visit to the workshops is an uplifting experience as the energy and enthusiasm of the next generation of potters resounds in the squeals of excitement as children make their first ever creation on a  potter's wheel, the pleasure of that first contact with clay a positive and energising experience for pupils and their teachers. School groups, family groups, social clubs and even private individuals are welcomed at an educative centre which focuses on workshops and education for all ages and provides a down-to earth and entertaining session teaching the basics of ceramics production, each pupil creating their own souvenir of the experience.

The family also focus on accurate reproductions of historic ceramics and are renowned for their detailed reproductions of museum pieces. Visitors to museums such as the Roman Salt Fish factory in Mazarrón will have seen what appear to be authentic Roman amphorae lying amongst the ruins of the factory which are in fact copies of the original pieces made by the family, who are also actively involved in the investigative work surrounding the La Bastida Argaric site in Totana. Inside the workshop complex is a reproduction of a 4,000 year old Argaric dwelling, complete with a selection of pieces reproducing the Argaric Bronze Age pottery pieces which have been recovered from Argaric sites across the Murcia Region and Almería Province using the original technique employed by Bronze Age potters.

The family is also actively involved in research projects with academics and is part of the EU funded Crafter project which aims to understand prehistoric craft techniques and support research into prehistoric production methods as well as ensure that skilled craftspeople have the capacity to continue teaching and produce accurate reproductions of prehistoric pieces.

And as if that isn´t enough, the workshops will also make any piece desired to order, including tiles, containers of any description and traditional ceramic pieces.

Buying ceramics in Totana today

Visitors to the town today can still visit the workshops of potters working in the municipality and purchase hand-made products directly from the artisans. The shops are not guaranteed to be open at any given time, so the Tourist Information Office is a good place to call in for information and up to date printed material showing the wherabouts of the remaining workshops.

As a general guide, some of the last remaining traditional workshops can be found up a dusty track alongside the rambla, by the Arco de las Ollerías, set slightly up above the road, and the remainder are dotted along the main road running between Totana and Alhama de Murcia. In these locations garden pots are plentiful, and the workshops will also paint pots or tile plaques with personalised messages and names.

Prices are extremely reasonable and some of the companies also sell factory seconds which are a real bargain!

Alfareros working in Totana today:

Alfarería Damián Cánovas
Carretera Nacional 340 Km. 620 Totana (Murcia) 30850
Teléfono: 968 422 543
e-mail: info@alfareria-damian-canovas.com

Alfarería El Polo
Avenida Juan Carlos I, 137. 30850 Totana (Murcia),
Tlf: 968 42 08 03

e-mail: info@alfareriaelpolo.com

Alfarería Hermanos Tudela
Carretera de Mazarrón Km. 4 30850 Totana
Tel. 682 10 16 29 Página
e-mail: info@alfareriatudela.com

Alfarería " POVEO"
Cerámica Artesana Tradicional Avda Rambla de la Santa, s/n 30850 Totana
Tlf y Fax: 968 421 952
www.alfareriaelpoveo.com
e-mail: jpoveo@hotmail.com

ALFAR TUDELA
Carretera de Mazarrón, 4, 30850 Totana
Tlf: 619198389
e-mail: alfartudela@gmail.com

BELLÓN ALFAREROS
Paseo Ollerías, 19 30850 Totana
Tlf: 968 424 801 Fax: 968 418 297
bellon@bellonalfareros.com
www.bellonalfareros.com

EUROPOL
CR Nacional 340, Km.620, s/n Totana
Telf: 968 42 22 16 Fax: 968425119
e-mail: europol@cajamar.es Facebook: Europol Totana
ALFARERÍA FRANCISCO PÉREZ GARRE
Camino de Antigol, 30850 Totana Tlf: 968 42 32 47 / 616 371 178
Tinajas (natural).

IRIS CERÁMICA
La Costera, s/n. 30850 Totana
Tlf: 968 42 36 56
Sin taller, comercialización

ALFARERÍA ROMERO Y HERNÁNDEZ
Fábrica de Alfarería y Cerámica Ctra. Nac. 340, Km.620 3850 TOTANA
Tlf y Fax: 968 420 643 Móvil: 687 407 909 Página
alfareriaryh@hotmail.com

OTROS ARTESANOS

MARSEDO
Marroquinería
Lebor, 339
Tlf: 968 436 877- 968 418 302. Fax: 968 438 314
www.marsedo.com
internacional@marsedo.com - marsedo@marsedo.com

Click for more information about the Totana municipality

Gallery Images in this order; Bellón Alfareros, Alfar Tudela, Hernández Alfareros