Clay from Nigeria

Clay colours found across Nigeria.

Before any pot is shaped, there is earth. Nigeria has a great deal of it, and it is far from plain.

Field notes

Where the colours come from

Ehime Mbano, Imo State

Kaolin in the Nsu clay deposits comes in purple, gold, red, brown and white layers.

Akure and Idi-Ayunre, Ondo State

Around Akure the clays are grey and brown. At Idi-Ayunre the clay is whitish with red spots.

Ijesha-Ijebu

Residual clays are brownish with red spots, while clays from sedimentary ground are chocolate coloured.

Cross River

Clays fire from whitish or pinkish to brown and reddish, depending on their iron and titanium content.

Across these deposits, one mineral leads: kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral. It is the same family of clay that gives white kaolin its name.