Preserving Ancient Pottery: Nikos Kouvdis’ Heritage Craft on Lesbos

Nikos Kouvdis, a skilled craftsman on Lesbos, uses traditional techniques to make pottery, recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance. Despite modern pressures, his family maintains this heritage, producing pottery from local clay using an ancient method involving olive pits and natural lime.

In a quaint seaside workshop on Greece's island of Lesbos, Nikos Kouvdis is keeping ancient pottery techniques alive, a dedication recently acknowledged by UNESCO through its National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This craft, involving the use of clay from local soil and firing pieces with olive pits, stands defiant against the tide of factory-produced pottery. Mandamados, once a bustling pottery hub, now bears witness to one of the Mediterranean's last remaining traditional methods, thanks to the tireless efforts of Kouvdis and his family.

'It's an honour,' Kouvdis admits, acknowledging the resilience required to persevere in a mechanised world. At 70, he remains devoted to creating pieces at his workshop, overlooking the serene Aegean Sea, fueled by passion for the craft.

(With inputs from agencies.)