Ralph EspositoCurriculum Project #1Fulbright Hays Summer Seminar, Greece and BulgariaSummer 2008

Topic: Traditional Bulgarian PotteryThe Troyan Technique

Grade Level:

This project can be adapted to students of any levelstudying ceramics. The speciﬁc audience for my use willbe post - high school/college students in an introductoryceramics class.

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Understanding:Students will gain awareness of Bulgaria including a brief overview of its history, arts, and culture.Students will understand this traditional slip decorating technique and its complexity and discovercreative variations of it.

Student Objectives:

Students will become aware of Bulgaria, its locationand historical overview, the breadth of its cultureand arts, and particularly traditional Troyan pottery.They will gain an appreciation for the skill requiredto create this type of decoration and learn that it canbe an inspiration for creative experimentation anddiscovery in their own work.

Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence

Performance TaskAfter viewing images, demonstrations, and participating in discussions students will be requiredto attempt the Troyan style of slip decorations on their own ceramic projects. They will also berequired to attempt more personal creative variations of this techniques on at least one other ceramicproject. Their completed projects and responses in discussions, demonstrations, and critiques willprovide evidence of learning and acquisition of skills.

Stage 3 - Learning Plan

Learning Activities:Students will view images of Bulgarian geography, visual arts and historical artifacts. They will alsobrieﬂy discuss Bulgarian history and contemporary arts. The students will then be required to constructsome type of pottery or clay project. Depending on their skills and the type of projects they attempt, theymay try the slip techniques on parts to be assembled later or on completed pieces. If skilled in throwing,they may attempt to use the slip designs on wheel made works. If not, they will use the techniques onslabs of clay that will then be used to construct their projects.

Overview of Activities:

Day 1 View slide show on Bulgaria/Troyan potteryDay 2 View demonstrations of techniquesDay 3 Make first attempts at slip techniques-flatDay 4 Refine techniques and experiment with themDay 5 Plan/begin projects using techniquesDay 6 Finish projectsNext week Dry work, bisque fire, glaze, and final fire.Next week Critique, discuss and reviewNote: schedule is based on three one-hour classes per week

Information about Troyan, Bulgaria

Troyan is a small town in North Bulgaria located on the banks of the Beli Ossam River in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains.The region has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithicera. During the Bronze Age a Thracian tribe lived in this valley.They were a people with highly developed arts and culture.Crafts have thrived there since the ﬁrst half of the 19

centuryduring which the Troyan School of Ceramics was born. Thetown itself was ofﬁcially declared in 1868 and has becomefamous for its handmade artwork, especially ceramics whichare sold worldwide. Today Troyan has 25, 000 inhabitants anda Museum of Folk Crafts and Applied Arts in addition to theSchool of Ceramics. The Troyan slip designs are well knownthroughout the world and can be seen across Bulgaria today.Bulgarian Potters

Information about ceramic techniques and materials

The traditional Troyan ceramic style is usually hand thrown on a pottery wheel using a local red claybody. Once dried to the leather hard stage (half dry), the pots are trimmed of excess clay. After a bitmore drying the pots are immersed in a red clay slip. A slip is any clay in a liquid state, in this caseliquid clay with color. Next, other colors of slip are added by using an ear syringe or other devices tofeed the liquid onto the pot. This was originally done with a cow horn that had a hole drilled in thetip and a chicken feather quill inserted in the hole. Applied while the pot is spinning on the wheel,alternating lines of different colors of slip are created that make horizontal bands on the piece. The linesare so close that they touch. Next, while the wheel is stationary larger blobs of slip are added at the topof the bands of color. These are frequently blobs of one color topped with a contrasting blob added inthe center and sometimes a third color on top of that. Now the artists bangs on the wheel top or stompson the ﬂywheel to cause the blobs to slide down the side of the pot. This jarring creates a downwardmovement in the horizontal bands as well. The bands between the blobs do not move. Finally theﬁnishing touches are created by feathering the bands in between and around the areas where the blobsand bands have moved downward. (See photos.) After controlled slow re-dryingback to the leatherhard stage, any additions (handles, knobs, etc.) are attached.

Steps in the process

Obtain clay from your local ceramic supplier. I have experimented with anumber of clays and would recommend a low temperature red earthenware. Thecolor works well and it has good working properties for both handbuilding andthrowing. Roll out slabs or throw forms to start.• Preparing slipsThe simplest way to try the Troyan techniques is to purchase commerciallyprepared underglazes or slips (sometimes called engobes) for the temperaturerange you will fire. Two readily available brands are Amaco Liquid UnderglazeDecorating colors and Velvet Underglazes. These are usuallytoo fluid but will work on horizontal surfaces. They are moreexpensive than making your own but are very easy as they arepre-mixed.Or:Mix your own slips (see included formulas) for the atmosphereand temperature range you will fire (should match your clay).Make sure to get the consistency the same for all colors andscreen well to make smooth. Consistency effects the way theblobs and bands move.