Narrative of Traditional Pot Making in Modern Benin Kingdom, Southern Nigeria A Case Study of Two Potters in Okabere and Uselu Communities

This article presents a qualitative case study of traditional pottery production in the Okabere and Uselu communities of the Benin Kingdom, Southern Nigeria. Based on longitudinal fieldwork conducted between 2006 and 2023, the study documents the practices of two potter families, examining continuity, decline, and gendered transmission of the craft. Employing ethnographic methods, practice-led research, and visual documentation, the research analyses clay sourcing, preparation, forming, firing, surface finishing, and distribution. Key findings highlight differences in clay maturation, firing strategies, and market orientation between the two communities, as well as the matrilineal transmission of skills in Okabere and the threatened transmission line in Uselu. The article situates these local trajectories within broader African pottery scholarship and discourses on intangible cultural heritage, emphasising women's central role as custodians of the craft.