A flourishing craft: Clay masters from Zlakusa village

Still tirelessly making UNESCO-famous pottery. This craft has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries, and Mileta Lazić is one of the skilled craftsmen who, like an artist from clay and calcite, creates real masterpieces.

"Potters from Zlakusa have a special technique. We work on a slow wheel, the left hand moves the wheel, the right hand hardens the clay, and we build layer by layer. Each craftsman has a personal stamp, but we preserve the tradition and do everything as our ancestors did. Our dishes are specific for this, together with the quality of the clay and calcite we use," Mileta told RINU.

That calcite itself is a mineral, it gives food a completely different taste and smell, compared to ordinary dishes. Tableware is famous because it is made of pure natural materials, and there is nothing artificial. In addition to bringing clay from the surrounding areas and grinding calcite, it is necessary to know how to combine these two materials to make a good potting mix. When all that knowledge, love, and tradition are mixed, vessels that travel the world are created.

"Regardless of all these modern trends, the demand for our tableware is not decreasing but is increasing. There is a noticeable increase after the coronavirus pandemic. Many people want to eat healthier, to eat from dishes made of natural materials. Many are opening ethnic restaurants and are looking for our pottery. There are tourists, local and foreign, but the biggest customers are restaurants," adds this potter.

Clay pots from Zlakusa are known both in Serbia and internationally, first to our people who live in Austria, Germany, and France, but also to those who live on other continents.

It is known that there is no event in Western Serbia without cooked cabbage from a clay pot, and just such are made in Zlakusa, in a special way and by the hands of particularly talented and self-taught people.