Vietnamese Pottery

I guess that I have had a long love affair with Pottery.
From the traditional Tiger Pots of Singapore to the beautiful, bright colourful glazed pots now coming out of China and Vietnam I love them all.

When you are an expatriate living in the Middle East planting in pots means that if you have to move house or apartment you can take your beloved garden with you. It is also much easier to control water and nutrients if your plant is in a pot and the variety of pots available now means there is so much choice in size, design, material and colour.
Vietnamese pottery has a long history spanning back to thousands of years ago, long before the Chinese dominated the region. There was an unknown civilization which lived in Cát Tiên, South Vietnam between the 4th century and 9th centuries AD that made pottery and ceramics.
Vietnamese pottery is unique because throughout the centuries Vietnamese potters have combined indigenous and Chinese elements as well as experimenting with both original and individual styles.
They have introduced features from other cultures, such as Cambodia and India. At one time a Chinese emperor unsuccessfully tried to invade Vietnam but as a consequence the Vietnamese potters learnt how to make blue and white earthenware which was then exported all over Asia and became the most popular pottery in South East Asia.
When the Vietnamese pottery arrived in regions such as Persia, Java and China the potters of those countries started to copy the designs from Vietnam and mixed it in with their own traditional designs. At one time China banned exports of its own pottery for a thirty year period and this naturally allowed the Vietnamese pottery/ceramic industry to expand and become widely known in the world.
One of the reasons why Vietnam has always been a producer of Pottery is that it has lots of really good clay. Clay has to have two essential components, Silica and Alumina this type of clay is called Kaolinite and this is the type of clay that is found naturally in Vietnam.
Pottery is made from clay then it is heated to high temperatures in a kiln which removes all water from the clay, this process also produces reactions that lead to permanent changes including strength, hardness, shape and colour.
The properties of clays differ from country to country and it’s these properties that will define how the Pottery will turn out after it has been in the kiln. In Vietnam the clay is known for its high quality which makes the pottery strong and durable.
Another important part of making pottery is the kiln.
In the Middle East you can buy clay pottery from stalls or shops off the side of the road but unfortunately these have not been in a kiln so they still have moisture in them and it will only be a matter of time before they crack and start disintegrating.
The original Kilns in Vietnam were called Dragon Kilns.
They were called dragon kilns because they resemble the mythical beast’s body. A dragon kiln was built with bricks and earth had a sloping elongated tunnel, with a fire-box at the front end and a flue at the higher tail end where smoke was emitted. Pottery pieces were fired inside the tunnel using wood for fuel. During firing the crackling sounds of burning, rumbling noise of hot air, flames shooting from the fire-box and stoke holes and smoke escaping from cracks and chimney, make the kiln resemble a raging, fire-spewing dragon.
Unfortunately the Dragon Kilns became redundant but recently there has been movement by some countries to restore them.
In Vietnam all working Kilns are wood-fired as opposed to gas, electric or oil fired. Burning wood not only produces heat of up to 1400°C (2,500 °F), it also produces fly ash and volatile salts. Wood ash settles on the pieces during the firing, and the complex interaction between flame, ash, and the minerals of the clay body forms a natural ash glaze. If this glaze is not wanted then the items are placed in special covered containers inside the Kiln.
The history of Pottery from each country very much follows the history and development of that country and I find this makes the Pottery on my balcony and in my garden all the more interesting.
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Bau Truc pottery brand in Vietnamese tourism

Bau Truc Pottery Village in Phuoc Dan Town, Ninh Phuoc District is known as the only Cham pottery village in the south-central coastal province of Ninh Thuan and one of the most ancient in Southeast Asia.
Kneaded by hand, Bau Truc ceramic products are standalone items demonstrating the talent and unique craftwork of the artisans in the village.
Preserving traditional pottery




