:( my cup broke ... so I decided to study 10,000 years of Pottery History

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 21 тра 2021
  • Get 50% OFF your first bag of coffee with Trade Coffee when you click here cen.yt/TradeMorganDonner and enter code ‘MorganD50’

    My beloved little 16th-century style cup has been broken for years, but somehow that just made it my FAVORITE cup to use. I don't know, chipped and imperfect things just call to me I guess 💔
    This video is part Ceramics 101, part History of Pottery, and part ode-to-broken-things. Enjoy the confusion with me!
    Check out Reannag Teine!
    - Their Shoppe: www.reannagteine.com/Products...
    - Their UA-cam: / reannagteine
    🛒Links to varous stuff in this video 🛒
    (FYI: all the "amzn" links are affiliate links, but not the others)
    My necklace that y'all keep asking about: www.etsy.com/listing/929600845/
    My Coffee Pot (I've been using this thing for nearly 10 years, it's amazing): amzn.to/3wsDp2U
    My travel mug that I showed for like two seconds: amzn.to/3yw90m4
    And the Mimic Sticker on aforementioned mug: www.themonsterinn.co.uk/produ...
    Blue-grey dress with embroidery: www.eshakti.com/shop/Dresses/...
    My watch that no one ever asks about but I love to death: amzn.to/3fFRROh
    Driving goggles: vulgati.com/products/the-glen...
  • Навчання та стиль

КОМЕНТАРІ • 475

  • @Ash-fo7un
    @Ash-fo7un 3 роки тому +770

    Fun fact, fabric was pressed into pots to increase friction and make holding them easier, especially when they were for collecting water and were prone to getting slippery. Let me tell you, trying to figure out if the fabric was made with an S-twist vs a Z-twist is not the funnest part of archaeology, because sometimes you've got less than a centimeter of relief to figure that out from. It wasn't until I started spinning my own yarn and weaving that I really appreciated how releavent it was to textile production. Wish I had learned that earlier.

    • @KiMoKo9787
      @KiMoKo9787 3 роки тому +12

      Like a relief style so the imprint creates texture or pressed and layered and into the works? Would it survive in the kilns, if so that is incredible!

    • @YetAnotherJenn
      @YetAnotherJenn 3 роки тому +40

      @@KiMoKo9787 I make pottery and I use my Great Grandmother's crochet to make imprints on some dishes I make. It makes my heart glad.

    • @lyreparadox
      @lyreparadox 3 роки тому +13

      @@KiMoKo9787 In the pieces I worked on, it was just pressed into the wet clay to add texture. Other things were often added to the clay though, to give it strength and help it hold together, like crushed shell.

    • @apcolleen
      @apcolleen 3 роки тому +10

      Do you watch Time Team or Townsends on youtube? Experimental archeology is so fun!

    • @OxsanaAriadneValentina
      @OxsanaAriadneValentina 3 роки тому +9

      This right here is why I always read the comments! ❤️

  • @aureusyarara
    @aureusyarara 3 роки тому +508

    my mom was widowed from her second husband in 2013. about 6 months later she finally got the courage to start clearing out his stuff. upon opening his underwear drawer, she found 6 unopened pairs of extremely high quality woolen socks. she'd bought 10 pairs for him back in 2006 while on a trip in Austria.
    He'd seldom worn those socks bc he treasured them so much, to the point that he only ever wore them to court (he was a lawyer), hand-washed them and darned them religiously, and only opened the next pack when his current pair was truly beyond salvaging.
    seeing the more than half of the socks unopened, still in the original packaging with the price tags on, months after he died.... it really drove home for the entire family the importance of *enjoying* the things you have that you love, rather than hoarding them "for later", because "later" might never come.
    my mom gave the socks to the maid's son, without telling him what they meant, how much they had cost, how much they had been treasured. The dude loved those socks while they lasted.

    • @lizZLupin
      @lizZLupin 3 роки тому +31

      This story was very touching. Thanks for sharing! My Grandma and my Dad always told me that things are meant to be used and enjoyed, not hoarded away. :-)

    • @rachelg9873
      @rachelg9873 3 роки тому +21

      I like to think your mother's second husband appreciates the enjoyment his "still new" socks gave the guy that used them. Even though I don't know either of them.
      Man... I'm invested in these people. You're a good writer.

    • @karenw8481
      @karenw8481 3 роки тому +14

      I think “saving things for good” was due to living through the depression. My mom would save her best clothes and only wear them at special times. You never knew if or when you would be able to get another.

    • @jolienvsndijk
      @jolienvsndijk 3 роки тому +22

      I definitely support darning your socks though. Enjoying your stuff also includes repairing them instead of just throwing them away at the slightest inconvenience.

    • @Triad637
      @Triad637 2 роки тому +3

      You've related a story that defines a breed of humanity with 'superior intellect' ie, knowing and respecting value head-to-tail, straw to sheep to silken strand, in a day when marketers wished patrons know the price of everything and value of nothing. Bless you.

  • @sadiebelcreations
    @sadiebelcreations 3 роки тому +96

    "I don't want to hinder the fullness of my life because I'm trying to take the careful path" ... I think you might have just given me a new motto

  • @MendyLady
    @MendyLady 3 роки тому +309

    The shape of the cup, the style of the decoration, the "hand" of the artist.. I was like, that looks just like the cup I bought at West Kingdom 12th night two years ago! So I went and looked, and yep!!

    • @MorganDonner
      @MorganDonner  3 роки тому +79

      Cup twinsies! That's so awesome!

