In the village of Kalabougou near Segou, Mali, women of the numu blacksmiths population have worked for centuries as traditional potters. Next to the kilns, a woman separates the red bark of a certain tree from the water it has been soaked in. The red-dyed water will be used as a decorative glaze for the pots yet to be fired. The glaze is most often applied to the neck of the pot.