If you have an interest in traditional Khmer every day vernacular pottery, as I do, then you most certainly should visit Kampong Chhnang, often written Kg. Chhnang, before those who make them die-out and these ancient traditional low-fired pottery wares, used throughout all of rural Cambodia, are replaced by cheap metal wares. The name Kampong Chhnang applies to the central Cambodian Province of that name and the Capital Town of that Province. Kg Chhnang Province comprises eight administrative districts and has a poor rural population of circa 500,000 and a large, predominately Vietnamese-Khmers, floating-villages population."
Pottery
Kampong Chhnang is a province famous for its very fine (clay) pottery. The name of the province says it all in Khmer: Kampong Chhnang means "Port of Pottery". The people of this province enjoy making pots, vases and various other types of ceramics, when they are not busy with the (rice).
The clay is extracted from the nearby mountains. It is then processed into pits with water. Thereafter, it is taken out and placed on a plate, thrown in a metal pail, and kneaded by hand against the edge. A kind trowel turns the clay against the inside of the bucket.
This process takes only a few minutes, after which the bucket is reversed and the clay comes from the metal bucket.
NEDERLANDS
