Surface treatment in Quế An village : smoothing the outside of a cooking pot

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posted on 2025-10-31, 11:37 authored by Cécile de FrancquenCécile de Francquen

The potter, Võ Thị Sương, uses a thin slice of bamboo with blunt edges, the ends of which are tied together with plastic string. She rubs it against the walls of the kettle with water to smooth the surface.

Funding

Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

History

Session

Q35

Rights owner

Cécile de Francquen

Title alt

Xử lý bề mặt, tại làng Quế An: làm mịn mặt ngoài của chiếc nồi

Description alt

Người thợ gốm Võ Thị Sương dùng một thanh tre mỏng có cạnh cùn, hai đầu được buộc lại với nhau bằng dây nhựa. Bà ấy chà nó vào thành nồi cùng với nước để làm phẳng bề mặt.

Cultural group

Kinh

Participants

Võ Thị Sương

Country

Viet Nam

Place

Quế An, Quế Sơn district, Quảng Nam Province

Item/object

Cooking pot (nồi)

Techniques of production

Ceramic-wet-smoothed, Pottery – smoothing (leather-hard clay)

Materials

Mineral-clay, Ceramic-pottery

Materials alt

Đất sét (vietnamese for clay), Đất núng (vietnamese for pottery ; literal. "earth cooked")

Cultural context/event

General production

Location

Workshop

Temporality

This is the last step of making pots. After smoothing, the pots are let to dry completely, for at least a week. Then they are fired.

Intent

The water re-moistens the walls of the kettle. The clay particles on the surface become mobile again and lodge in the rough spots created by the planning, making the surface smoother.

Date of creation

2023-09-21

Unique ID

2020SG03-Q35-0187