    • @andreadake5049
      @andreadake5049 3 роки тому +9

      How much were they? I tried their site but can't find any pricing information. 404 error 😖

    • @RangerTam
      @RangerTam 3 роки тому +27

      @@andreadake5049 They are currently in the middle of updating the website. The main page says "If you come across a broken link, please try refreshing the page (we may be actively updating that page) and if the error persists, please email us with which page the issue is on and what the problem is. Thank you for your patience" Hope that helps! I've bought many times from this vendor and they're awesome people.

    • @FennecTheRabbit
      @FennecTheRabbit 3 роки тому

      @@andreadake5049 I had the same problem and let them know. Things seem to be working now, ordered a cup from them a few days ago.

  • @hierismail
    @hierismail 3 роки тому +466

    Ah Morgan, I see what you did there. You're dress has similar flowers as the cup! I always love the attention to detail.

    • @bekkil9024
      @bekkil9024 3 роки тому +21

      Not to forget the similar red flowers in the jewelry. I loved this attention to detail as well!

  • @severerisk1581
    @severerisk1581 3 роки тому +155

    One of my closest friend's Granddad (they are defacto family to myself as well) always told us when we got something new "just toss it in the back of the pickup and let it get some scratches, then ye don't have to worry about it anymore" , i miss that old boy so much.

  • @midnightqueen3332
    @midnightqueen3332 3 роки тому +468

    An art teacher once gave me the most important lesson in life- We were making these huge coil pots. Mine was supposed to be like a greek style water urn that would have been carried on a pair of poles. My pot kept deviating from the template. I hated it, I wanted to smash it and start over. My teacher said to me one day as I worked on it after hours- " There is perfection in imperfection". I would be heartbroken today, if it broke. It is precious to me.

    • @elinorwinchester9067
      @elinorwinchester9067 3 роки тому +51

      I had a coworker who would say, “They’re not imperfections, they’re personalizations.” It’s a one of a kind thing you’ve made, enjoy it!

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому +22

      Flawlessness is not a requirement for perfection, and perfection is a matter of taste. In fact, if something is completely flawless it’s actually really boring; you notice that it’s very good, and then you don’t think about it any more.

    • @sanjivjhangiani3243
      @sanjivjhangiani3243 3 роки тому +19

      There is a Japanese word for that concept, wabi-sabi.

    • @midnightqueen3332
      @midnightqueen3332 3 роки тому +2

      @@sanjivjhangiani3243 I am shocked I have never seen anything of this. I have been obsessed with the Japanese culture, and absolutely adore the kintsugi artists for broken pottery restoration/beautification.

    • @zanet391
      @zanet391 3 роки тому +11

      I actually heard something similar but with quilts. The most basic version of the sentiment is "You're more likely to use an imperfect quilt with lots of mistakes as opposed to a perfect one you'll be afraid to ruin."

  • @herbyLW
    @herbyLW 3 роки тому +257

    I inherited so many pricey useable things from my gram, but I couldn't justify keeping it if I wasn't going to use it. This kinda came to me after I realized people were "saving" my baby quilts for when the kid is older. I just wanted them to use and love it to death so I could make a new one. Items are made to be used.

    • @ash-vj5vn
      @ash-vj5vn 3 роки тому +27

      Some people will get (or make) two identical baby blankets, one for the baby to ruin over years of play and comfort, and one to preserve in its new state for a memory box or something. I think that’s much more practical than never letting your kid play with stuff!

    • @tinekejoldersma
      @tinekejoldersma 3 роки тому +13

      Absolutely, I use all my inherited pottery and porcelain. One I gave to a museum as it was so beautiful and rare. The rest, I love using it.

    • @blisles7626
      @blisles7626 3 роки тому +3

      I have my Gran's favourite plates, they are plain ones picked up here and there and that she used daily, they get used often but don't go in the dishwasher, just in case.

    • @dianeshelton9592
      @dianeshelton9592 3 роки тому +3

      @@tinekejoldersma I know we sleep on linen sheets, drink out of Chrystal glasses and have a 12 people dinner service that gets brought out at Christmas or other celebratory dinners.
      They are memories for my husband but have rarely been used and I won’t have anything in my small house that isn’t used.

    • @firegodessreiko
      @firegodessreiko 3 роки тому +8

      My grandmother has a BEAUTIFUL crocheted shawl that was given to her for a wedding present....it stays in the drawer because it's 'too nice' to be worn. I'm an avid knitter and crocheter myself and find it so very very sad that such a beautiful item will probably never be seen or enjoyed. This kind of stuff is made to be loved! It would make me SO happy to hear that someone loved something that I'd made them so much that it had worn out and they needed a new one.... that's kind of the point....

  • @Midlife_Manical_Mayhem
    @Midlife_Manical_Mayhem 3 роки тому +64

    most people: breaks a cup; goes to store to replace it.
    morgan donner breaks cup: lets learn the history of pottery and make a new one.

  • @Caithlin92
    @Caithlin92 3 роки тому +82

    I think clothes for reenactment should be a bit "worn looking", because it looks much more lived in then new pristine clothes. :)

    • @Teverell
      @Teverell 2 роки тому +6

      I made a point of wearing my new white trousers (Napoleonic era!) the very first day of the event and not getting precious about them, I wanted them to look used and worn - but that was the philosophy of my whole unit. Make it, use it, it's supposed to look used, we're on campaign after all!

  • @stillhuntre55
    @stillhuntre55 3 роки тому +91

    I didn't realize how much I missed working with clay. I almost started crying watching this. Thank you so much.

