“Preserving the soul” of Phnom Pi pottery

At the foot of Phnom Pi mountain, Phnom Pi hamlet, Tri Ton commune, there used to be a pottery village of the Khmer people that was over 100 years old. Over time, this craft village has gradually faded away, but there are still people attached to the traditional craft, as if preserving the love of the land and people.

The "golden" time

Arriving at the foot of Phnom Pi mountain in a hot summer afternoon, following the instructions of the local people, I crept into Phnom Pi pottery village. It is called pottery village because about 30 years ago, in Phnom Pi hamlet, there were dozens of Khmer families practicing this profession. After asking around many times, I went to the house of Mrs. Neang Soc Nat, who still preserves the Phnom Pi pottery making profession.

In front of her house, she was drying some newly-made bamboo baskets, the soil had not yet dried. Next to them, all kinds of traditional tools such as: pounding table, troweling table, table, water basin… were displayed. Slowly and honestly, Mrs. Neang Soc Nat told me about the “golden age” of Phnom Pi pottery.

“I don’t remember when pottery started, I only know that my grandmother and mother started making it a long time ago. I am the third generation in my family. When I was 14 or 15 years old, I learned pottery from my mother, and now I am over 50 years old. In fact, the pottery profession in Phnom Pi is over 100 years old,” Ms. Neang Soc Nat recalled.

Khmer women in Phnom Pi hamlet are preserving their traditional craft. Photo: THANH TIEN

In the slow story of that woman, I saw the image of strong, muscular Khmer men pulling each other up Phnom Pi mountain to carry soil back. The soil on the homeland mountain is both flexible, smooth and well-adhesive to create strong and durable ceramic products later. For experienced potters like Mrs. Neang Soc Nat, it must be the soil from Phnom Pi mountain to produce products that carry the "soul" of the old craft village.

She said that the soil is mixed with water and left to ferment for 2-3 days before being used to make pottery. With skillful hands, Khmer women have created pots, pans, cake molds, and clay pots. In fact, the purpose of Phnom Pi pottery is to serve daily life, so it does not require high levels of craftsmanship. However, with meticulousness, diligence, and love for the homeland, Khmer women have given life quality products, with a beauty as simple as the way of eating and thinking of their people.

“Back then, there were a lot of people making pottery! There were always several fires in the village that were glowing red. Phnom Pi pottery was not fired in a kiln, but only with straw and firewood. When the pottery was “burned” enough, it would have a reddish-brown color and would be very durable. Almost every day, there were customers coming to buy pottery to sell elsewhere. My family also had food all year round thanks to the pottery business,” Ms. Neang Soc Nat affirmed.

"Keeping the soul" of the pottery village

Now, the number of people still involved in the pottery making profession in Phnom Pi hamlet can be counted on one hand. People like Mrs. Neang Soc Nat are on a mission to “keep the fire burning” in the craft village. Next to Mrs. Neang Soc Nat’s house, there are also seniors like Neang Nhay, Neang Sa Ra… who are also approaching “retirement” age, but still working hard at their craft. It’s just that Phnom Pi pottery is no longer suitable for modern life.

“Nowadays, people only use gas stoves and electric stoves, so clay stoves are no longer useful. Only food traders or families in the countryside who still have wood stoves use them, so the demand for them is low. Therefore, young people in Phnom Pi hamlet do not follow the pottery profession, they have all gone to work. Only me and my aunts and sisters know the profession, so we try to keep it. Besides, some customers in the neighboring areas also come to buy pottery, so I can still make a living from this profession,” said Mrs. Neang Soc Nat sincerely.

Phnom Pi ceramic products are durable and serve human life. Photo: THANH TIEN

As a “colleague” of Mrs. Neang Soc Nat, Mrs. Neang Sa Ra is also trying to preserve the profession that she has had since her daughter. “I am old, so I try to keep doing this job as long as I can. At my age, there is nothing else I can do. Luckily, the roads are easy to travel now, I hire people to bring the soil to my door, and with my skills, I can make a batch of pottery. Every day, I make 3-4 pots, earning 150,000 VND, enough to cover my family's living expenses,” Mrs. Neang Sa Ra shared.

For this Khmer woman, Phnom Pi pottery is not just a job. It is a memory, a place that contains the imprints, the past years of her life. Therefore, even though her eyes are no longer as clear, her hands are no longer as flexible as when she was young, she still works diligently and meticulously on each product. She said that she will stick with the job until she can no longer do it.

In a conversation with simple Khmer women, I came across small, pretty Phnom Pi ceramic products that fit comfortably in the hand. They said that travel companies have ordered such products as gifts, at a price of 30,000 VND/piece.

“I can make all small pots like this. It’s just that people order few, I make a lot and don’t know who to sell to. If there is an order, the potters in Phnom Pi will probably make them together to sell to tourists,” said Ms. Neang Soc Nat.

The story of Mrs. Neang Soc Nat suggests a way for Phnom Pi pottery to survive in modern society, when associated with tourism in the form of souvenir products. To achieve that goal, the participation of the tourism industry and support from the locality are needed to preserve the hundred-year-old traditional craft of the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region.

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/-giu-hon-gom-phnom-pi-a426289.html