Water Containers in Traditional Pottery and Examples of Anatolia, India and Spain

Abstract

Water, which is the most important factor in the existence of life and us, and the building stone of human metabolism, has been a very important factor symbolizing both the cause of war and peace, as it is the most powerful weapon of civilizations throughout history. Human beings have preferred to set up residential areas in every area alongside the water source. Because of the vital necessity of water, they needed various transport containers to bring it to their table. In all civilizations, pottery products were the water suppliers, which was one of the first discoveries of mankind as the first water transportation containers. With the pottery products, water was easily transported to every area of life. In the water pots, one of the earliest productions of pottery art, the aim was to keep and carry water, yet in time the desire to produce unique and aesthetic forms that reflected different cultures became prominent. The time period and its conditions led to new pursuits in the pottery production to meet the emerging needs. This is one of the factors that play an important role in the development of traditional pottery and water containers in all communities. In this article, water containers that fade into oblivion as the artifacts of traditional pottery production are examined depending on the results of investigations in some museums and ateliers in Anatolia, India and Spain.