Rats Made With Love In Belarusian Ceramics Factory
A glimpse inside a Belarusian business that makes souvenir animals from clay.
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A ceramic rat gets his snout dabbed with paint.
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Long-nosed rodents taking shape under a potter’s fingers.
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These scenes of ratty genesis were captured inside the Belkhudozhkeramika ceramics factory in the Minsk region.
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The factory is located in a small town north of Minsk.
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The entrance of the business, which opened its doors to Belarusian photojournalist Natalia Fedosenko on November 21.
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A vessel is shaped on a potter’s wheel inside the factory.
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A worker carries clay pots that await firing in a kiln and a painter’s touch.
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The Belkhudozhkeramika factory opened in 1940 to make simple consumer products, like plates and mugs, from a deposit of high-quality clay in eastern Belarus.
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More recently, the factory has focussed on high-end decorative pottery…
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…and endearing porcelain rats.
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After the clay is molded and dried, the rats are fired in a roaring kiln that heats up to more than 720 degrees Celsius.
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The factory makes numerous other animal souvenirs.
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But during photographer Fedosenko’s visit, this rat pack stole the show.