Everyone in this village in Ninh Binh is trying to preserve the "clay molding" profession. What is that profession?

Unique Gia Thuy pottery craft

According to artisans of Gia Thuy pottery village (Gia Thuy commune, Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh province), its predecessor was Long Thinh pottery. In 1958, some potters from Thanh Hoa migrated here and opened a number of pottery kilns to make household items such as pots, pans, jars, etc.

Mr. Trinh Van Dung - Director of Gia Thuy Ceramics Joint Stock Cooperative (Gia Thuy commune, Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh province) is always passionate about his profession. Photo: VT

Through many ups and downs and fluctuations of the market, Gia Thuy pottery village (Gia Thuy commune, Nho Quan district) still maintains its peaceful, quiet beauty, and the craftsmen maintain their meticulous and diligent working spirit.

Mr. Trinh Van Dung - Director of Gia Thuy Ceramic Joint Stock Cooperative said: "Gia Thuy ceramics has existed since 1958, the products are made such as: jars, pots, teapots, vases, bowls, plates... By 2007, Gia Thuy ceramics village was recognized as a traditional craft village".

Gia Thuy pottery products (Gia Thuy commune, Nho Quan district) are increasingly diverse. Photo: VT

"In 2021, Gia Thuy ceramic flower vases were recognized as 3-star OCOP products. Currently, Gia Thuy Ceramic Joint Stock Cooperative is creating regular jobs for 50 workers, with a salary of 7-8 million VND/person/month. In addition, to preserve the traditional profession, the cooperative also provides free vocational training for local youth," said Mr. Dung.

Through research, the highlight of Gia Thuy pottery is that it does not have a glazed surface layer, nor is it decorated with many colors or shapes. It is simply a product made from clay, with a characteristic burnt brown color.

Gia Thuy potters always know how to "breathe life" into each work. Photo: VT

Unique Gia Thuy pottery has a horse image attached to the outside of each jar. Photo: VT

Mr. Tran Van Quang, who has many years of making pottery, confided: "Gia Thuy pottery has been around for a long time and up to now, the basic method is manual work. We rely on our accumulated experience to make things, such as firing pottery in a kiln, the time to produce a product that meets the requirements is more than 100 hours, the temperature in the kiln increases gradually, the peak is about 1,200 degrees Celsius to meet the requirements".

Gia Thuy pottery has a wide range of products, from plates, vases to large jars with a capacity of 400 liters. The products are made from clay, unpainted, simple in appearance, but each Gia Thuy pottery product is the result of the artisan's efforts.

Gia Thuy pottery making process

Through research, the characteristic of Gia Thuy pottery is that it is made from yellow-brown clay, which is a locally available material and only available in the craft village. In particular, this type of clay has high adhesion, is smooth and heat-resistant.

Yellow clay to create famous Gia Thuy pottery products. Photo: VT

The process of drying clay on the wall surface. Photo: VT

Workers soak and filter mud and let it solidify before shaping. Photo: VT

Mr. Trinh Van Dung - Director of Gia Thuy Ceramic Joint Stock Cooperative shared: "To make a ceramic product for the market, it must go through many stages. First, the worker must dry and crush the soil.

Next, the worker will put the soil into the soaking tank. Next, use a machine to stir it evenly and then scoop it through a sieve, drain off the water on top, and take the solidified soil below. Then take the soil out to dry.

Workers shape Gia Thuy ceramic products. Photo: Vu Thuong

Jars, pots... are dried before being put into the kiln. Photo: VT

Mr. Dung noted that the drying of the soil must be done carefully, because if the soil is too dry or too wet, it will be difficult to shape. At the same time, the plastic clay layer will be brought to the production area to be broken into small pieces.

In addition, from these pieces of soil, the worker will roll and press the soil into long pieces. From the long, "twisted" pieces of soil, they will then be stacked on top of each other to create the shape of the product.

Once the mold is ready, the craftsman skillfully shapes a specific product, which can be a jar or a vase... The next step is to smooth and adjust the products to ensure neatness and smooth lines.

The pottery firing process requires experienced workers. Photo: VT

Gia Thuy pottery comes out of the kiln with a characteristic burnt brown color. Photo: VT

According to Mr. Dung, after shaping, the jars, pots, vases... will be dried outdoors for 5-7 days. At the same time, the clay layer will be checked to see if it has hardened, then put into the kiln to be fired for 8-10 days to produce the finished product.

"Although Gia Thuy Pottery has gone through difficult times, we are still determined to stick with the profession. Up to now, the cooperative's pottery kilns produce about 2,400 products per month, with an estimated revenue of up to a billion VND per year," said Mr. Trinh Van Dung, Director of Gia Thuy Pottery Joint Stock Cooperative.

Source: https://danviet.vn/dan-ca-lang-nay-o-ninh-binh-ai-cung-dang-co-gang-giu-nghe-nan-dat-set-do-la-nghe-gi-20240825182234781.htm