Myanmar Art and Craft
The Art of Making Pottery

Pottery Sheds
Pottery has been the earliest craft in the history of human civilization. Glazed ware and terracotta have been in use in Myanmar for more than a thousand years. A type of glazed ware is known as sint can still be found in most Myanmar households. Pots were not only used to store or cook food but also as burial urns to bury gold and jewelries. The remains of some old pots used during the Pyu civilizations were discovered, giving evidences that pots had been used since then. Remains were also found in Bagan and Mrauk-U regions. Terracotta pots are sometimes decorated with hand-painted flower designs. Pottery is a major cottage industry in Twante, which supplies much of the delta region with well-designed, utilitarian containers of varying shapes and sizes. Twante pots are typically half wheel-thrown, half coil-shape, then air dried on huge racks in the middle of the shed.

The making of Pots
Thick clay is mixed with the silt from the river to make a suitable consistency. Then it is allowed to dry after which it is pounded into a fine powder. After sieving several times, the powder is allowed to seep in water for some days. After the silt has settled, the clear water is poured away and the remaining clay worked over until smooth. After that, lumps of it are rolled and given over to the potter. Even though plastic, steel, aluminum wares are available, hand-made pottery is still very much preferred by Myanmar and still in use in the cultural traditions.

Please check here our classical arts and other skillful hand working

• Ten Flowers
• The Art of Weaving
• The Art of Making Pottery