EARTH WATER FIRE: Celebrating Cretan Pottery from Antiquity to the Present
Thrapsano 11 to 14 July 2019
A four-day series of cultural events on Cretan pottery recently concluded successfully. The events were organised by the Thrapsano Cultural Association, the British School at Athens (Knossos Research Centre) and the Centre for the Study of Modern Pottery – G. Psaropoulos Foundation, and co-organised by the Region of Crete with the participation of the Heraklion Ephorate of Antiquities and the potters of Thrapsano. The events included lectures on Cretan pottery from prehistoric times to Late Antiquity (Kostis Christakis, BSA Knossos Curator) and from the medieval period to the present day (Nikos Liaros, Centre for the Study of Modern Pottery – G. Psaropoulos Foundation), as well as guided tours of the palatial centre of Galatas by G. Rethemiotakis, Honorary Director of Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and of the Byzantine church of St Panteleimon at Bitzariano by Vasso Sythiakaki, Director of the Heraklion Ephorate of Antiquities. The exhibition of photographs by R. Hampe and A. Winter, curated and presented by Nikos Liaros with special permission of Heidelberg University, was especially interesting. The most moving moment was when many of those portrayed in the photographs shared their memories and emotions, fifty years on. The discussion with itinerant pithos-makers was fascinating from an ethnographic point of view. The museum educational programmes by the potters Erianna Arvaniti, Anthi Theodorou and Thalassini Bratsou of the Centre for the Study of Modern Pottery introduced young and old to the art of ceramics. The author and journalist Nikos Psilakis spoke about the Cretan diet, while archaeologist Jerolyn Morrison (Minoan Tastes) prepared dishes inspired by Minoan foods. The events were accompanied by an exhibition of traditional pottery, open-air workshops where the potters of Thrapsano presented their work, continuing an age-old tradition, and Cretan and entechno music concerts. The British School at Athens thanks all those who helped ensure this event was such a huge success.