  • @launderedcotton8070
    @launderedcotton8070 3 роки тому +57

    Poor Chippy is doomed once his 'future' replacement comes in the house; his days will be numbered. It's like Murphey's Law or something similar. Just have them store 'it' for you until Chippy passes naturally. ;-)

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart 3 роки тому +4

      @Laundered Cotton - Chippy's chips can then be re-used as bits for mosaic works.

  • @taekwongurl
    @taekwongurl 3 роки тому +44

    Last week we nerded out with Morgan over ship sails and it's history. This week, we nerd out about ancient pottery featuring a local family owned business.

  • @Chibihugs
    @Chibihugs 3 роки тому +216

    This is so fascinating. I did a bit of ceramics in college and loved it. Their work is beautiful and I thank you all for this joyful romp in historically inspired pottery.

    • @MorganDonner
      @MorganDonner  3 роки тому +28

      I did take a single Intro to Ceramics class, it was interesting, but no wheels for us, that was for the higher levels. As it turns out, it's tricky! 😆

    • @stevezytveld6585
      @stevezytveld6585 3 роки тому +13

      @@MorganDonner Actually, it's not that bad. I somehow managed to turn a lip on my first go-round at making a vase. Mind-you, it was on an electric wheel, so I had one less thing to futz with. You need to find a teacher who doesn't keep the fun stuff for "the big kids"...
      - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown

    • @10puppyluv
      @10puppyluv 3 роки тому +6

      @@MorganDonner thats so sad I loved throwing on the wheel in my intro to ceramics class, my teacher had us do it so we'd get used to being on the wheel I actually ended up making a few little vases

    • @teriannebeauchamp254
      @teriannebeauchamp254 3 роки тому +5

      I actually took pottery at our local community college for several years. Our teacher (a professional potter in real life) took us from hand building to throwing in one quarter. I tried for a while to master the wheel but I never really did well. On the other hand I loved hand building and developed my own style. I have won several ribbons over the years. Sadly I no longer have access to a kiln so I no longer do it.

  • @amiejo
    @amiejo 3 роки тому +11

    Just an FYI- bbc has a show call the Great British Throw Down- a pottery version of Sewing Be and Bake off!!!

    • @susanhillis5952
      @susanhillis5952 3 роки тому

      I shall go find this, thank you

    • @amiejo
      @amiejo 3 роки тому +1

      @@susanhillis5952 HBO max gotchu

  • @susanhillis5952
    @susanhillis5952 3 роки тому +94

    People ask me how I know things and I’m just like “this title”. Something came up in my life and then I googled it and got lost

    • @voidremoved
      @voidremoved 3 роки тому

      my water broke and then i googled it

    • @Worldbuilder
      @Worldbuilder 3 роки тому +8

      I’m terminally curious. “Hey, how does that thing work?”

    • @spacewolfcub
      @spacewolfcub 3 роки тому +7

      I honestly clicked on this video because the title is 100% me.
      My sock has a hole! Research darning socks. Research knitting socks. Research 50’s machines for knitting socks. Watch video of Tudor wool stockings. Shoemaking in medieval Scotland. Leather processing in nomadic cultures. Pemmican recipes and history. Impact of English Bay Co.
      Run out of time. Just wear sandals.

    • @alessandrammms
      @alessandrammms 3 роки тому +1

      That is basically the story of my life. I've had friends joke that I'm a little like Siri, if you ask something aloud next to me (even if in a purely rethorical, "I wonder how..." sort of way, you'll probably get a fun fact about it, LOL. I can't help it, I have a great memory for trivia and I'm constantly curious. Sometimes I have to really watch myself not to come across as an annoying know-it-all.

  • @mathildelundberg8326
    @mathildelundberg8326 3 роки тому +77

    I actually like the dirty/used look, it makes it feel more "real"? I use my 16th century smocked apron everyday and I love it! And It feels nice to be able to make use of my historical costumes in everyday life 🥰 great video!

  • @evabuchberger5787
    @evabuchberger5787 3 роки тому +14

    one little thing I do with all my "medieval clothing gear" is to jump into our local pond with it. it ads a nice used feeling and afterwards I can wear it totally relaxed.

  • @tombombard5700
    @tombombard5700 3 роки тому +130

    I get the same feeling about my knitting and spinning when given as gifts only to find out that they were sold cheaply or put into drawers. I made it to be used! It is the highest compliment and a form of me hugging you. - Danielle

    • @bardickitten14
      @bardickitten14 3 роки тому +53

      Agreed! Though I tend to have more “overly cautious and too moved to risk using it” recipients than the former. Life’s too short to craft for people who won’t value it. But I always tell people when I give them something I made, “I want you to use this to within an inch of its life.”
      I went to a tiny regional museum once that had a display of antique quilts made by local families, and there was a quilt that was over a hundred years old that a woman had made for her daughter, and it had been passed down from generation to generation, and each one had been too afraid of damaging it to use it. My mom kept remarking about how wonderful it was that it was kept in such good condition and we could see it, and didn’t understand why I found it absolutely heartbreaking. I told her, “That woman didn’t spend hundreds of hours making this because she wanted it to be put in a trunk and displayed to strangers a century later. She made it to keep the people she loved warm. She made it to be /used/.”

    • @lisacallan5462
      @lisacallan5462 3 роки тому +14

      I make my things to be used too! I don't often gift anything super time consuming unless I know the person is going to value it and I let them know if something unravels I can fix it but you can honestly throw them in the wash and it will be alright! I make my kiddos special blankets (my mom started the tradition and made all of us special blankets and I still have mine and love it, I dragged it everyplace as a kid) and watching them carry them around everywhere and use them every day is why I made them! For them to have joy in using something *just* for them that no one else has

    • @sanjivjhangiani3243
      @sanjivjhangiani3243 3 роки тому +8

      Although it is something I bought rather than made I feel the same way about my Swiss Army knife, which I purchased recently. I deliberately picked one with all the features that I needed, but not too many. I had heard collectors talk about their $400 knives with every possible feature, left in a drawer, and occasionally brought out to admire. I did not want one too precious to use.

