Abstract:

The study aims to shed light on the pottery making in Africa (South of the Sahara) to explain its importance as one of the major crafts that satisfy basic and social needs of different communities. It also aims to stress the central role of African women in all the stages of the pottery making process, from clay preparation, forming, firing, ornamenting and selling. Sample pottery products from, Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and Malawi, shows the dominant role of African women in the pottery making process. Inherited traditional techniques are still preserved and practiced. The study concludes by pointing out that pottery is still known as a woman's job in many parts of Africa, and it is still practiced in similar traditional techniques and forms and applications.