Pottery in Bhaktapur

By Bikash Karki

Pottery is an art. Pottery is a business. For those potter families in Bhaktapur, pottery is a tradition and a livelihood. From early morning to late night, they play with the clay and produce the product that many use without wondering what it takes to make them.

The young are involved in digging the fields for good black soil and carrying it to the pottery square where they mix it with the right amount of water. After hours of beating and churning the mix, they deliver the clay to their older but more artistic elders to create the pot shapes. With a spinning wheel and their expert hands, these skilled craftsmen shape the clay into various pots which are then safely placed in sun-light to dry.

Women are usually involved in drying the pots. After a hard days work, at dusk, the pots are baked in the furnace and become ready to sell.