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Egypt potter creates vases from clay and passion

By AFP
Egypt Egyptian potter Mostafa el-Agoury displays some of his pottery at his workshop in the village of Shamma, Menufiya province, on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP
JUN 24, 2018 LISTEN
Egyptian potter Mostafa el-Agoury displays some of his pottery at his workshop in the village of Shamma, Menufiya province, on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

As a law student in Egypt's Menufiya province, Mustafa al-Agoury was simply looking for a job to get him through his last year of classes.

One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees spray-paints a vase at his pottery workshop on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees spray-paints a vase at his pottery workshop on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

But when a friend gave him a pottery kiln, the young man "fell in love" with the craft, which he quickly turned into a profession.

One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees examines a vase at his pottery workshop on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees examines a vase at his pottery workshop on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

"A friend gave me an oven as a gift, and I worked on it at home... in one year, I fell in love with the trade," said Agoury, now 40, speaking from his workshop in the village of Shamma, in the Nile Delta province north of Cairo.

Vases are displayed at Mostafa el-Agoury's pottery workshop on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP Vases are displayed at Mostafa el-Agoury's pottery workshop on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

He and his 15 employees extract clay from different types of soil found across Egypt, particularly along the Red Sea coast and near the southern Nile River city of Aswan.

They work on large wooden benches, cluttered with pots of paint, rudimentary tools and classically shaped vases decked out in wild colours.

One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees works on a piece of pottery at Agoury's workshop in Menufiya province on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees works on a piece of pottery at Agoury's workshop in Menufiya province on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

Row upon row of grey, unfinished pieces line the workshop's edges, waiting to be given a glossy finish.

One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees pours clay into a mould at Agoury's workshop in Egypt's Menufiya province on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP One of Mostafa el-Agoury's employees pours clay into a mould at Agoury's workshop in Egypt's Menufiya province on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

Some are spray-painted with bright hues of blue, green, yellow or red -- sometimes a swirl of all four. Others are hand-painted.

Employees at Mostafa el-Agoury's pottery factory work on vases at Agoury's workshop in Egypt's Menufiya province on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP Employees at Mostafa el-Agoury's pottery factory work on vases at Agoury's workshop in Egypt's Menufiya province on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

It takes between seven and 10 days to finish one piece, depending on its size.

A vase from Mostafa el-Agoury's pottery workshop in the village of Shamma in Egypt's Nile Delta Menufiya province is displayed on June 21, 2018.  By Mohamed el-Shahed AFP A vase from Mostafa el-Agoury's pottery workshop in the village of Shamma in Egypt's Nile Delta Menufiya province is displayed on June 21, 2018. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

Agoury estimated his workshop produces about 1,000 pieces a month, many of which take pride of place in the salons of Cairo.

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