A morning in Nachiarkoil
How a lamp is cast in a village near Kumbakonam, from wax to brass.
Caring for terracotta
Unglazed clay breathes. A few habits keep it from staining or cracking.
Terracotta from Manamadurai is fired at a high heat for clay of its kind, which makes it stronger than most. But it is still unglazed and porous, which means it takes in water, and that affects how you use and clean it.
Before using a vase for fresh flowers, soak it in clean water for an hour and let it dry in the shade for a day. This seasons the clay and reduces seepage. Even so, an unglazed vase will slowly sweat water, so put a saucer or a cloth mat under it on wooden furniture. For fresh flowers kept for days at a time, use a glass insert.
To clean, rinse with water and scrub gently with a coconut-fibre brush. Do not use soap; the clay absorbs it and holds the smell. For white salt marks on the outside, a cloth dampened with a little vinegar removes most of them.
Keep terracotta away from sudden heat changes. Pouring hot water into a cold pot, or moving a vase from a cold room into direct midday sun, can crack it. Over the years the colour will deepen and soften with handling. That patina is part of the piece, and we think it is one of the nicest things about it.