    • @SPofSaturnProduction
      @SPofSaturnProduction 3 роки тому +13

      @@bardickitten14 This makes me think of a story we read in English class once i think it was called my grandmother's quilt. it was about this pair of sisters and one of them wanted the quilt to display it as an art piece but instead it was given to the other sister who would use it for it's intended purpose and I always thought that story was great.

    • @Jeremiah90526
      @Jeremiah90526 3 роки тому +4

      I do have to say, if any friend or family member knit me a vest, I would be asking for a new one a few years later. Also, I would be asking for repair techniques within a few months (I like vests, and I wear them in adverse environments, things die fairly quickly). How do you fix a knit garment by the way? I know how to fix a woven one, I can sew (many, many, many repairs throughout the years) but not a clue on knit items.

  • @dianeshelton9592
    @dianeshelton9592 3 роки тому +31

    I just love the random pin hanging out chest height. Fellow sewers can really appreciate and know the pain when that dress gets taken off over the head without taking out the pin

  • @canucknancy4257
    @canucknancy4257 3 роки тому +67

    History and the satisfaction of watching pottery being thrown on a wheel. So cool. Thanks for taking us on your trip, Morgan.

  • @nurmaybooba
    @nurmaybooba 3 роки тому +25

    I have embraced your philosophy of using my stuff as it is intended and not worrying about getting dirty or whatever...It is rather freeing. thank-you

  • @jessicalicker9600
    @jessicalicker9600 3 роки тому +18

    I did ceramics for years until I went to college and lost access to the studio I used. My parents' kitchen cabinets are full of bowls and mugs I made. One of my favorite things to do was make necklace charms by breaking failed experiments and smoothing out the edges of the pieces.
    I'm taking this video as a sign that I should get back into it!

  • @themodernmedievalmaker2794
    @themodernmedievalmaker2794 3 роки тому +54

    So lovely to see the talented artisans of Reannag Teine featured here. Their work is highly loved down here in the Summits, and their Viking Kitty wares are supervised by actual shop kitties.

  • @lwoods507
    @lwoods507 3 роки тому +44

    Good timing with your video - am currently obsessed with The Great Pottery Throwdown -a pottery competition here in the UK, filmed in Stoke-on-Trent , which itself has a very fascinating working Pottery Museum in it. (They made Wedgewood, Spode and Royal Doulton there: all astoundingly beautiful stuff, and so intricately decorated! ) Good to see other places continuing the tradition of hand-throwing and historically-inspired pots too!

  • @hazeluzzell
    @hazeluzzell 3 роки тому +3

    I love the red and black Greek vases. I did 2 years of pottery in College and another 2 in evening classes, and then 1 year of pottery archaeology. The pottery making area of UK during the Industrial Revolution was (and still is) called ‘The Black Country’. You can see why.

  • @therussianprincess7036
    @therussianprincess7036 3 роки тому +11

    I had the most wonderful time in an extra ceramics class in my last year of high school. The teacher didn’t start by outlining techniques and tools, she started by asking each person “What do you want to make?” and explained the different approaches we could take from there. She made time for every person and took every design seriously. All of the people in that group made some cool stuff, from R2-D2 mugs through dragon teapots to rose-shaped buttons. A particularly favorite project of mine was a set of four small goblets/bowls, shaped like tree trunks, wiped with black for contrast and internally glazed in white (came out light blue, there was a reaction with the black wash, I seriously love how unpredictable pottery can be). It’s sad that I no longer have access to the firing kiln, but I’ve still got a few kilograms of light clay so I will definitely make some more things and wait for an opportunity to fire them in the future.

  • @nancyreid8729
    @nancyreid8729 3 роки тому +18

    I’m a weaver; I don’t weave art, I weave textiles to be used. If I give you a towel, you bet I will re-po it if you don’t use it.

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому +2

      A towel serves no purpose at all if it just sits in a cupboard all the time.

  • @FlybyStardancer
    @FlybyStardancer 3 роки тому +62

    Ceramics is so much fun! I took a few classes as a kid (all working at the bench), and then I took a semester of ceramics at Uni. Everyone got ceramics as Xmas presents that year! lol BFF & her spouse’s ATLA set has broken since then but I don’t mind because their pieces were well-used and well-loved.

    • @MorganDonner
      @MorganDonner  3 роки тому +9

      Awww, yay for well-loved pieces!

    • @maggieholland8202
      @maggieholland8202 3 роки тому +2

      My dad still has the smurf house i made him and my mom still as the odds and ends tray I made her

  • @tinawilder-whiting3682
    @tinawilder-whiting3682 3 роки тому +6

    This was delightful, thank you! I used to work at a rare books library, and the librarian there was so wonderful. No sneeze guards, and access to every book. She would say ‘books were made by people to be used by people’. Such great reminders to stop waiting for special occasions. Hope your move goes smoothly!

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому +3

      If you can rely on people to have good coughing and sneezing manners, sneeze guards should not be necessary ☺️

  • @kerstinisaksson7151
    @kerstinisaksson7151 3 роки тому +4

    Lovely pottery! Want to live in that work-shop! I learnedi (when I studied archeology in the nineties, and was especially interested in pottery and it's use) that stone-age pottery, at least in northern Europe, was often used for fermenting food. In that case, it is a good thing that the inside is porous - you actually WANT microbes to be preserved for the next batch of beer or blood-porridge (popular neolithic dish). I also read that later in history, there were people who never cleaned their baking trough (that way they had a constantly fed leaven stuck to the walls of the trough). Fermenting is a less energy-consuming cooking method than boiling, and lots of nutrients are better preserved. However, fermented fish or meat does not smell like roses.

