WHEN Kevin Campbell was seven years old he sat among seasoned craftsmen in Frazer’s Content, Spanish Town, St Catherine, quietly observing as they shaped Dutch pots and coal stoves by hand. Now, in his early 50s, he makes more than 100 pots weekly — through his business — and is encouraging young Jamaicans to learn the fading art form in order to help preserve it.

He recalled that the making of Dutch pots, frying pans, soup pots, and coal stoves was once a thriving activity in the community but, as the elders who taught the skill passed away or migrated, it has declined.

Still passionate about the work, Campbell expressed concern about the dwindling interest, noting that only four residents now practise the craft. He is inviting young people to learn, hoping to pass on the skill that has sustained him and his family for years.

“I like to see things carry on because that’s what I learnt from those [before me]. Right in our village here, I learn it because you had a man — he passed on about five years ago — and he was the man who really bring the business to our community. The foundation for this is really Waterhouse, [St Andrew], so it’s a branch from Waterhouse carrying it here. Him really bring it into the community, and you have guys inna the community who learn from him. I learned from them.

“From I was seven years old I was amongst my brethren who learned it from the same man so I just want it to continue,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Singling out Kenroy Hylton and a man who goes by the moniker Culture, Campbell said they were instrumental in him learning the craft.

While many have walked away from the trade due to a lack of passion, Campbell said his love for it has kept him going. Once part of a group of artisans, two years ago, he branched out on his own and started a business producing made-to-order Dutch pots, dinner pots, ‘maman’ pots, tea pots, frying pans, soup pots, and coal stoves in varying sizes. His products are supplied to restaurants and households — at both the retail and wholesale levels — across Linstead, St Catherine, and Mandeville and Christiana in Manchester.

Prices for the products range from $1,700 to $20,000, depending on the size and type of pot, as well as whether it is purchased at wholesale or retail cost.

A labour-intensive process that can take two to three days, Campbell explained that his pots are made strictly from aluminium to achieve a smooth finish and polished look. The process begins with shaping moulds by using topsoil for both the pot and its cover, after which molten aluminium is poured into it. Once the mould sets, the pot is removed and carefully polished.

He prides himself on the durability of his products, noting that he still has the very first pot he made when he was 10 years old. Reflecting on the memory, his face lit up as he held the item — a four-pound rice pot that his family still uses to this day.

“It did come out wonderful — nice, clean, and pretty. I felt very excited, and I was joyful because when I looked and saw that I made something and it came out good, you wouldn’t like to see the joy I had. When you do something and it comes to perfection, and you see it, you just say, ‘Oh my, me do this? This is my own work,’ ” he said, smiling as he eyed the pot in his hands.

Though business has fluctuated over the years, Campbell said pot-making has been good to him. The breadwinner for his household, he said it has allowed him to provide for his four children, who have all completed high school. While his children have chosen their own paths, he said they handle the business side of his venture, helping him to promote, transport, and sell the pots. His daughter Lamoya has taken a particular interest in the business side of things, handling the day-to-day operations.

“In the morning time, as I wake, she will say, ‘Daddy, wah gwaan for today? What is the transaction for today?’ and I will say, ‘Alright, make a transaction for me in Spanish Town,’ and she will ask, ‘Daddy, what time?’ If a two o’clock, it’s two o’clock, if it’s one o’clock, it’s one o’clock, and she just does it,” he told the Sunday Observer, noting that all his children help out because they know what the business has done for their family.

Campbell said all other business and career ventures pale in comparison to his craft, and he could not see himself doing anything else. The 52-year-old joked that if it were up to him, he would not mind living for a million years just to continue making pots. However, cognisant that he cannot go on forever, he’s eager for the next generation to learn the skill and carry on the tradition.

“For other persons who want to learn this, I am here. I am willing to train them, willing to show you how it’s done. If they want to and they say, ‘Alright, where can I find this person who deals with this?’ My number is on social media [876-435-4960 or 876-797-8623]…You can call me, and I will explain it to you…I am willing to teach anybody who wants to learn this; even college children can learn this or those who just want to know the process. I don’t have a problem,” said Campbell.

He’s open to passing on the knowledge because others did not shut the door on him when he had an interest in the trade.

“They could’ve hidden it from me, but they never did that. They give me the willpower to teach others because they [were] willing to teach other people. If you came from a distance and you [wanted to] learn, they were willing to call you and tell you to come so I [will] follow in their footsteps…For me to do this is a joy, and to show somebody else, oh my, I would love to. Who can come and say, ‘Kevin, I would love to learn this,’ if it’s even for a little while and them nuh really want to spend the time [to start a business] after, but them wah learn the skill, I will do it,” he assured.

Kevin Campbell holds the first pot he made when he was just 10 years old. Photo: Naphtali Junior

Kevin Campbell carefully uses a spoon to smooth the top layer of soil used to create the mould for a three-pound rice pot. Photo: Naphtali Junior