Assia Pottery

Sana Jabbour works from her pottery shop, located in a small side room of her family house in Assia, a village in the Lebanese northern mountains. It is there, sitting on a stool, that she crafts every step of her artistic process. Her workshop in the village has been opened for 7+ years now, ever since her family moved from Beirut to Assia. Sana learned her know-how from her mother. The village of Assia is well-known for its pottery. Sana makes her own clay by using soil and stones from the nearby mountains, turning it into pottery soil, or trab el fukhar, and she produces all of her pieces the traditional way. She molds the clay with her hands and a knife, polishes it with a stone, and leaves it to dry multiple times during the process. Sana refuses to produce any decorative pieces, as this kind of pottery’s main use is for cooking. It also holds some health benefits. Besides her artisan work, Sana also produces honey and a range of different mouneh, which are foods preserved in various traditional ways. Sana has also taught pottery to her husband, making him the only man in Assia who knows how to make it.