Ban Lu Pottery: Treasures From The Border of Vietnam-Laos

Hart Selection of Ban Lu Pottery

“Ban Lu pottery is a Symbol of the Flow of Life like a River, Always Flowing and Changing.”

Ban Lu pottery is an ancient pottery line of Lao people in Muong Et district, Hua Phan province, Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Ban Lu Pottery is made from clay with high adhesion, which is taken by potters from fields near their houses or fields near rivers and streams due to the long-term accumulation of Alluvium.

Ban Lu Pottery is characterised by its Water Wave Textures, engravings, and wavy and folded shapes. The Potters used various tools to create these patterns, including wooden stamps, bamboo sticks, and even their fingernails. The Pottery is often decorated with symbols that have special meaning to the Lao People, such as the Water Wave Pattern, which represents the Flow of Life.

Wave Pattern of Ban Lu Pottery

Ban Lu pottery is made entirely by hand, without any machines.

Ban Lu pottery is fired in tunnel kilns (the type of kiln dug deep into the ground) using firewood. The kiln is relatively small, about 1.5 - 2m wide, 2.5 - 3m long, and about 0.5 - 0.7m high. The bottom of the furnace is not flat but sloped, and the furnace door is located at the bottom of the kiln. A small chimney is located on one side compared to the top of the kiln and is smaller than the furnace door. The firing process is very labour-intensive, and it can take several days to complete.

The raw materials for the firing are mainly wood, which is continuously heated (burned) for 24 hours. Once the firing is complete, the kiln is filled in and incubated until it cools, which is when the batch of ceramics comes out.

One of the most distinctive features of Ban Lu pottery is the Om-Pot. This type of vase is round, high-necked, and often decorated with Water Wave Patterns. Om-Pots are often used to store wine or for daughters to bring as a dowry.

Hart Selection of Antique Ban Lu Pottery