Master of Tradition Salim Yaşar in the Adventure of Production, Survival and Sustainment of Pottery

Abstract

As well as object-oriented cultural heritage, the focus has also been on “traditional masters” who play important roles in the production, protection, maintenance, and recreation of the object within the scope of protecting intangible cultural heritage. To uncover the richness of cultural diversity and human creativity, it has been accepted that masters must be protected and their art must be continued. In this context, pottery is an intangible cultural heritage element as a container made of earthenware in which food is cooked, stored, and carried using fire. With its unique structure, pattern, color, and production technique, pottery, which has gained importance, especially as a result of the transition from nomadic to settled life, is still produced, transferred, and kept alive by master hands in our present day. In this article, in light of the data obtained in the face-to-face interview with the potter Salim Yaşar, who was selected as the Living Human Treasure (LHT), the updating of the pottery tradition and its survival to our present day were discussed in parallel with the master’s life, art, works and production. As a result of the findings and evaluations, it was found that the potter Salim Yaşar brought pottery to our present day in terms of technique, shape, pattern, motif, and color by combining the traditional essence of pottery making with his experience abroad. In the face of the decreased need and interest in pottery with the development of technology and the change in living conditions, the master has updated the pottery in terms of representation and presentation. He has expanded the areas of use of pottery with the updates and animations he made and made the pottery an object used in daily life in terms of the culture industry.