According to current statistics, Bau Truc Pottery Village has 570 households with 4,034 people, including 100 households producing pottery.
Ceramic products produced by artisans in the village are divided into two types, viz. domestic-use pottery and arts and handicraft pottery. 
Domestic-use pottery, such as jars, ovens and pots, mainly serve residents of rural areas and are consumed in the provinces in the south-central region and Ho Chi Minh City. 
Meanwhile, with diverse designs and patterns, craft pottery products, including flower vases, pitchers, lamps, decorative lights and statues imbued with Cham culture, have been popular not only domestically, but also on the international market.
The pottery industry in Bau Truc Village began a long time ago and is famous for employing strictly manual labour. 
Bau Truc artisans make use of the shaping “style” of Cham folk arts, using simple tools such as bamboo sticks, arca and snail shells to engrave different patterns, including symmetrical geometric figures, rivers and plants, into their pottery.
Two important factors demonstrating the uniqueness of Bau Truc pottery are raw materials and skilled potters. The clay used to make Bau Truc pottery products is taken from the waterfront of the Quao River. 
The potters smash the clay into pieces and mixe them with fine sand and knead the mixture. The amount of mixed sand depends on the size and uses of each product.
The artisans do not use spinning wheels to shape their products. They move their hands around the clay to create different shapes and patterns. After finishing an item, the products are exposed to the sun until they are dry and are then polished and burned.
Pottery products in Bau Truc Village are not baked in kilns. Artisans cover them with straw and firewood to bake them. With their skilful colouring and baking techniques, the potters give their products unique colours, resulting in the typical traditional style of the village.
Artisan Truong Thi Gach, 78 years old, said, “I started learning to make pottery when I was eight years old and my life wad devoted to this trade. There are few people having passion for pottery; therefore, I will make a greater effort to train younger generations in order to preserve the Cham culture’.
Developing the Bau Truc pottery brand in association with tourism
Phu Huu Minh Thuan, Head of Bau Truc Pottery Village Co-operative said that each year there were over 6,000 visitors to the village—70% domestic and 30% foreign tourists, mainly from Russia, Japan, Germany and Australia. 
“The village has focused on developing handicraft pottery products to meet the aesthetic needs of visitors as well as preserving unique identities of Cham culture,” Thuan shared.
Currently, the pottery cooperative displays more than 1,000 products of different types; many of them have sophisticated patterns, becoming favourites of a large number of customers, both domestic and foreign. 
At prices ranging from VND15,000 to VND3 million per product, the Bau Truc cooperative have sold around 35,000-40,000 pieces of pottery each year, earning a total turnover of over VND800 million.
In order to preserve and develop Bau Truc pottery, the Ninh Thuan People’s Committee implemented a “marketing strategy project for Bau Truc handicraft pottery for the 2010-2015 period, with a vision to 2020” with a total investment of VND26.3 billion.
In recent years, the province has paid much attention to supporting artisans in train younger generations and building a specific exhibition area for displaying and introducing Bau Truc pottery. 
In addition, the authorities enhanced communication on mass media to widely promote the products and marketed them at trade fairs and events on souvenir pottery products as well as providing capital support for households in the village to enhance their production and business activities and to expand their domestic and export markets.
Thuan also shared that the co-operative was building a project to export a large shipment of Bau Truc pottery to the UK late this year. The event is a good sign for the development of the Bau Truc pottery brand.
The relevant agencies are submitting a dossier with the aim of having Bau Truc pottery recognised as a part of the nation’s intangible cultural heritage. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will soon prepare the dossier for submission to UNESCO for recognition as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Nhan Dan
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Experience selecting potted plants

Bowls are one of the plants that are used by many to contain piles to ensure that plants grow and increase the fine art of ornamental plants telling them and the art scene in particular. Hence, the pots for planting are very important, which greatly affects the value of the crop. Today we share with readers some experiences of selecting potted plants.


