Her hands know every movement by heart. Solange Akakpo has been shaping clay since she was a child.
A member of the women’s pottery association “Akpénin Mahou”, she is carrying on her family tradition in Sè, a village in south-western Benin, celebrated as the country’s pottery capital.
The raw material, clay, comes from the lowlands of the village of Dota, and is first dried and crushed.
“We’ve inherited this craft from our mothers, who used to make terracotta pots and vases,” said Akakpo.
“When the clay arrives, we crush it and leave it to dry in the sun. Then we soak it in well water to make the clay paste. After that, we carry on with the other stages right up to the firing.”
