23 February

Earthen pots are selling well in the palm climbing season in Ngathayauk Township, Mandalay Region, said U Nay Lin, a local earthen pot maker from Taunggone village.

“Every household from Taunggone village makes earthen pots for use in climbing palm. The elder people from Taunggone village do not know how many years earthen pots have been made in their villages. But everyone knows that villagers have been engaged in the earthen pot manufacturing business for many years, because people can see earthen pot baking sites and big kilns,” said U Nay Lin.

The villagers make pots of different sizes and designs. But every household makes pots for use in the palm business. The raw materials used in earthen pots are rough earth and clay. The clay is mixed with sand to create a special substance that keeps liquids cooler than a typical pot.

After mixing the mud and clay, a man and a woman will work together to operate a potter’s wheel. Typically, a man pumps a foot pedal to spin the wheel, while a woman sits on a low stool and shapes the clay around it. Palm farmers prefer to purchase pots made in Taunggone village because they are light and thin. The palm climbers usually bring seven pots to put palm liquid in. So, they need light and thin pots, said U Myint Maung, a local palm farmer from Tamagar village in Ngathayauk Township. The Taunggone village sells some 25,000 palm pots per day in the palm climbing season. Palm pots are sold for K 120 per pot. Earthen pot makers have sold more than 250,000 palm pots in the past three months. Each palm pot contains three liters of palm liquid, said Daw Hsan Yone, a local pot maker from Taunggone village.

The pots are mostly purchased from Kyaukpadaung, Taungtha, Nyaung-U, Bagan, Chauk, Taungzin and Janhlee villages.—Ko Htein (Ngathayauk) (Translated by Hay Mar)