There are now many types of plants available on the market that is rich in designs and sizes in all shapes and sizes in a variety of colors. Pot materials include porcelain, pottery, cement, plastic, and mortar. During the time of young trees, it is possible to select any potting bowl to provide enough soil and nutrients for the plants to grow and thrive. When the tree is relatively stable, it is best to create a shape that is appropriate and balanced in harmony with the shape of the tree.
For art plants, pots should pay attention to the height of the trees
If the plants are low, use high pots and tall plants, then you should use low pots with the general tendency for bonsai art to use quality pictures.
You also need to pay attention to the quality of the plant, when you choose the plant pots, the first need to plant a deep pot to allow the turn can grow rich. After each change of land we tidied off the soil at the bottom of the floor to bring out the shallow pot and made a few times like that when the roots are gradually accustomed and spread evenly on the thin plane, then we can plant in the pots. Expanded area as desired. However, you need to land every year, the soil needs to mix enough nutrients for the plant to grow.
You should also be careful not to leave the roots higher than planted pots because after the soil will float out of the head and roots are rooted and planted in very nice thin pots but must replace the soil every year the soil needs to be mixed enough The nutrients that plants can easily flower and the result, through the foreign bonsai we see the tree has a very large roots but on the very thin surface of the plant growing muchs

When choosing pots you should also pay attention to glaze color
For glaze color is considered the background color to highlight the color of flowers, fruits, leaves for the type of flower pots are played flowers, fruits and leaves should not use pots with colored glaze color of the fruit, We should use purple, brown or tile pot to plant white flowers, fruit trees, fresh leaves or bright colors. Or you can use the white glaze, celadon or blue color is.
Choose potted plants suitable for the purpose
For bonsai, you need to nourish so that the tree grows with fast and good rhizomes quickly reach the requirements of the growers to move the mace and reduce the growth of the leaves. At this time, you can choose the pot as you like with the size can fit the requirements.
Nowadays there are many beautiful bonsai trees available for you to choose and you should also note with the plants and pots that best suited Polystone planters
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Vietnamese ancient pottery displayed in Hanoi

As many as 75 ancient terracotta exhibits, which date from thousands years ago to the early 20th century, are being displayed at an exhibition that opened on April 22 at the National History Museum in Hanoi.
The exhibition titled “Vietnamese Ancient Ceramic Statues” shows how the materials, forms, technique and decorations of ceramic statues have evolved over time.


Ceramics is the earliest craft in the history of human civilisation. In Viet Nam, the oldest pottery statues trace back to the Phung Nguyen, Dong Dau and Go Mun cultures 4,000 years ago and take the shapes of humans and animals.

Organisers hope the exhibition will help domestic and foreign visitors better understand the country’s ancient ceramics, thus raising public awareness on preserving national cultural heritage.

The exhibition will run until the end of August.
 By Vien Nhu
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Luy Lau ancient pottery restored

An ancient capital, the Thien Duc river passed Luy Lau which is also next to the Duong river. Therefore, transport there is very convenient. Thuan Thanh was the center of Thuan An capital city, which contains the tomb of Kinh Duong Vuong and the temple of Lac Long Quan – Au Co.
We consider the land a memorial on the ground and in people’s hearts. Luy Lau belongs to Thanh Khuong commune, Thuan Thanh district, the northern province of Bac Ninh. In BC times, Luy Lau had large-scale pottery-kilns with modern technology such as a system of high-speed ovens and turn tables to create specific potteries.
Over the past years, archaeologists have discovered Kochi potteries dating back to the early AD times. During a national seminar held in ancient Hoi An town, Prof. Hasebe Gakydi, of Japan’s Tokyo National Museum, said that Japan had imported very beautiful Kochi potteries in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Kochi potteries were kept in Japanese families of high-rank and were found in sites of Okinawa Nakigin’s ancient citadel.



