| LOUISA
JONES (MA LOU): Jamaican Potter
 Mrs.
Louisa Jones is considered by many to be a master potter.
Her expertise in the field of pottery has earned her much
respect in the Art World internationally. But, who is Mrs.
Jones and how did she get exposed to this way of life?
"Mama"
or 'Ma Lou" as she is commonly called, was born in the
parish of St. Catherine in a district called Wynter's Pen.
She was one of a pair of twins born in 1913 to Fanny Johnson.
Ma Lou grew up in the company of many female relatives, including
her mother and grandmother, who all practiced the art of pottery.
So, by the time she was nine years old, she had begun to learn
the art.
Her
time at school was short-lived and by the age of thirteen
she left school permanently. After leaving school, she worked
as an apprentice with her mother then later branched out on
her own. Pottery became her chief source of income and, over
the years, she perfected her art. However, with the introduction
of aluminium pots in the late 1940's, the pottery industry
suffered greatly. Ma Lou was unable to sustain a living from
her pot sales and eventually ceased making pots for a duration
of three years, 1954-1957.
During
this time, Ma Lou, tried her hand at many other jobs, however,
she later received a vision which orchestrated her return
to pottery. She related that one night she was sweeping a
very dirty yard when she saw a prepared bar of dirt. She said
the bar of dirt was of the form it would have been if she
were preparing to do a pot. She interpreted this to be a sign
for her to return to pottery, and so she did.
Over
the years, Ma Lou has been recognized for her art. Her technique
is lauded as one that symbolizes the Afro-Jamaican tradition
of pottery which has been traced to the West Coast of Africa.
She has been honoured with several awards nationally and has
travelled overseas to demonstrate her art. She has also trained
many persons in the art including three of her daughters.
 Ma
Lou has made several pieces during her tenure as potter. Her
creations have includedcooking pots, yabbahs, cooling jars/monkey
jars, coal stoves, flower pots among other items. The tools
used to make these pieces are also quite simple. Ma Lou generally
uses a fork, mattock and basin for digging and carrying the
clay. Then she uses a sieve and aluminium mug to sieve and
measure the sand. A keke or broken pot bottom is used to shape
the base of the pot and calabash spoons are used to belly
the pot. Hardwood sticks are used to smooth the walls of the
piece a scraping loop made of metal to scrape the bottom.
Other tools include, a cotton rag for smoothing the rim, a
cooking pot to store sand, a wooden paddle to shape the bottom
of the pot and a river stone to burnish (rub) the pot.
A pot has to undergo six stages of processing to completion.
The first stage is to obtain the clay, then it is processed
by curing and kneading. After this, the kneaded clay is shaped
into the form of the pot then dried. The pot is then gilted
(wiped with red bauxite dissolved in water) and burnished
(rubbed vigorously with a river stone). The final process
in the production is the firing or baking of the pots.
Ma
Lou has significantly contributed to the retaining of a dying
aspect of Jamaica's heritage. She has truly earned the right
of being called a National Treasure.
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