  • @pauln2661
    @pauln2661 3 роки тому +10

    Sibling cup rivalry. Older cup "Mom loves me more!" Younger sibling cup "Mom dropped you on the first day".

  • @Misselise84
    @Misselise84 3 роки тому +10

    Moving? Does that mean that there will be a new sewing room to be decorated and organized??? I'm here for it!!! 🤩

  • @PeaceLoveHonor
    @PeaceLoveHonor 3 роки тому +15

    OMG! My SCA habit, my UA-cam habit AND my medieval shopping tastes have met all in the same place, and surprised me!❤

  • @predictablychaotic
    @predictablychaotic 3 роки тому +3

    Laughing so hard at the 'THIS ITEM IS A MIMIC' sticker...

  • @ceruleanskies001
    @ceruleanskies001 3 роки тому +18

    I think we broke their website. This was truly fascinating and thank you and Reannag Teine for showing such amazing pieces.

  • @angelaross1
    @angelaross1 3 роки тому +13

    I collected depression glass for years, and when my daughter was 5 she had a tea party with all her school friends and we used it. If it broke, it broke making her birthday special and that is what mattered

  • @BaronHumbertvonGikkingen
    @BaronHumbertvonGikkingen 3 роки тому +14

    I've recently been investiating visible mending and historical darning techniques, so I love this philosophy! Things are made to be used, worn, broken, mended & fixed, then used again. 💗

  • @wyster14
    @wyster14 3 роки тому +3

    I've actually gotten a small collection of ceramics that my great aunt owned, or my great grandmother collected while traveling. I haven't used any of it yet, for fear of breaking them, but I should start using them, because it would be nice

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому +1

      If it feels like it’s too much to use them every day, start by at least using them on fitting occasions, and gradually expand what you consider “fitting occasions”.

  • @AndersWatches
    @AndersWatches 3 роки тому +5

    My city (Stoke on Trent/ The Potteries, UK) is famous for pottery, and was once a world leader in it. The skyline here was once all bottle kilns, though only a few remain, and only one is actually operated. Sadly the industry has all but died out. On the bright side, our respiratory health has massively improved 😅 “Potters Rot” no longer exists xD
    Any older pottery by Gladstone, Wedgewood, Aynsley, Spode, Royal Doulton, Emma Bridgewater, etc were all made here. 😊

  • @Cationna
    @Cationna 3 роки тому +14

    Oh no, but I would actually cherish the repaired handmade thing even more than a shiny new one? The only way I've managed to start using things I really love is usually to kinda do what you've done here - buy a backup one and know I'll still have "it" even if it breaks...

  • @janesmith1398
    @janesmith1398 3 роки тому +4

    I took pottery lessons as a child and loved it. Now I want to take up silversmithing and precious metals clay work. Smaller scale but still fun and creative.

  • @ashleya3236
    @ashleya3236 3 роки тому +1

    The philosophy of making things to use them is exactly why I practice embroidery on my linen dish towels... better to learn with some quick throwaway projects than spend a year laboring over the "perfect" decorative piece that never gets done. In fact, I encouraged my mom to ruin the one I made for her so I could replace it with a better one next year!

  • @kellyburds2991
    @kellyburds2991 3 роки тому +12

    My first thought: I should see if the coffee site carries my favorite coffee shop's coffee.
    My second thought: ...but, I don't actually drink coffee. 😅

  • @mamesmck5236
    @mamesmck5236 3 роки тому +16

    This is the reach I expected from you.
    "SHIT, MY CUP!!!!!" to "I'm going to research the entire history of pottery."

  • @pr97192
    @pr97192 3 роки тому +13

    Oh I love this!! It’s so nice seeing tradespeople of all sorts keeping tradition and history alive and making it so tangible. I would watch an hour (or more) long video about this no problem 😍

    • @OcarinaSapphr-
      @OcarinaSapphr- 3 роки тому +2

      A couple of years ago I was watching something on TV, I can’t remember what (might have been something to do with tourism)- but they were showcasing a couple of dying professions, things that had none/ minimal electric machinery; straw broom making, & steam-bent wood - with the latter, there’s like one guy in the whole of Australia who does this, & I think he might have had an assistant, or he hoped for one- to pass the skill onto... It’s really sad.

  • @katieshead352
    @katieshead352 3 роки тому +3

    This is such a fun video!!! I love seeing people in the modern day valuing and repairing their pottery, because even though they said that the pottery vessels wouldn't have lasted very long, there is significant archaeological evidence of people having repaired their fancier pottery pieces (at least in my area of 3rd millennium BC Iraq). In several of the graves from Kish and Khafajah that I'm currently looking at there is evidence of drilled holes and lead rivets being used to piece together broken pots that probably would have been a bit more expensive, such as highly decorated vessels (painted pots, 'fruit stands', and goddess handled jars) or very big storage jars (we're talking big enough that a person could fit in it).
    People in the past cared for their pottery and it's part of what I love about archaeology; these are things that people kept in their houses and used everyday, they had favourite pots and sometimes when they broke they took time and effort to fix them.

