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©Malicorne pottery Workshop, can of paint to decorate on earthenware in the Sarthe Valley|Stéphane Deschang, Faïenceries d'Art de Malicorne

Testimony from Stéphane Deschang

Owner of the Faïenceries d'Art de Malicorne

One of the last craftsmen in France to still extract clay from the earth to be transformed!

tournage-malicorne-stphane-deschang.jpgStéphane Deschang des Faïenceries d'Art de Malicorne
©Faïenceries d'Art de Malicorne

Stoneware is above all all about the clay

The clay used to shape into the final products is extracted from a quarry just outside Malicorne. It is a raw and impure material and so it must be prepared before being used in the workshop.

Stored in the cellar for 2 years before being used

Then it is put into containers for three weeks before being poured into a mixer to be ground. Then it is sieved and goes into a big settling tank.
After being left for three weeks, the earth is put into plaster moulds and water is absorbed for 2 to 4 days: the earth is then hard enough to be collected, shaped into bars and stored in a cellar for 2 years minimum.

A product that is rooted in its terroir, just like a good wine!

This ageing process in a cellar is significant because during this period, the organisic matter still present in the clay disappears, and the earth obtains the ideal plastic qualities to be able to be shaped. You can learn about this process on a tour of the workshops, available for groups and individuals.

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