The Indigenous Yoruba Pottery: Processes and Products

One thing that is fundamental to all that has ever been or that can be is subject to process. The principle of production in all sectors is attached to process; for instance for rice to have been on the table for the eater, it has gone through planting, harvesting, winnowing, parboiling, drying, packaging which in inclusion is referred to as processing. This paper focuses on the processes and products of indigenous Yoruba pottery, which could not have been without the indigenous processes involved. The paper showcases the efforts of indigenous Yoruba potters in getting pots ready for various uses in African societies and the universe at large. It further observed the various techniques being employed by Yoruba potters such as gathering materials (clay, firewood), preparing, moulding, drying, firing; and types of pots and it uses.  The paper employed the use of primary and secondary data sources; field work was embarked upon to collect data from potters in some pottery towns and villages where pottery is still viable in Yoruba communities of Nigeria.  Findings revealed that the processes of indigenous Yoruba pot making are multifaceted, however the various processes are entrenched in the five major stages that is general to pottery making; which are clay digging, preparation, moulding, drying and firing. Keywords: Indigenous Yoruba pottery, Yoruba potters, Process, Product

Waste Management in Nigeria: An Essential Tool to Visual Arts Profession

The global waste menace is a huge challenge, and Nigeria is not left behind. Waste management is a challenge in Nigeria and a joint effort by all and sundry alone can help solve the problem. These efforts range from employing the Rs in waste management. Foremost is Reduction of waste, which of course gets fewer materials into the waste stream. Following is Reuse, Recycle, Recovery and in recent times Repurposing, as well as other additional Rs. Visual arts discipline is a peculiar discipline with regards to waste management. Just like humans have done things in certain ways since time immemorial without understanding the reasons, visual artists have found themselves managing wastes in one way or the other. This study was undertaken to understand some current practices, reasons behind such, and propose greener and sustainable ways by which visual artists can position themselves well as waste managers within Nigeria. Keywords: Visual Arts, Waste Management, Repurposed Material, Sustainable Environmen

ANALYTICAL RESULTS OF PROTON-INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION (PIXE) PROBE OF YORUBA POTTERY OBJECTS

Two hundred and sixteen (216) Yoruba ceramic (pottery) objects in Ita Yemoo Museum collection, Ile-Ife, Nigeria were examined; a sample size of twenty–four (24) pottery objects, ten per cent (10%) of the pottery selected using systematic random sampling to determine their material contents ('chemical fingerprints'). Qualitative, descriptive and evaluative data were collected for analysis. Material compositional information was assessed with the use of Proton-induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) technique; PIXE result returned twenty-three (23) elements that are used as chemical fingerprints for the selected pottery objects. Major, minor and trace elements discovered were expressed in parts per million (ppm). The study concluded that the data similarities, differences, and correlation provided enhanced provenance data generation useful in taxonomic and provenance determination of potteries with the possibility of generating a database to identify Yoruba ceramic objects generally