Taking over the traditional work of ancestors, the Luy Lau pottery cooperative was established in 2005. Many Luy Lau red pottery products were exhibited during the cultural festival of Vietnamese ethnic groups held in November, 2005, by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Agencies in the province and leaders of Thuan Thanh district and Bac Ninh province have given support to the activities of the Luy Lau pottery cooperative, said its head Nguyen Dang Vong.
A seminar on development history and solutions to the restoration and promotion of Luy Lau ancient pottery has been held in July, 2007, by Bac Ninh Industrial Department and Bac Ninh Unions of Co-operatives.
Despite difficulties on the way of opening markets and creating a trademark for Luy Lau pottery, its image has left deep impression in Vietnamese and foreign collectors at an exhibition during the APEC forum held in November, 2006.
Vic Tran, an expert in pottery, who returned to Vietnam from the US, visited the cooperative. After studying pottery products, he said “I had an opportunity to visit some pottery-kilns in Southeast Asia, in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Comparatively, Luy Lau pottery is very special. I see that some Americans have hunted for Chinese potteries. I believe that if Luy Lau pottery is present in the US markets, it will be liked by some people because it will be suitable with cold weather in some states in the US.
BTA (According to Nhan Dan Newspaper)

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Vietnamese pottery well matched with Japanese flowers

A Vietnamese living in the Land of the Rising Sun tried to associate Bat Trang pottery of Vietnam with flowers from Japan, which has been a great success.
Ngo Hung Lam, a Vietnamese resident, arrived in the Japanese province of Chiba in 1980 as a construction worker. Since then, he underwent many years of hard working in the province. During a trip to his homeland in 1995, he visited the well-known pottery village of Bat Trang in northern Vietnam and decided to introduce the village’s unique products to Japan.
After selling Bat Trang ceramics in Chiba for two years, Ngo Hung Lam considered selling Japanese flowers in pots made by Bat Trang artisans. The decision came from his deep understanding of Japanese tastes and Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.
Flowers are available in Japan all year round with a wide range of species and colours. Japanese people, who have a special love for flowers, often place them in a small pot in a garden corner or on the windowsill to improve their lives.


Following careful deliberations, he ordered flowerpots from Bat Trang craftsmen with decorative patterns designed by him. After 10 years, he has gained a lot of experience in planting and selling flowers as well as designing flowerpots. His flower shop has flourished to become the most well-known shop in Chiba province.
Ms Watanabe, who regularly patronizes Lam’s store, said the shop is the biggest of its kind in the region and offers many types of flowers priced reasonably. Japanese people especially favour the flowers planted in Bat Trang ceramic pots, she added.
However, Mr Lam’s road to success has encountered numerous hindrances. For example, it was difficult for an overseas Vietnamese like him to rent a favourable lot of land to do business on. Therefore, the man had to lease a very cheap but deserted plot. He has exerted a lot of effort to develop his business from a tiny 12m2 shop to a 6000m2 establishment with a splendid forest of flowers.
In addition to his business, Ngo Hung Lam has made active contributions to Chiba province. In the local park there are many public works ranging from stone benches and statues to flower gardens which were supplied thanks to his labour and financial support. Chiba inhabitants affectionately call him Fuji Kun, meaning Fuji boy. (Fuji is a famous mountain in Japan.)
Mr Lam is now nurturing a bigger ambition - to set up a Vietnamese village in Chiba, his second homeland. He hopes the village will be a Vietnamese cultural environment for Vietnamese settlers in Japan who have retired or who have experienced unfortunate lives to share their sympathy towards the native land of Vietnam.


(CPV/VOV)
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Vietnamese pottery on display in Belgium

Hundreds of traditional made-in-Vietnam ceramic products are on display at an exhibition in Brussels on Nov. 22 to introduce the traditional pottery and cultural heritages of craft villages in North Vietnam. The exhibition at the Royal Museum Mariemont, entitled "Hong (Red) River Pottery: An Cultural Itinerary", was part of a cultural project funded by the Belgium's French-speaking community and the Francophone Community in Brussels. Visitors to the exposition are also offered a chance to deepen their understanding about Vietnamese traditional ceramic making process, archeological relics and time-honoured pottery villages of Vietnam.


