Unique handmade pottery craft of the M'nong people in Lak district

The People's Committee of Lak district has just announced the pottery making profession of the M'nong people in Yang Tao commune, Lak district (Dak Lak) as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The pottery making profession of the M'nong people in Yang Tao commune has a history of hundreds of years, imbued with the cultural identity of the Central Highlands.

Unlike Cham or Kinh pottery, M'nong pottery is made entirely by hand, without using a turntable but is molded by hand using traditional methods.

Yang Tao handmade pottery artisans. (Source: Van Hoa Newspaper)

After being mined, the clay is carefully kneaded to create each jar, pot, vase, etc. with unique patterns, expressing the typical cultural imprint of the people.

One of the special features of M'nong pottery is the open-air firing technique. The finished products are dried and then fired directly on the ground with firewood, straw and forest leaves for many hours.

This method creates ceramic products with natural colors, high durability, and rustic yet sophisticated beauty.

In particular, decorative patterns on ceramics are often symbols of mountains, forests, rivers and streams, expressing the connection between humans and nature.

The recognition of the pottery making craft of the M'nong people in Yang Tao commune as a national intangible cultural heritage is a worthy recognition of the historical, artistic and cultural values ​​that this traditional craft brings. This is also an opportunity for the M'nong pottery craft to have conditions for more sustainable development in the new era.

In the coming time, local authorities will coordinate with experts, artisans and the community to implement programs to teach pottery to the younger generation.

At the same time, the locality also called for investment and support to promote M'nong pottery products to a wider market, helping people have more income from traditional occupations.

Besides the significance of heritage conservation, the recognition of the M'nong pottery craft also opens up opportunities for developing community tourism in Yang Tao commune.

Nowadays, the trend of experiencing indigenous culture is attracting many tourists, especially those who love to explore traditional crafts.

The recognition of the pottery making craft of the M'nong people in Yang Tao commune as a national intangible cultural heritage is not only a source of pride for the local community but also a great responsibility in the work of preserving and promoting the value of the heritage.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/doc-dao-nghe-lam-gom-thu-cong-cua-nguoi-mnong-o-huyen-lak-307300.html