A village fair, or the fair of the church feast, always hada stall from where people bought copper vessels. They were the quintessentialaddition to every household kitchen, yet their availability and use hasdeclined over the years in Goa. “Now their use has declined as they are beingreplaced with aluminium and steel utensils,” says Nicolau D’Souza, a copper potmaker from Verna, and one of the last of his trade. The decline in the use ofcopper vessels has also seen the profession and the makers disappearing.
“I came to Goa from Karwar in 1962 and stayed in Cuncolimand worked as a helper for a copper pot maker. After 13 years in Cuncolim, Iwent to Navelim and then to Mapusa where I was employed in the same capacity.In 1992 I felt confident to begin working independently. In 2001 I came to Vernaand have been working from here ever since,” he says.
Copper vessels are sold by their weight and not by capacity.“Back then, vessels were measured by ‘raat’ (450 gms). One raat cost Rs 16. Nowcopper vessels are sold by the kilo; a kilo costs Rs 700,” says D’Souza. Hecaters to the requirements of various shop owners, who give him the coppersheets, out of which he fashions the vessels and gives them to the owner. Ittakes him a day to make two medium-sized water pots. “The number of copperpieces required for each vessel differs. A pot needs four pieces for instance.The pieces are joined with a paste of powdered bronze and ‘khar’ (lime). Thisis then baked in a small furnace where the paste melts and solidifies,” D’Souzasays. “I then hammer the pot to give it strength. This also gives it a shineand it looks nice,” he continues.
D’Souza used to fashion vessels of all types such as moddki(large water pot for heating water for a bath), toppe (utensil for cookingfood), kaili (frying pan), kolso (water pot), tosste (shallow vessel forcollecting rice water after it is drained) and konfro (vessel for makingsannas).
This pot maker would have continued his passion at anon-stop pace if health didn’t intervene. “Last year he had a heart attack andthe doctor advised him to stop making vessels. Yet, he can’t seem to stopworking, and therefore makes only the smaller ones.” says D’souza’s sonJackson.
