The intergenerational transmission of pottery craftsmanship in Tracunhaém: strategies for the continuity of traditional techniques

The traditional pottery in Tracunhaém, Pernambuco (Brazil), represents a cultural and technical heritage passed down through generations by master potters, whose practice reflects a deep connection between body, material, and territory. However, this continuity has been threatened by social, economic, and institutional changes that affect the training of new artisans. This article, a partial result of ongoing master's research, investigates how design can contribute to strategies for sustaining ceramic craftsmanship, with a focus on wheel-based modeling. The study adopts a qualitative approach, including literature review, participant observation, visual ethnography, and semi-structured interviews with active master potters in the city. Preliminary field data indicate that learning the potter's wheel requires time, constant practice, and adequate spaces for instruction. Based on these initial findings and in dialogue with authors such as Andrade e Cavalcanti, Borges, Krucken, the article suggests possibilities for safeguarding the craft, such as intergenerational workshops, sensitive documentation, and collaborative networks. It concludes that design, understood as a cultural and strategic mediator, can meaningfully contribute to bridging tradition and innovation, fostering sustainable ways of transmitting artisanal knowledge.