How it began
The pottery skills of the women of Sejnane, in northern Tunisia, are a specific technique for producing terracotta objects for the home, including cooking utensils, dolls and animal figurines inspired by the surroundings. UNESCO does not give a start date for the practice. Press coverage describes it as about 3,000 years old, and the decoration recalls traditional tattoos and Berber weaving. All stages of the work are carried out by women.
How it works
The clay is usually taken from wadi beds. It is cut into blocks, crushed, purified and soaked in water, then kneaded and shaped by hand. After firing, the pots are decorated with two-tone geometric patterns. The women also sell the pots in the village and along nearby roads, and men take part in sales, which makes it a family-based craft.
How it spread
Knowledge passes through traditional and informal teaching in the community, where daughters are encouraged to learn the craft alongside going to school. Tunisia's National Office for Crafts also runs training courses for young women who want to take it up.
Where it stands today
The potters have adapted their output to modern needs and to changes in demand. The skill was inscribed in 2018 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which notes the prominent place the craft gives women in the community.
