This film is part of Free

Mau'ing the Saggar

One of Britain's dying crafts. As the bottle kilns of the Potteries fall into history Ralph Wheeldon keeps alive the historic craft of making saggars for the firing process.

Amateur film 1982 9 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

A saggar is a container used to protect pots when they are fired in a bottle kiln. Ralph Wheeldon who has spent all his working life making saggars is our guide to the skilled process demonstrated at the Gladstone Pottery Museum at Longton. This film, produced by Gerald Mee for the Stoke on Trent Cine Society, is a valuable record of a dying craft. Ralph is a master in the process of beating the heavy marl into shape (the mau'ing process) and all with his own unique handmade tools.