ቁሳቁስ እንስራ
አማርኛ

Ethiopian pottery

እንስራEnsira

How is an ensira made? From wet clay to cool water.

A step-by-step look at how the big clay jar that water is carried home in, and kept in, is built up by hand, fired and used.

See the stepsWhat is an ensira?

What is an ensira?እንስራ ምንድን ነው?

An ensira is a large traditional clay jar for carrying and keeping water.

An ensira is a large clay jar with a wide round belly, a short neck and a thick lip. Women fill it at a spring or a river and carry it home on their backs in a rope sling. At home it stands on its ring and holds the household's drinking water.

The clay is left unglazed, so a little water seeps through the wall and evaporates from the outside, which keeps the water inside cool. Ensiras are also used to brew and keep tella and tej, and their shape and decoration differ from region to region.

The parts of an ensira

ክፍሎች

Every part has a job to do with water, from carrying it to pouring it and keeping it cool.

An ensira of red fired clay standing on a ring of three coils of wrapped straw, on a packed-earth floor beside a coiled carrying rope and a small clay cup with water in it. It comes apart into the pieces the potter builds: the tall round belly, the short neck and its thick lip, the two lug handles on the shoulder, and the cup turned upside down on the lip as its lid. It stands 494 mm and holds 24.6 litres. Point at the figure, or at a part in the list, to see that part. The arrow keys step through the parts, Space takes it apart or puts it together, and Escape puts it back.

  1. The wide round belly holds the water. Full, it weighs over twenty kilos.

  2. The short neck lets water pour without spilling, and the thick lip keeps the mouth from chipping.

  3. Two small handles on the shoulder. The rope runs through them to hold the jar on the carrier's back.

  4. A cup turned upside down on the mouth. It keeps out dust, and water is drawn with it.

  5. A ring of coiled straw that holds the round-bottomed jar upright.

How an ensira is made, step by step

አሠራር

An ensira is too big to make in one go: the potter builds it up round by round, letting each part firm up before the next goes on.

  1. ፩Step 1

    Prepare the clay

    ሸክላውን ማዘጋጀት

    The clay is soaked, mixed with sand and kneaded until it is even and free of air.

  2. ፪Step 2

    Make the base

    መሠረቱን መሥራት

    The round bottom is pressed out inside a shallow mould, often the base of an old broken pot.

  3. ፫Step 3

    Build up the belly

    ሆዱን መገንባት

    Thick coils of clay are laid on round by round, widening out and then curving back in to make the belly, and beaten smooth with a paddle.

  4. ፬Step 4

    Neck and lip

    አንገትና ከንፈር

    When the belly has firmed up, the short neck goes on, and the lip is turned out and left thick so it will not chip.

  5. ፭Step 5

    Add the lugs

    ጆሮዎቹን መለጠፍ

    Two small clay lugs are pressed onto the shoulder. The carrying rope runs through them.

  6. ፮Step 6

    Decorate and dry

    ማስጌጥና ማድረቅ

    Lines and a band of thumb-pressed dots go round the shoulder, and the jar dries slowly in the shade for days.

  7. ፯Step 7

    Fire it

    በእሳት ማቃጠል

    The jar is fired in an open fire, which hardens the clay and gives it its red colour. It is now ready to carry water.

The ensira and water

ውኃና እንስራ

  • From the spring

    ከምንጭ እስከ ቤት

    Women and girls walk to the spring in the early morning and carry the full jar home on their backs, tied on with rope.

  • Cool water

    ቀዝቃዛ ውኃ

    Water evaporating through the wall cools the jar, so the water stays cool even on a hot day.

  • Tella and tej

    ጠላና ጠጅ

    Ensiras are also used to brew and keep home-made tella beer and tej, honey wine.

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