  • @deathless3
    @deathless3 3 роки тому +17

    When I took a pottery class in college I made a piece that was completely useless functionally but I loved it purely because it was a physical pun. I shaped a hunk of clay into a little lobster and only had it fired once. So it was a lobster bisque. :3c

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому

      That’s brilliant! 😂

  • @modkhi
    @modkhi 3 роки тому +7

    I've been studying ceramics history in my uni class for the past month, so this video's pretty cool! Also the Italian Renaissance stuff, if anyone wants to google, is called maiolica

  • @RedSteele19
    @RedSteele19 3 роки тому +3

    I can't believe you live in the seattle area as well! During quarantine i have fallen down a historical sewing rabbit-hole and decided that it is time to actually learn to sew. My family is currently packing up our house and moving as well, which is unfortunate because I keep finding inspiring projects but all of my materials are already packed away. Your videos have been greatly inspiring, as well as wonderful company as I've gone through the utterly mundane packing process.
    I just got so excited when I learned we both lived in Washington that I had to let you know how much I've been enjoying your content :)

  • @VanK782
    @VanK782 3 роки тому +10

    This title is THE MOST Morgan thing I have ever heard

  • @archaeogremlin
    @archaeogremlin 3 роки тому +4

    I LOVE that you included vinette I pottery in this video! My honours project for uni last year was an investigation into similar (though slightly later) cord-wrapped stick decorated pottery because you can still see which direction the cordage was twisted when it was made based on the impressions in the clay. This made my day!

  • @franziskafreiermuth1030
    @franziskafreiermuth1030 3 роки тому +35

    Ahhhh such an interesting video! Also, I nodded so hard at the „use the things and live life to the fullest“ bit. So so true! 💚

    • @MorganDonner
      @MorganDonner  3 роки тому +8

      I think that it's just another way of reminding yourself to be bold and do all the things you want to do in life! And actually, I guess another way to put it...
      TL;DR: YOLO

  • @NoiseDay
    @NoiseDay 3 роки тому +22

    Reads the title
    "Wow, it's me whenever anything happens. Or doesn't happen."

    • @lisacallan5462
      @lisacallan5462 3 роки тому +1

      Same!!!

    • @mcwjes
      @mcwjes 3 роки тому +2

      I know! Of course you study the entire history of the broken item! It's not cool just to pop into target for a new one.

  • @roxiepoe9586
    @roxiepoe9586 3 роки тому +11

    I make most of my art out of clay, and I always love visiting someone else's studio. Thank you for the tour. Your descriptions and details were lucid and correct! :)

  • @stevezytveld6585
    @stevezytveld6585 3 роки тому +12

    I love pottery. So far I've only taken one course, back in my early 20's. But I keep eyeing a makers space that specializes in pottery. With any luck, they will survive the lockdowns...
    Thank you for this. Wonderfully shot and edited. Great storytelling.
    - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown

  • @johannageisel5390
    @johannageisel5390 3 роки тому +1

    Here in Europe they distinguish the neolithic and bronze age cultures by their style of pottery.
    You have the "Bandkeramikkultur" = "Linear Pottery culture" (earliest farming neolithic culture in Europe), you have the "Schnurkeramikkultur" = "Corded Ware culture" (late neolithic, copper age, early bronze age), and then there are a couple of smaller subsets, like "Glockenbecherkultur" = "Bell beaker culture", "Tricherbecherkultur" = "Funnelbeaker culture", "Stichbandkeramikkultur" = "Pitted Ware culture", "Kammkeramische Kultur" = "Comb Ceramic culture" and probably a few more.
    All these ceramic styles are native to a certain area and time period in Europe.
    And to the topic of "recreating other materials in clay": The Celts used to imitate Greek and Roman bronze vessels in a burnished dark brown clay if they couldn't get some originals imported.
    (And Germanic tribes did the same. Generally the imitation of metal vessels in clay seems to have been widespread.)
    Another use of ceramics was in funeral rites, particularly in the "Urnenfelderkultur" = "Urn field culture".
    "The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns which were then buried in fields" - Wikipedia
    Before and after this time period, the dead would be buried without burning them.

  • @apcolleen
    @apcolleen 3 роки тому +1

    My bf bought us a house built in 1946. Its been great not having to worry about being too precious with things. Our corian countertops were from a friends aunt's kitchen remodel adn the cabinets below them were made at our makerspace by our friend from donated plywood. I love that its sturdy but i also dont have to worry about scuffing them because I was the one who painted them with cabinet paint. Its thinner than wall paint but its like doing one thick coat of some cheap stuff that chips the first time you wash your hands or two coats of your favorite NICE polish and it wears longer.

  • @blisles7626
    @blisles7626 3 роки тому +2

    I broke my favourite historical style mug about a week after I bought it. It fell a foot from the bed to the floor. It only has a hairline crack and looks almost pristine but can't be used because it leaks. It sits on my desk and sometimes has swing shears or pens in it, so I see it everyday. I do want one I can use however. :)

    • @sanjivjhangiani3243
      @sanjivjhangiani3243 3 роки тому +3

      If you are using it as a pen-holder then it is not going to waste. You have just repurposed it 🙂.

  • @jaredphillips9285
    @jaredphillips9285 3 роки тому +17

    Oh my gosh, I want to go camping with y'all now!

  • @ah5721
    @ah5721 3 роки тому +2

    This makes my sculpting heart happybAnd reminds me of happy days in sculpting class. I also miss my favorite lotus mug. Glazing is powdered glass mixed with some wet ingredients so when it melts it sticks. The Greek and Romans also had slip based patterns which is different clays made into a slurry that is painted on in different colors to give it a interesting look.

  • @hannahrothberg8241
    @hannahrothberg8241 3 роки тому +1

    I wish that we could've heard more on pottery styles throughout history. I would've happily watched an extra 10-20 minutes of Sarah talking about the subject!

