The Recent Evolution of Ethiopian Pottery Tradition: Contexts and Objects into Question

International audience; Disappearing African Pottery Traditions?Past and Present evidences of loss and replacementsOrganisers: Adrien Delvoye and Pauline DebelsIn Ethiopia, tradition of pottery is still alive and relatively dynamic. Ceramics are still highly considered regarding the quality of the taste given and for its esthetic and cultural value. Meanwhile, the status of artisans’ groups creates optimized conditions for maintaining technical transmission. However, the current socio-economical, environmental and cultural changes arrived due to the modernization of the country greatly influence the pottery production dynamics. To answer the main problematic raised on disappearance of ceramic, different kinds of data will be mobilized: 1) those collected by observation and interviews in 2016 during a year of fieldwork among 13 linguistic groups of Ethiopia and 2) the Ethiopian pottery collection kept in Musée du Quai Branly, gathered since the end of the 19th century.In one hand, the different socio-cultural contexts where the ceramic production has disappeared or is in danger will be examined. On the other hand, we will review the different disappeared or on disappearing types among the whole ceramic repertory mainly shared by the different cultural groups of Ethiopia? Beyond its replacement by modern material or the evolution of practices, we will explore the diverse factors responsible for the replacement, the importance of symbolical factors through the example of coffee pots, the shared responsibility of potters and consumers, the skills and transmission implication. As conclusion, how the multiple factors engaged on the current loss of ceramic types can help us to understand the disappearance of the carinated vessel used in Northern Ethiopia from the 10th to the 13th century?