The show was the outcome of concerted efforts made by Vietnamese experts from the Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture and Information and their colleagues from the Belgian Cultural Heritage Agency and the Royal Museum Mariemont over the past three years, said Dang Van Bai, Head of the Department. The six-year project, dubbed "Cultural Itinerary: Traditional Craft Villages", started in 2004. Over the past three years, the project targeted traditional pottery villages and related archeological sites in the Red River Delta in North Vietnam.
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Biscuit-color terracotta pots: stimulating all glances

I make sure that you are so excited with special products I introduce to you today.They are biscuit-color terracotta pots which create new vatality for your garden.And they will become more atractive, more lovely.
Biscuit-color terracotta pots is one of vietnamese pottery line and they are called by queer alias because color of it  like as biscuit.They are often made from alum clay at Me Kong delta with many different materials to have spcial color.This is unique MeKong line, after mixing to get a smoonth blend, it is cut and poured in plastic mould to form.Then it is dried and firing in tower kiln 700-900 celsious during 3-5 days.Therefore terracotta pots are very solidly,hard .They are great planters for your garden.
Forming strongly, soft lines combines subtle pattern make simple beauty to insist on elegant character within your house.You also find lovely points in each pattern.Cute flowers has round petals and embellishing thin hems near neck make special affects for terracotta pots. They are suit both elegant style and classic style.It’s great for you to grow some small trees or flowers decorating your garden.



If you want to see more informations , please contact our MINHTAMPOTTERY to have more informations :
Contact: 
John Nguyen 
Address: 25370 Zemel Rd. Punta Gorda, FL 33955 
Email: John@minhtampottery.com 
Tel: 302 256 6818
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BIEN HOA POTTERY TRADE VILLAGES

Viet Nam has more than 10 pottery trade villages,if famous of north pottery is Bat Trang , famous of south pottery is Bien Hoa pottery.
All pottery trade villages are near driver và Bien Hoa pottery isn’t an exception.Because it is easy to move raw martial and pottery products and comfortable atmostphere of river brings to many inspitations to scraftmen.

In 1679, Some chinese moved into south of VietNam and settled with pottery at Cu Lao town.
In 1776, civil wars happened and Cu Lao town had terrible influences, they moved pottery kiln hamlet, then they bought household pottery products which everybody often used in our life, constructed pottery products, and spirited pottery products such as : statues of Buddha,statues of sacret objects which were clever.A apricot-blossom pottery brand appearedwith some glaze such as:blue, greean, crystal gem color, brown mixture with traditional raw martial  and forming skillful making special ceramic products.Some relics of apricot-blossom pottery brand missed out and conserved in temple architecture –distric 5 and distric 6 of Ho Chi minh city.
In 20th century ,because sources of martial were limited, kilns of Cho Lon area moved in to Bien Hoa and Lai Thieu , scaftmens added by others chinese persons who immigrated from different places .household pottery products were still main products, main Bien Hoa pottery products were big size things such as: Jar, big jar, pots,etc,v…v), Lai Thiêu  produced products such as : bowl, small bowl, plates
Alhoght , Bien Hoa pottery products constructed by Chinese immigrants , affected by china culture but these products also influenced by Ancient Vietnamese culture and using raw martials at local .
In 1923, mixture between glazes from France with traditional raw martial  of mr Robert Balink and Mariette Balink opened new stypes of Bien Hoa pottery .
Many new glaze colors appeared and supporting success of Bien Hoa pottery .typically, they are ash glaze, red rock glaze (from laterites of Bien Hoa), blue glaze, straw ash glaze,glass, sands.tec.v…v…They were galzes which make from maritals from nature and fired to change new colours.Bien Hoa potrery had variety of glaze colors

A main reason which making private character of Bien Hoa pottery products is carving tenchniques on surface of vietnamese black clay pottery products.Ancient scraftmen were perfectionist and sent to their thinks  in pottery products .All showed by patterns of pottery products
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Ancient pottery Pleasure: Elegant fun

Ancient pottery pleasure is elegant fun of many persons.we can compare it with artesian water of tradional pottery cultural stream , collector is connection between past and present .