  • @vmtracy
    @vmtracy 3 роки тому +3

    I love that cup and your glass vacuum coffee pot. My folks had a large electric vacuum pot they used for parties when I was growing up. I inherited it, but it finally met its end shortly after I got it. Of course by then it was 50 years old!

  • @HandyHelons
    @HandyHelons 3 роки тому +3

    I feel like I’ve been on an outing! Thank you so much for taking us on this adventure with you 😊
    God bless with the move 🧡

  • @ar1439
    @ar1439 3 роки тому +1

    I IMMEDIATELY went to Reannag Teine and ordered, and I can't believe I have the good fortune to say this incomparable combination of words... A pitcher in the Battle Bunnies motif, JOUSTING. ON. SNAILS. Morgan, thank you for again taking a ridiculously deep dive into something truly fascinating.

  • @TudorositiesbyMaureen
    @TudorositiesbyMaureen 3 роки тому +1

    I have one that was broken in many pieces, given by my husband broken by my sister, I use it as my pen cup. I bought many replacements from the same artisan and now have a good collection for tea and coffee. Think about all the stories that old pottery could tell.

  • @Janttura
    @Janttura 3 роки тому +3

    I have told my family and friends that if they were to get any gift for me, it should be something that can be used. For example a wooden cooking fork that is engraved - I will be using it since that is the best way to remember its existence and appreciate it.

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому +1

      A person only has space for a finite number of display items, and anything that’s neither in use nor on display is not being enjoyed.

  • @gavinbrandgavin581
    @gavinbrandgavin581 3 роки тому +1

    I very recently have started to get into ceramics myself. This was a lovely peak into the history and processes of the medium.
    Speaking of ceramics, I actually made my mother angry because I said I wouldn’t give her anything unless she was actually going to use it. I don’t want to spend so much time and energy on something only to have it sit on a shelf and collect dust because “something might happen to it,” if it is used as intended.

  • @deniseyoung3738
    @deniseyoung3738 3 роки тому +1

    My grandmother ran a ceramic shop for years, and this brought back some great memories! What fun!

  • @sfowler1017
    @sfowler1017 3 роки тому +11

    These ladies are so knowledgeable! I absolutely loved learning about pottery around the world through history. Thanks for sharing this exploration with us :)

  • @meastwood5966
    @meastwood5966 3 роки тому +1

    Dear Morgan, I have loved your costume making and insights. You have now connected ceramics with textiles for me, I am a potter, you have my heart.

  • @hellformichelle
    @hellformichelle 3 роки тому

    As a prehistorian/archaeologist, nothing makes me as happy as pottery haha. There's so many things you can learn from pots - sometimes you can even find charred food still in the pot, and after analysing it, it's possible to recreate the food people might have eaten thousands of years ago!

  • @artleitch
    @artleitch 3 роки тому +4

    What a fascinating video. I particularly enjoyed the interviews with Elizabeth and Sarah

  • @anniesearle6181
    @anniesearle6181 3 роки тому +1

    What's really cool about the porous early pots is that their contents could seep into the matrix of the pot, which can preserve traces of that contents for thousands of years. Fats are especially good in this case, and particularly interesting-I know a professor who is using fat traces in pottery to look at the origin of milking. You can also do all sorts of chemicals analysis on these fats and they can tell you about trade and other important parts of life

  • @TheCassandraStryffe
    @TheCassandraStryffe 3 роки тому +3

    This video is awesome! I've always been interested in various methods for making containers, and pottery is one I've been studying recently. Sounds weird, but I was super into pine needle and reed weaving, crocheting baskets, bark boxes....ect. I'm weird. Also...the title is exactly how my brain works lol.

  • @Chronicallywitty
    @Chronicallywitty 3 роки тому +2

    I feel liked this with quilts! Some people don’t use the quilts I give because they think they’re so fragile and stuff… but do it! I’ll fix it, I’ll make you another if you totally destroy it.

    • @bethanyb4478
      @bethanyb4478 3 роки тому +2

      My grandma will make another even if you didn't destroy it. Sadly, I live in Florida and quilts are limited-use. So are woolen knitted items, but I make them anyway. Socks are reasonably perishable.

  • @markuslouw3727
    @markuslouw3727 3 роки тому +1

    I’m a potter, and I’ve spoken to a lot of other potters about this very topic: we all HATE when our cups and plates end up in china cabinets or on bookshelves. Our mugs are made to be used. We want them filled with acidic teas or put in the oven to bake your pie. If they get chipped, that’s fine. We can make dozens more mugs and pie plates if we like. But to see our work collecting dust on a shelf when we invisioned it being what holds your late night hot chocolate is heartbreaking.
    This video is so wonderful thank you I loved the fun history lesson and impassioned perspective on using functional art💕

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 роки тому +1

      If people want to look at pretty things, that’s fine with me. What *I* find sad is when the things are kept hidden away in storage because they too precious to leave on display, let alone use. If something is precious, enjoy it, don’t hide it in a cupboard!

