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Thanh Ha pottery village is located in Cam Ha commune, Hoi An town. Although it has experienced various changes of time, economic difficulties and foreign competition, the local inhabitants are always trying to preserve a traditional profession, inherited from their ancestors. For generations and in silence, the village has contributed to the society certain key items for daily use like cups, bowls, pots, jars, flower- pots...
Originated from Thanh Hoa province, the pottery-making profession in Thanh Ha village absorbed some techniques, from Quang Nam province and hence their products have become different from all the others in the country, though also based on clay with manual handling and kiln heat. The originality of their products lies in the color, durability, lightness and decoration.
Depending on the time of burning and the temperature of kiln, the color can be changed from pink, pink yellow to red, light brown and ink-black. Thanks to the special technique of processing earth and the combination of successive operations, the durability of their products nearly ranks at the top compared to the others in the country and the brightness is the same as enamel.
Also, this pottery is lighter than the others. Especially, a soft and clear sound with echo can be heard by knocking on the product. Some products are offered at request or used for planting orchids, pot plants; they are decorated with the sink and float vignettes that are simple but very nice.
Thanh Ha pottery craftsmen had ever been invited by the Court of Nguyen Dynasty in Hue to create special products for activities of the imperial palace. The same as Kim Bong wood craftsmen, they were put at the eight or nine grades of mandarin system. In the past few decades, Thanh Ha pottery has still been sold throughout the country and sometimes abroad (Canada, America, France).
Besides the pottery work, Thanh Ha village is also famous for bricks and tiles. So far, it has supplied double, corrugated and tubular tiles for the old architectural constructions, of which the Hoi An ancient city with the restoration and embellishment of places of historical interest.
What a worthy job to do, but Thanh Ha village in danger of losing its tradition because of low income as against the other jobs.
Nhan Dan - (16/08/2004)
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