As a tourist, I felt a touch self conscious at observing these artisans at work. Their concentration despite the distraction was admirable. That didn't stop me feeling as though these people were in a zoo. I mean, it's not as though they were performance artists, seeking the gaze of strangers.
Back in the pottery factory, another young woman was etching an unfinished vase with a finely pointed tool. I wonder now if her eyes were damaged by such focus for such long hours without the aid of a magnifier. She's working so hard there are beads of sweat on the end of her nose and our being there didn't seem to faze her at all.
Like the other piece I blogged about a few days ago, I wonder what happened to this piece – if it still exists or if it's lost to time, and what became of this young lady some 22 years on.
