Every withy pot tells a story

The extract below forms a part in a story 'Withy pots & salix piskies' I wrote as part of my jewelwithy project, to help spread awareness of the threatened withy pot craft in the South West. During this project I became fascinated with the varying styles of withy pots I came across when meeting their makers and the integral part they played in each of their shared stories.

'There are key principles to making a pot, but between communities, styles can differ a lot.

Some are woven clockwise, others anti-clockwise; some are very uniformed and others more askew; some are tall and narrow, others short and wide; some are finished off with plaits and others simply cut back; some are made from only willow and others tamarisk too! salix piskies weave violets in late winter, unbeknown to the fishermen who also pick and bunch them for extra income. 

But despite all of these differences, they serve their purpose well, which in the coming weeks the spring arrives to tell...'

Due to their ephemeral nature and many styles having already been lost, I gathered a small collection of withy pot photographs with Cornwall College, Camborne, but once my Jewelwithy project had ended in late 2022 I felt a deep sense of urgency to continue. This was when I met the wonderful Storylines, who have over a decade of experience recording and sharing personal stories. Together we formed a project called Withy Lore, which began earlier this year to celebrate the craft and its heritage. Whilst conducting oral history recordings with withy pot makers we have continued to photograph their pots and with support from UK Government and Konsel Kernow in the form of an Intangible Cultural Heritage grant, we have been able to produce an online withy pot gallery.

2003 UNESCO Convention definition of intangible cultural heritage:

The practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.

This grant has also created an opportunity for me to expand on my illustration work, to document and highlight key similarities and differences between withy pots. Inspired by the fact that traditional pots are commonly made entirely from plant materials, such as willow and the special connection withy pot makers have with nature, it seemed fitting to design them around botanical illustrations. This also allows me to record/reference language and terminology used to describe withy pots, that we hear during each recording.

As a result of the Intangible Cultural Heritage grant I have produced 2 sets of illustrations based on the withy pots made by Nigel Legge from Cadgwith, Cornwall and Sue Morgan from Hope Cove, South Devon. Their styles have quite distinct characteristics which demonstrate when put together,  how they can differ. We have heard many times how a fishermen is able to recognise another persons pot, a little like a signature. These characteristics are not only unique to each maker, but also the terrain on the seabed it is made to withstand, the materials available and traditions passed down through the generations.

These illustrations are making their first appearances in the form of prints and greeting cards at the Summerhouse gallery in Marazion for their Maritime exhibition 23rd August - 8th September and each sale goes towards further illustration and documentation of the language used.

They have been risograph printed by Roots Press onto 100% recycled card with rice inks, in an effort to make them as plastic free as possible the prints are being sold wrapped in tissue paper and inside an envelope, and greeting cards simply finished with a sticker.

Following on from this I also aim to have them available to purchase online, at other stockists and at our Withy Lore exhibition at Royal Cornwall Museum 10th March – 22nd June 2025. Here they will sit alongside illustrated stories, oral histories, photographs and withy pots, together telling the stories of each withy pot and its maker.

Storylines and I also have plans to share our work with schools, by producing free online resources for them to learn about the amazing world of withy pots. Earlier this year we trialled a workshop at Marazion school, where they were able to watch a film about a local withy pot maker who lives and works on St Michael's Mount, try a spot of weaving using some of my illustrations as a guide and also meet the withy pot maker himself! You can find out more about this by reading Storylines blog https://www.storylines.org.uk/2024/07/12/weaving-and-story-sharing-at-marazion-school/