Pote artesanal de Cesar Teixeira, olaria tradicional de Minho, Portugal

Pot

Name: Pot
Brand: Ra-Ro
SKU: 06PT07CTE0008
Price: 60.20 EUR
Availability: InStock

60,20 €

Available

Ra-Ro IndexVery RareWhat is the Ra-Ro Index?

Traditional clay is fired. Gondar's dark clay is forged. Forged from the fire of the soenga, a technique invented by local artisans in the early 17th century, where a traditional open-air fire bursts into flames reaching a temperature of 1000ºC,...

Read the story of the piece

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Handmade byCésar Teixeira

Dimensions

Diameter > 20 cm
Height > 22 cm

Care

Handling
Due to the unique, handcrafted nature of this piece, please handle it with care to avoid accidental knocks or drops. Avoid sudden changes in temperature, as this can cause cracking.

Storage
If used for decorative purposes, use a dry cotton cloth or soft brush to remove dust.

Store in a safe place where it is protected from possible impacts.

Shipping and returns

Shipping time: Approximately > 3 weeks

We ship worldwide. You have 14 days to return the piece free of charge. Payment is secure and encrypted.

Gondar black clay

Pot

A three-legged pot in Gondar black clay, with the smoke of the soenga on its surface.

Ra-Ro IndexVery Rare

What is the Ra-Ro Index?

The story

In Gondar, clay is not baked, it is *forged in the soenga fire*. An open-air bonfire reaches 1000 °C and infuses the clay with the *black smoke* that gives it this tone. This three-legged pot was made by *César Teixeira and his son João*, the last people in the world still practising this technique.

Story of the piece

Pot

A dark clay piece born from an ancestral fire.

Traditional clay is baked. The dark clay of Gondar is forged. Forged from the fire of the soenga, a technique invented by local artisans in the early 17th century, where an outdoor, traditional fire bursts into flames that reach a temperature of 1000ºC, infusing the clay pieces with black smoke, giving them their historically unique hue.

As you read this, César Teixeira and his son João, from the village of Gondar (Minho, Portugal) are the last people on Earth who still conjure the soenga to make elegant, mysterious, dark clay pieces like this Pot (pote) - utilitarian and decorative, however it suits your taste.

In numbers

The piece in facts.

Height22cm

With a diameter of 20 cm.

Fire temperature1000°C

The open-air soenga fire reaches 1000 °C.

Origin of the soengaXVIIcentury

A technique invented by Gondar's artisans in the early 17th century.

See the piece

See every detail.

Overview

The whole piece

A traditional form, darkened by the soenga smoke.

1
Lid knobA small knob to lift the lid.
2
HandleShaped from the same black clay as the piece.
3
Smoke marksThe soenga smoke leaves unique tones on every piece.
4
Three legsThe legs raise the pot above the surface.

Parts

Taken apart

The parts come apart and fit back together.

1
HandleShaped from the same black clay as the piece.
2
LidIts own lid, made from the same clay.
3
BellyA full, generous curve.
4
Three legsThe legs raise the pot above the surface.

Interior

Inside

The interior keeps the marks of the wheel and the fire.

1
InteriorInside, the clay is darkened by the smoke too.
2
MouthA rounded lip, shaped on the manual wheel.

About the piece

Dimensions and care.

Dimensions

Diameter > 20 cm
Height > 22 cm

Care

Shipping time

Approximately > 3 weeks

The technique

ABOUT SOENGA

Soenga is a technique invented by Gondar artisans in the 17th century, where a traditional open-air fire reaches 1000°C, infusing the clay pieces with black smoke that gives them their historically unique hue.

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Meet the Producer

THE LAST MASTER OF SOENGA

César Teixeira is the last active soenga master in Europe, preserving a 17th-century craft that transforms clay into art pieces darkened by fire, with the help of his son João.

discover the story

The journey

Cesar Teixeira

Origins and Training

César Teixeira was born in 1969 in Gondar, a small village in Amarante, where he still lives and works. At 18, he apprenticed under master potter Manuel Teixeira, learning two rare, ancestral techniques he would never let go of: the low, horizontal, hand-turned wheel for shaping clay, and the soenga, a fire-pit method of firing clay that echoes ancient pagan rituals and turns clay pieces into darkened works of art.

Practice and Legacy

While César still holds a day job at the local hospital, the dark clay of Gondar remains his lifeblood. He is the last active soenga master in Europe, preserving a craft whose roots in Gondar date back to the 17th century. And you know what? His workshop is in an old, disused primary school, the very same one where he learned to read and write as a little boy.

Continuity Through Generations

But César is no longer alone. His son João joined him after returning home from Caldas da Rainha, where he trained as a ceramist at the prestigious ESAD. He has learned the gestures, the patience, the timing of fire and earth.

Community Engagement and Preservation

Together, they work on commission and lead public soengas and workshops, inviting others to shape and fire, fighting to keep Gondar’s ceramic heritage alive.

TIMELESS

Traditional clay is fired. The dark clay of Gondar is forged. Forged in the fire of the soenga, a technique that turns clay into works of art with centuries of history. César Teixeira and his son João are the last people on Earth who still summon the soenga to make elegant, mysterious clay pieces. This vinegar cruet is more than a functional or decorative object; it is a living testament to cultural resilience. Each piece carries the ancestral warmth of the fire, the patience of gestures learned across generations, and the memory of a village that keeps its identity alive through clay.

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