Viet Nam

What is sand doing in a centuries-old pottery tradition?

In Bàu Trúc, Vietnam, Cham potters mix local clay with fine sand. The proportions change depending on what is being made, with different mixtures used for smaller and larger pieces.

The piece stays still while the potter walks backwards around it, lap after lap, shaping the clay by hand. Over a working day, that can add up to five to eight kilometres around the pottery.

The craft is inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.