Knowing Pottery Arts: The Art Of Making Bejana From Tanah Lihat

YOGYAKARTA - Have you ever seen a bowl, flower vas, or jug from clay and thought about how to make it? That's what is called pottery. Simply put, pottery is the art of making containers or vessels from clay.

This craft is nothing new. Pottery has existed thousands of years ago, even since prehistoric times when humans began to need containers to store water or food. Now, pottery is not only seen as a practical necessity, but also as a form of art, tradition, and a calming hobby.

As previously mentioned, pottery is made by forming clay and other ingredients into containers such as jugs, bowls, plates, and other forms. Pottery manufacturing begins by forming clay into certain objects. Objects that have been formed then are heated at high temperatures in the combustion furnace to remove water levels from clay. This allows changes in printed objects, increase their strength and durability while maintaining their shape permanently.

Pottery makers can decorate clay bodies before or after burning. However, some processes require clay to go through certain preparations to successfully create a work. With the donation process, which is to massage clay with your hands, the humidity in the clay can spread throughout the surface. If done properly, the clay will have even water levels and you are just one step away from working.

Pottery has existed since ancient humans explored the earth. As one of the oldest human discoveries, pottery practices have grown along with civilization. The earliest ceramics have been estimated to date back to 29,000 BC.

Reporting from Deneenpottery, one of the most popular works from this period is Venus of Dolni Vestonice, a naked woman-shaped ceramic statue found in the Czech Republic.

Since clay is found almost everywhere, ancient humans have easy access to this material, which allows them to form the world they observe around them. With limited access to equipment, clay also allows them to form a wide variety of things: human statues, bowls, eating utensils, and more.

As soon as ancient humans discovered the fire, they discovered that heating these clays that had formed turned them into permanent material and were much more useful, especially objects such as bowls, plates, and eating utensils to store and prepare food.

As civilization progresses, pottery continues to grow, it even helps humans survive and improve their standard of living.

For example, about 21,000 years ago, people in East Asia were hit by a very cold climate over a long period of time. To survive, these ancient people had to get the maximum calorie value and nutrition of their food. Potery is the solution. By making pottery, they can cook food and increase the intake of nutrients from plants and meat, the general foods found in the area.

Due to its many uses, pottery has been respected throughout history. Of course, for centuries, pottery has grown to more than just functional ceramics.

Reporting from EMC Healthcare, Here are some psychological or mental health benefits that can be obtained from pottery activities:

When doing pottery activities, our eyes, hands and feet need to coordinate the movement to be harmonious and harmonious. The eyes pay attention so that the mind focuses on the hand that forms clay, while the legs rotate the wheels on the tool. The touch and pressure exerted by the hands on the clay adjusts to the speed of the legs turning the wheels, so that the creative process carried out can provide results or shapes according to expectations.

2. Lower stress levels

During childhood, playing with a medium that has a variety of textures is very important for children's development. One of them is a touch that can explore tactile or taste as one of the first growing senses. As a teenager or adult, activities to form pottery also have the benefits of stimulating tactile or taste with touch and pressure.

During the process of forming pottery, a calm atmosphere and a mind focused on touch and hand pressure on the ground can have a relaxation effect on the body. This relaxed condition sends signals to the brain that the body is in a comfortable situation, thereby reducing cortisols or hormones that cause stress and affect blood pressure to become more stable and the rhythm of breathing becomes more regular.

3. Stabilize emotions

When making clay crafts, without realizing it, the mind and body are in the process of meditation. Meditation is to focus the mind on one thing and put other thoughts aside, especially negative thoughts that can cause stress. Play repeated movements, form a meditative situation during the manufacturing process that can help relieve concerns, fatigue, and frustration. When all these negative thoughts are reduced, focused thoughts and calm feelings will facilitate emotional management and keep them more stable.

4. Increase self-confidence

During the process of making pottery, we are free to express ourselves through the creations that will be produced. Freedom of expression provides self-control in carrying out every potential manufacturing process, such as the shape to be made, the speed of wheel rotation, the pressure given, and so on. pottery work shows self productivity in achieving something. This is able to provide and increase self-confidence and a sense of value in oneself.