Introduction to Cham Bau Truc Pottery Art
On November 29, 2022, UNESCO officially inscribed the "Pottery art of the Cham people" on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, marking the 15th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam to be honored. Among the active Cham pottery villages, Bau Truc (Ninh Thuan province) and Ligok (Binh Thuan province) are the two main centers, with Bau Truc standing out as the oldest craft village in Southeast Asia. This art is not only a production technique but also a living expression of Cham culture, beliefs, and community life.
Origins and Historical Formation
According to legend, Bau Truc pottery was formed around the 12th century when the wife of Poklong Chanh (a deity in Cham beliefs) taught Cham girls how to make pottery. Since then, the craft has been passed down from generation to generation, mainly through the matrilineal line: mothers teach daughters. This explains why, historically, Cham women played a dominant role in pottery making, while men often handled heavier tasks such as soil extraction and firing.
Bau Truc village currently has nearly 600 households with about 5,000 Cham ethnic people, maintaining the pottery craft for centuries. The craft's endurance is not only due to economic value but also to the role of pottery in Cham spiritual life, daily activities, and rituals.
Unique Mold-Free Production Technique
Materials and Preparation Process
The main material is a highly plastic clay found along the Quao River, about 1 km from the village. After each rice harvest (three crops per year), people dig soil about 0.5 m deep under the field surface, bring it home, clean it, pound it finely, and soak it in water. The soil is then mixed with fine white sand at a ratio of 2 parts clay to 1 part sand, mixed thoroughly until smooth, and stored indoors for year-round production. Adding sand increases adhesion, prevents cracking during firing, and creates the characteristic porosity of the pottery.
Fully Handcrafted Shaping
The biggest difference of Bau Truc pottery compared to other pottery lines is that it does not use a potter's wheel or fixed molds. Artisans use only their hands to knead, shape, and smooth each lump of clay into the desired form. This technique requires dexterity, aesthetic vision, and immense patience. Artisans can create products with unique patterns such as zigzags, waves, or incised lines by wrapping a water-soaked cloth around their hands, rubbing evenly, or pressing firmly to create edges. Each product thus bears a personal mark, is non-repetitive, and expresses the thoughts, feelings, and stories of its maker.
Open-Air Firing Technique
Firing is one of the secrets behind the characteristic colors of Cham pottery. Villagers choose a wide plot of land, spread a layer of rice husks to retain moisture, then stack firewood, place the products on top, cover them with straw, and burn continuously for 48 hours. This open-air firing method does not use a closed kiln like other pottery villages, allowing products to come into direct contact with fire and wind, creating natural color variations: yellow-red, red-pink, gray-black, brown, etc. These color shifts are an unmistakable hallmark, making each product unique.
Cultural Values and Symbols
Bau Truc pottery is not just a utility item but also a "memory" of Cham culture. The patterns and carvings on products often depict daily life, beliefs, or symbols such as goddesses, plants, and waves. Through these, artisans convey historical and spiritual stories of the community. This art is also linked to the role of women in a matrilineal society, showing respect for the labor and creativity of Cham women.
Economic Role and Community Life
According to records in Bau Truc village, pottery making brings an average income of 200,000 to 300,000 VND per person per day, depending on skill. The Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative currently has 45 highly skilled members and buys products from many households in the village. Thanks to stable income, people's lives have improved significantly, helping to keep the younger generation attached to the traditional craft.
Challenges in Preservation and Promotion
Despite being honored, Bau Truc pottery still faces many difficulties:
- Lack of high-quality human resources: The number of highly skilled artisans is limited, especially young workers with artistic training to create new products. Expanding the art pottery market requires a professional design team.
- Limited product outlets: Villagers mainly find customers themselves, without adequate support from authorities in promoting products at national and international fairs.
- Unplanned raw material area: People extract clay based on experience, leading to difficulties in ensuring a stable and sustainable supply.
- Competition with industrial products: Household pottery is increasingly replaced by modern products, while high-end art pottery requires significant investment in quality.
Solutions and Development Directions
To promote the heritage's value, cooperation from the government, community, and cultural organizations is needed:
- Training and capacity building: Create conditions for Cham youth to study fine arts and industrial design to combine tradition with modernity.
- Planning raw material areas: Support people in accessing quality clay sources, with a sustainable extraction plan.
- Boosting trade promotion: Organize participation in domestic and international fairs and exhibitions, build the craft village's brand.
- Linking with tourism: Develop craft village tours, combined with pottery-making experiences, to increase income and promote culture.
Conclusion
Cham Bau Truc pottery is an invaluable heritage, crystallizing the wisdom and soul of the Cham community over centuries. UNESCO's inscription is not only international recognition but also a reminder of the responsibility to preserve and promote heritage values. For Bau Truc pottery to continue "living" in modern life, sustained efforts from the whole community are needed, from teaching the younger generation to creating products suitable for the market. With its inherent potential and proper investment, Bau Truc pottery can reach further, becoming a pride of Vietnamese culture internationally.
