|
A
ceramist at work |
| calitri
tradizioni |
| The
master never indulged in chatting with his apprentices, nor did
he smile or show his feelings; his attitude at all times was reserved
and detached. |
| Before
leaving the premises, he left instructions with the senior apprentice,
who acted as his substitute during his absence. He had the authority
to represent the master in running the workshop and to oversee his
fellow workers. |
| An
apprentice was expected to come to work on time, work in silence,
learn the trade and not participate in disputes that could arise
at times in the shop. |
| The
apprentice’s conduct had to be irreproachable even when away
from the shop. He could not play or smoke in the presence of his
master, nor frequent the same haunts. |
| Any
infraction of these rules was tantamount to disrespect for the master,
who, not abiding such misconduct, did not hesitate to resort to
slapping the offender in order to show who was master and that certain
principles were fundamental and not to be questioned. |
| During
his entire apprenticeship, an apprentice received no wage except
a kind of gratuity which the master meted out on rare occasions,
like the main holidays, and this was commensurate with the length
of service. |
| In
spite of the strictness with which a master treated his apprentice,
a very solid emotional bond was established between them that lasted
an entire lifetime. The master considered the apprentice like a
son, guided him in his important decisions, and gave him advice. |
| The
apprentice, for his part, considered the master like a second father,
strict but kind, a person on whom he could rely in any circumstance. |
| In
deference to his master, an apprentice would address him as “uncle
master” and his wife as “aunt master” and used
the polite form of address (the voi pronoun), even though that form
of address was not common in the local idiom. |
| The
apprentices formed a sort of hierarchy, which reflected seniority
of service, as a consequence of which the newcomer or “freshman”
ended up with the lowliest chores, such as cleaning up the shop,
tending to the water supply, rearranging the tools and straightening
up the work benches. |
|