Many persons who are expert in pottery or ceramic often say that: “The first is bone, the second is skin, and the third is fire”.We can that sentences with main : “Bone is forming , skin is decorating , drawing or carving patterns and galzing.Fire is the most important step , if fire isn’t enough heat ,glaze doesn’t melt.If degree of kiln is too hot , pottery products will have many crazing.A  perfect Viet Nam pottery product must include 4 standards : sound as bell, thin as paper, white as pearl, and pure as mirror.



Vietnamese pottery products have difference about periods, address.Bat Trang is different from Phu Lang , Chu Dau , Huong Canh , Tho Ha , Thanh Hoa …..Bat Trang pottery  is good at making white-light blue glaze products.Thanh Hoa ceramic is good at crazing glaze., Tho pottery is good at forming dark brown and shining pottery products.Phu Lang pottery with pots, plate, flower vases ,etc,v..v… with mixture between modern patterns and classic martials .Huong Canh pottery is simple with light yellow color…..

Among of them , Chu Dau pottery is special, ceramic products are variety about kinds and glazed many different color galzes.But Pattern is main point which make special character .Patterns of Chu Dau pottery showed traditional cultural Vietnamese people, reflecting beauty of nature and lift people who live delta such as: beautiful girls wear  Tradiotion VietNamese dress and hat, pastors,a sakura branch with a small bird  in spring ,.etc.v..v…

Pottery products have close relation with patterns about flowers , trees, nature.When we choose a pots or planter we should note :flower colors, tree styles, and table in our house to choose suit products.There are many ways to display pottery products such as : tall-short, horizontal-mangosteen, ying and yang ,etc.v……complicated display showed display season ways : sping, summer, fall, winter with hot or cold color.

Pottery products in house is required thought process and chosing strictly .If we abuse many pottery products in decoracting our house will be limpish.But if we use skilfully our house will become a art work.

Ancient pottery collector in the past were often orderd pottery products of China, including 2 kinds: Ancient VietNamese court odered poterry products with using in imperial palace.Almost of these pottery products decoracted by patterns such as : ancient chinese characters poetry or demotic sripts, all had turquoise color,the other kind :Rich planters or great aristocratic families making their patterns by drawing , then they odered ancient Chinese merchants who had stores at VietNam making those pottery products .Althougt almost of ancient pottety products at that time were made by Chinese people but they had ancient Vietnamese styles

pottery products of Ly –Tran reign were often liberal styles and decoracted with lotus pattern-popular patterns at that time.

Beauty of Pottery VietNam is showed by strong forming but not heavy , so there are many persons like Vietnamese pottery because of natural style, simple.

Pottery pleasure has many dificulities .A ancient pottery product which include standars about glaze, forming, and undamaged is uncommon so collector must wait for long time to find.Many persons must save money strictly or buying house, car, etc…… to have enough money to perchase pottery product which he dreams.Collector must to research about culture, art, etc.v…v…to check orginal pottery products or false pottery products.


Ancient pottery prodcuts has private spirit, from small palte to flower vases brings to VietNamese people must think .After changing of time , pottery products which missed out became important traditional value products, supporting descendants to understand about commons, languages of forefather.
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lightweight cement pots elevating to values for your house

Living in busy atmostphere, we always face to stressful status in long time.This infuluence strong your health and is main cause of many  dangerous diseases such as: heart disease or  having a nervous  breakdown. And it’s more terrible if you have in that status at home. Don’t work becomes an obsession, please make private atsmostphere for yourself ,decorating your garden to increase beauty of it, I make sure that you will have comfortable feels after going home. And lightweight cement pots are perfect products for your designs. With elegant color mixing luxurious flowers make unique effects for your garden. Breathing pure environment and enjoying quiet atmostphere , I think that your health are improved fastly. Escaping nervous and coming back nature,I believe that this is the best medicine in all medicines.


lightweight cement pots are special pottery of vietnam.With salient characteristics of these products such as: hardness, morden models,unique style, they are always suit products for outdoor designs. On the other hand, they are also still durable in change of weather. Although they are one of typical pottery of vietnam but they aren’t made from raw clay, they are made from cement and granite stone .They are formed by skilfull hands of scraftsmen by machines.
Full products often have popular colors as grey,black,white and having glossy surface. Colors are also durable in many years.


