M'Nong black pottery
The traditional pottery technique of the M’Nong people in Dak Lak is completely rudimentary. Women shape vessels without a wheel, and the potteries are fired open-air by firewood, then dyed black with rice husks smoke. Nowadays, there are very few M’Nong women practicing this traditional art form.
The process
1. M’Nông people use pure clay from the rice field. The clay is milled until the impurities are removed.
2. They move around the clay while shaping it. A small cloth is used for making orifice and bamboo bracelet for removing redundant parts.
3. They use a small bamboo stick to decorate the pottery surface.
4. To polish the surface, they use a fine pebbles. They stop polishing when the surface is smooth and shiny.
5. The potteries are sun-dried before firing.
6. In open-air, they are fired using firewood for 45 to 60 mins.
7. After removal from the fire, they are buried in rice husks. The husk smoke seeps into the potteries and dye the surface black - the unique color of M’Nông potteries
8. Finished product
Pottery gallery
