Kalabougou

Kalabougou sits on the far bank of the Niger opposite Ségou and its women have made pottery for generations: clay dug from the riverbank, shaped by hand without a wheel, dried and then fired in the open in bonfires of straw and dung that are lit all at once, so that the whole village fires together on set days. The men of the village are blacksmiths. Getting there means a pirogue across the river.

Background

This Bambara village stands on the Niger's left bank, within the Farako commune of Ségou Cercle. Its origins go back to the Bamana Empire, which held sway here between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Pottery is the traditional work of the village women, and Kalabougou is a major supplier of pots sold in nearby Ségou and in Bamako, which lies approximately 150 miles (241 km) away. The other households divide their trades between blacksmiths, known as numu, Somono fishermen and farmers.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kalabougou"

What's there

• The hand shaping - pots built without a wheel from riverbank clay.
• The open firing - bonfires of straw and dung lit across the village on firing days.
• The pirogue crossing - the boat over the Niger from Ségou.
• The division of trades - potters and blacksmiths within the same community.

When to go

November to February is the comfortable season. Firing days are set locally and are worth timing a visit around. The rains from June disrupt the work.

Things to know

Firing happens on set days, not on demand, and turning up outside them means seeing shaping only. A village fee is expected and selling is direct. The crossing depends on arranging a pirogue.

Nearby

Ségou is across the river, and San is east.