Playing in the Mud - Thailand (Chiang Mai)

I’m researching and visiting as many ceramics villages as possible on my route through Southeast Asia.  

So far, Vietnam and Cambodia both offered traditional handbuilding techniques unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  Thailand, however, takes the cake for innovative wheel throwing processes. 

The village doesn't make too much of a variety of vessles.  They make very big pots/vases, very small candle holders, and a specific type of medium sized genie-like bottle.  Every artist was open to me visiting their home and taking photos or videos of their process.  The village was free to enter and there was absolutely no pressure whatsoever to purchase anything.  That was a first.  I actually wanted to purchase something, but the type of work they made wasn't exactly conducive to backpacking.  

Genius!

Candle holders

Baan Muang Goong Pottery Village is about 20k south of Chiang Mai, hidden down a gravel path near a busy intersection.  They solved the hidden part by constructing a HUGE genie bottle outside the arch to the village, beckoning visitors to drive through.  I was greeted by a map which displayed every house that created or sold ceramics in the village.  Some were handbuilding but most were throwing, either on small spindle-type wheels that they would turn with their hand, or medium sized wheels that were built with a motor, a bat, and a motorbike tire!  Why a tire?  Because there were only two speeds for the wheel – go and stop.  How do they stop the wheel?  By leaning a leg onto the tire after turning off the motor.  I couldn’t decide if this was a modern or archaic way of doing things.  I’ve seen a lot of kick wheels but this was the first one driven by a tire and a motor.  Very interesting to watch. 

Burnishing.  It would only take her about 10
minutes to finish this pot!

After stopping for a Sprite break, a Thai guy with small, tight shorts came up to me and introduced himself as the head of the village.  He spoke amazing English and invited me to his shop to see what he produces.  In a large open hangar type space, large vases and bowls lined every wall, waiting to be painted.  The other villagers throw them and then he paints them before they’re shipped off to Italy, Singapore and other destinations. 

He took me by a few other potters’ residences and I got to see the moto wheel in action.  I also saw large pots painted with terra cotta slip being burnished and small candle holders being thrown.  Very few of the village products were actually for sale.  Most of it was exported in bulk.  “Wood” as he called himself, was just showing me around because he’s a great guy and he says it’s important to preserve tradition.  He said that in 20 years, it’s likely that this village will no longer sustain itself.  The new generation has little interest in continuing the traditional practices and that worries him. 

It was a great day exploring Baan Muang Goong Pottery Village.  The next day, I returned, and much to their confusion, I bought a kilo of clay.  “For pictures!” I explained. 

My couchsurfing host is a brilliant photographer (kljcreative) and keen to shoot every surfer who stays at his house.  Instead of a traditional, clean shoot, I asked if he wanted to do a creative one with the love of my life: clay.  For a few hours, I got dirty in front of the camera (and no, not in that way!)