Preforming the pots on leather-hard clay in Quế An village. Step 2 : scraping inside cooking pots (1/2)

After a certain time drying, the preform is placed back on the turntable, and the potter scrapes the inside with the bamboo tool (cái khót). This time, the action aims at thinning the walls. Quite a lot of clay is removed during the process, leaving the walls only a few millimeters thin. She refers to this action as “cạo”, translated as to shave or to scrape. The potter says that, if skipping this step, the pots can still be fired and used. However, they will be really heavy. Then she uses her fingers to smooth the inside. The neighbors and family came to visit and discuss with the potter.