  • @MegMarchSews61
    @MegMarchSews61 3 роки тому +60

    "Morgan Donner, 38 seconds ago" Me: **clicks faster than I've ever clicked before**

    • @stevezytveld6585
      @stevezytveld6585 3 роки тому

      nod, nod.
      (Mister Husband's reaction, "Ooooh-kay")
      - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown

    • @MegMarchSews61
      @MegMarchSews61 3 роки тому +1

      @@stevezytveld6585 XD

  • @ellah8330
    @ellah8330 3 роки тому +2

    OMG That sticker on your tumbler! "Caution this item is MIMIC" Love it I want one now

  • @beckstheimpatient4135
    @beckstheimpatient4135 3 роки тому +1

    I absolutely love this philosophy of using your things. I'm also of the same mind - I wear my nice clothes and nice shoes, even those things that I worked so hard to make. My linen shift now looks TERRIBLE because of how much use I've gotten out of it but (even as I'm wearing it right now) I know that's exactly what I made it for. My WHITE woolen 'tabard dress' was worn all autumn and winter and it was a mess before I sent it in for cleaning. I wore it through snow and mud, in the kitchen and out on hikes - it was perfect and now I can't wait to wear it again next season!

  • @melissashiels7838
    @melissashiels7838 3 роки тому +1

    I had the exact same struggle with a coarse work apron I made for American civil war reenactment a couple years ago. I hesitated to use it to lift pots off the fire or wipe my dumpling dough-covered hands on it because it was still so clean, but eventually gave in and now it's appropriately used looking.

  • @FlyingWonderGirl
    @FlyingWonderGirl 3 роки тому +2

    My father was a potter. He was an incredible potter but then his best friend (who taught him everything and was a renowned artist) died and he couldn’t go back to it. I wish he would.

  • @chrispe82
    @chrispe82 3 роки тому +4

    Morgan mentions d50 & has a mimic travel thermos... into DND by any chance? 😉

  • @vikkifarra867
    @vikkifarra867 3 роки тому +1

    I LOVE Reannag Teine's work!!! I have three cups from them, one had a crack and can't be used for liquids but it makes an AMAZING paint brush holder. (They were very gracious and offered to replace it, but I told them I would just order a new one) I am saving up for a few more pieces from them, but with my cats on them.
    They are lovely people!

  • @Steina_The_Yarnist
    @Steina_The_Yarnist 3 роки тому +1

    Have a safe, successful relocation; and thanks for the virtual field trip! :)

  • @raphaellegagne-nadeau5330
    @raphaellegagne-nadeau5330 3 роки тому

    This was so interesting!! Now I feel like going down a research rabbit hole haha the historical pottery exemples were so beautiful! Thank you for sharing this!

  • @luislozano6073
    @luislozano6073 Рік тому

    I am actually crying, the philosophy of the broken things really got me

  • @acmulhern
    @acmulhern 3 роки тому +3

    Those potters make such beautiful pieces 😍 I adore watching pottery being made, it's just so beautiful ❤

  • @hollynotholy
    @hollynotholy 3 роки тому

    Morgan, it is truly a delight to see someone with such a wide range of interests in the internet like yourself. I, myself, have an endless thirst for knowledge and every single new type of artistry you show me makes me yearn to just isolate myself for the next 10 years in order to master all of these crafts (or, at least, learn them in such a way that I can be self-sustainable).
    I'd never thought about ships until you created Ariel's improvised dress. I'd already thought about shoemaking, but the interest intensified while watching you make your own pair of medieval shoes. Every single dress and hairstyle you make honestly makes me want to let my hair grow longer and hoard books about medieval garments. Now pottery comes back, after my last contact with the art itself happened when I was still in elementary school.
    Not to mention carving, metal forging, weaving, spinning, knitting... Damn, sometimes I get so frustrated about having these many interests and never being able to pursue any of them (for lack of time and access to materials, mostly, but also money)... Then I see how you waltz through life, having a day job, a family, your own house, UA-cam channel and being able to pursue whatever your heart's desire might call for.
    Makes me hopeful that one day I'll be able to manage my life as well as you do in order to be just as curious and just as multi-talented as you are.

  • @nidomhnail2849
    @nidomhnail2849 3 роки тому +1

    Thanks for the link; I subscribed to Reannag Teine. I noticed that they have a playlist of Time Team episodes on pottery. I binge-watch that program. Good luck with your move.

  • @demelaya
    @demelaya 3 роки тому +1

    I love Morgan just surprises me with a real varied content in every video. Loved this!!

  • @januzzell8631
    @januzzell8631 3 роки тому +1

    Fascinating! Thank you for sharing - stay safe and I hope the journey to the new place is problem free (or at least bearable)

  • @annh.8290
    @annh.8290 3 роки тому

    Such fun to watch, I have dabbled with ceramics off and on for many years, yet it always brings me much pleasure to revisit the history behind it, thank you!

  • @littleantiqueme8714
    @littleantiqueme8714 3 роки тому

    So many words of wisdom in just the first few minutes of this video! Thanks for the reminders Morgan! ☺️

  • @maryam5617
    @maryam5617 3 роки тому

    I love Reannag Teine, some of my favorite kitchen pieces are from them! it's so cool to see their process

  • @sarar4901
    @sarar4901 3 роки тому +1

    I love the diversity of historical crafts that you tackle! This was such a cool topic, and getting to hear from experts is so interesting.

  • @selkiemorien9006
    @selkiemorien9006 3 роки тому

    Pottery is absolutely fascinating to me. I had a short course in school about it, unfortunately without a wheel, but it was so much fun.
    Right now I'm drinking my coffee from a mug I bought at a medieval fair, it's one of my favorites :D

  • @dianapartney9316
    @dianapartney9316 3 роки тому

    I love you so much!!
    I’m getting back into pottery after my studio closed due to the VID. I’m so excited!!

  • @lisazdvoru1660
    @lisazdvoru1660 3 роки тому

    "I don't want to hinder the fullness of my life because I'm trying to take the careful path."
    Beautiful.

  • @Staticjokes
    @Staticjokes 3 роки тому +1

    Your videos are always so wholesome. Absolutely brilliant!