Preforming on leather hard clay in Yang Tao village : polishing and thinning the walls of a steaming pot (kơl hôl piêng).

When the whole container has dried enough to be handled withoug being distorted, Mai Kim sits on the floor with her the steaming pot on her legs and uses a smooth stone to rub horizontally the external surface of the pot. This is the first polishing step that aims at compacting the surface and filling the pores and smooth the irregularities of the surface. It creates a smooth but regularly striped surface. Then, with her right hand inside, she uses a ring made of metal, called nôr, to scrape the inside of the pot. With her left hand, she supports the outside and feels the thickness of the walls. By doing so, she knows where to stop. The nôr is traditionally in bamboo, but the metal ones are used when the pot is a bit too dry. However, they make the surface uneven and more “ugly” (as they say). This action, called “kôr” (to peel, shave) in Mnong, makes the walls more regular and the pot lighter.