These products are avaible at our TTPOTTERY, if you would like to have more informations , please call for us by detail informations:

Contact:
John Nguyen
Address: 3913 Vinalopo Dr.Austin, TX 78738, U.S.A
Email: John@ttpottery.com
Tel: (512)584 1802 
Factory:
Address: 55/1 Binh Phu Quarter, Binh Chuan Ward,Thuan An Town, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
Email: factory@ttpottery.com
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Vietnamese Pottery

When you are an expatriate living in the Middle East, planting in pots means that if you have to move house or apartment you can take your beloved garden with you. It is also much easier to control water and nutrients if your plant is in a pot and the variety of pots available now means there is so much choice in size, design, material and colour. Vietnamese pottery has a long history spanning back to thousands of years ago, long before the Chinese dominated the region. There was an unknown civilisation which lived in Cát Tiên, South Vietnam between the 4th century and 9th centuries AD that made pottery and ceramics.



Vietnam pottery is unique because throughout the centuries, Vietnamese potters have combined indigenous and Chinese elements as well as experimenting with both original and individual styles. They have introduced features from other cultures, such as Cambodia and India. At one time, a Chinese emperor unsuccessfully tried to invade Vietnam, but as a consequence the Vietnamese potters learnt how to make blue and white earthenware which was then exported all over Asia and became the most popular pottery in South East Asia. When the Vietnamese pottery arrived in regions such as Persia, Java and China the potters of those countries started to copy the designs from Vietnam and mixed it in with their own traditional designs.

At one time, China banned exports of its own pottery for a thirty year period and this naturally allowed the Vietnamese pottery/ceramic industry to expand and become widely known in the world. One of the reasons why Vietnam has always been a producer of pottery is that it has lots of really good clay. Clay has to have two essential components, silica and alumina this type of clay is called Kaolinite and this is the type of clay that is found naturally in Vietnam. Pottery is made from clay then it is heated to high temperatures in a kiln, which removes all water from the clay, this process also produces reactions that lead to permanent changes including strength, hardness, shape and colour.

The properties of clays differ from country to country and it’s these properties that will define how the pottery will turn out after it has been in the kiln. In Vietnam, the clay is known for its high-quality which makes the pottery strong and durable. Another important part of making pottery is the kiln.
In the Middle East, you can buy clay pottery from stalls or shops off the side of the road, but unfortunately these have not been in a kiln so they still have moisture in them and it will only be a matter of time before they crack and start disintegrating. The original kilns in Vietnam were called Dragon Kilns because they resemble the mythical beast’s body. A dragon kiln was built with bricks and earth, had a sloping elongated tunnel, with a fire-box at the front end and a flue at the higher tail end where smoke was emitted. Pottery pieces were fired inside the tunnel using wood for fuel. During firing, the crackling sounds of burning, rumbling noise of hot air, flames shooting from the fire-box and stoke holes and smoke escaping from cracks and chimney, make the kiln resemble a raging, fire-spewing dragon.

Unfortunately, the Dragon Kilns became redundant but recently there has been movement by some countries to restore them. In Vietnam all working Kilns are wood-fired as opposed to gas, electric or oil fired. Burning wood not only produces heat of up to 1400°C (2,500°F), it also produces fly ash and volatile salts. Wood ash settles on the pieces during the firing, and the complex interaction between flame, ash and the minerals of the clay body forms a natural ash glaze. If this glaze is not wanted then the items are placed in special covered containers inside the Kiln. The history of pottery from each country very much follows the history and development of that country and I find this makes the pottery on my balcony and in my garden all the more interesting.
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