Traditional Dai Pottery in Jinghong - click on a picture to see the slideshow

Handmade Dai pottery is used by many people locally to store Puer tea. The pottery

is made from river clay which is quite pourous, pure and has no odours.

Here is a selection of photographs showing the process of making pottery, from the dry, unprocessed clay to the finished pots.

 

 

Click here to see a map of Xishuangbanna Prefecture.

Pots wiating to be fired
River clay is brought to the pottery
It is then soaked in order that it can be processed: strained and left to dry
In the rainy season, clay is dried in small quantities under an awning.
Once the moisture content is reduced sufficiently, the clay can be used.
A potter finishing the base of a pot
The pots are left to dry
Once they have dried sufficiently, they can be carved. Here, both traditional and modern motifs are used
The kiln, actually a series of small kilns that run up the hillside. The fire is at the bottom. The pots nearer the source of heat will reacha higher temperature and consquently be harder, more pourous and darker in colour.
The kiln is fired by wood.
Another, smaller kiln.
Finished pots. These are traditional water jars - great for keeping water fresh , cool and sweet!