Processing clay in Ki’Nonh village : Pounding the clay

Hốih Tiến and Hà Thị Sương are finishing pounding the clay while potter Bling Thị Thuáh prepares a lump of clay to make a small cooking pot. Hốih Tiến (left) is using a pestle made for the purpose of our documentation while Hà Thị Sương (right) uses a traditional pestle borrowed for the occasion. The potter extracts the amount of clay needed for the intended pot and gathers it in a bowl. She takes the clay between her two hands and smashes it slightly on the stone to compact it, then turns it a little in her hands and smashes it again. She repeats this gesture until the clay forms a compact cylinder. The size of the cylinder depends on the size and shape of the intended pot.