| Klong Srabua Potters Preserving Original Techniques | ||||
| UPDATE : 21 June 2010 | ||||
The potters of Klong Srabua ('Srabua Canal'), a sub-district of Ayutthaya's Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district, 80 kilometers north of Bangkok, continue to produce their distinctive wares by hand. Fortunately, over a period covering several centuries, the traditional skills required to produce the hand-crafted earthenware have successfully been passed down from one generation to the next. While modern technology has long been utilized to mass produce certain kinds of earthenware goods, the potters of Klong Srabua largely avoid the use of machinery in the production process, preferring to follow the labor-intensive methods long adhered to by their ancestors. Maintaining Traditions According to 72-year-old Boonchuay Si-U, one of only a handful of potters operating a kiln in the village, pottery making was still the most popular activity among residents until about 30 years ago. Today, only about six to seven households are still operating kilns, while even fewer people are interested in acquiring the necessary skills, she says. In days gone by, it was mainly women who pursued the skills required to produce pottery by hand, Boonchuay says. While not every household had its own kiln, local women could still earn some extra money by helping to produce the earthenware when they weren't working in the rice fields. The men were responsible for carrying out other household activities, according to Boonchuay. Boonchuay says she picked up her own pottery making skills by watching her grandmother at work and, later, by assisting her mother at the kiln.
Traditionally, cooks put the pots produced at Klong Srabua to good use by cooking curries in them. However, these days they are most commonly used by restaurants as a form of storage jar for curries. While the earthenware pots certainly represent a unique form of 'Thainess', they're also said to enhance the aroma of the food stored inside them. Boonchuay produces pots in her own home, having turned it into a production base. Her residence includes an area for storing the pots, an area for producing the pots, as well as a kiln.
In order to ensure that the ingredients are properly blended, the mixing process is carried out by using the feet and treading the mixture until it achieves the correct consistency. This process can take several hours, according to Boonchuay. An Original Finish The other factor that distinguishes pottery produced in Klong Srabua from pieces produced elsewhere is the finishing process, which involves striking the pot with a flat piece of wood, according to Boonchuay. While other potters tend to finish their pots on a potter's wheel, the potters of Klong Srabua only use the wheel to create the basic shape of the pot. To ensure the pottery is as thin as possible on completion, the pot is allowed to dry slightly and is then struck with the wood in order to perfect the finish.
Boonchuay's own area of expertise relates to the preparation of the clay. In order to complete her production, she turns to neighbors who possess each of the other individual skills she requires. Boonchuay says she usually prepares about 400 pots before firing them in the kiln. The pots are then distributed to markets nationwide. “Although the work is laborious, I am determined to preserve our traditions and will continue to produce pottery in this traditional way,” she says. Klong Srabua pottery is a source of great pride within the village. Relevant authorities arrange cultural trips to the village for schoolchildren from within the same province from time to time, so they can also get the opportunity to try out some of the techniques in a bid to develop a love for this unique form of ancestral wisdom among generations of young Thais. | ||||
วันอังคารที่ 22 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2553
Klong Srabua Potters Preserving Original Techniques
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