MOULDING THE PAST Maenam Noi or Noi River in Sing Buri has a long history dating to the Ayutthaya period. By its banks then, it is believed, sat some of the largest earthen kilns in the entire upper-central region that turned out pottery made only from clay sourced next to the river. Ban Khok Mor, a village community in Bang Rachan district is now trying to revive those traditional skills and offering interested parties lessons in pottery-making and designs that are native to Sing Buri. Therdsak Boonngam is its most experienced potter and, according to him, the whole thing started a decade ago when a Ratchabhat University teacher visited Phraprang Temple where some kilns were unearthed and asked the villagers if they were keen to revive a chapter from their glorious past. Five villagers voluteered and the university teacher taught them the art of making pottery and related craftsmanship. They used clay from the Noi River. "Our soil is special. It has perfect blend of clay and sand that doesn't need fine-tuning, unlike the clay in Ko Kret or Ban Chiang where potters need to add fine quality sand," he said. Therdsak disclosed that during the Ayutthaya period virtually every family living by the river's bank in Sing Buri was proficient in making pottery. History records King Intararaja of Ayutthaya paying a visit to China in 1377 when it was ruled by the Ming Dynasty and returning home with an ensemble of pottery makers from China. The kilns of Sing Buri are 16 metres long and 5.6 metres deep, which makes them larger than those found in Sukhothai which were just 9-12 metres long. And most of them were built close to the river where good clay was readily available. Three kilns found at Phra Prang Temple are now open to the public and if Therdsak is to be believed, there could be another 1,000 kilns buried underground on either banks of the Noi River along a five-kilometre-stretch from his village, waiting to be excavated. Villagers stumbled upon it accidentally in 1998 when the temple was in the process of restoring its 15-metre-high Khmer style tower or prang. The Fine Arts Department then sent an excavation team which dug up a large oven, jars, vases, pots, bowls and even clay dolls. The jars of Sing Buri are special, marked out by four holders, said a guide at the temple site. It's believed they were used for keeping honey and could also have had buyers overseas. Some years ago a team from Peru visited the temple, trying to trace the origin of the jar with four holders after failing miserably in its search to find jars made of similar material in Peru. They were impressed by the quality of clay used to make the jar. A short walk from the temple is an open-air warehouse where Therdsak and fellow villagers make pottery whose prices can range from anything like 10 baht to 10,000 baht depending on size. And they are happy to share their knowledge and skills with visitors. "We are happy to teach any one. Sometimes foreign tourists call in, wanting to learn how to mould clay into various shapes. It is our heritage. I want to preserve that and pass it on to others," Therdsak said proudly. MORE INFO Maenam Noi kilns at Wat Phra Prang are believed to produce earthenware from 1377 to 1767. Each kiln has a shape like a revered-button of a big ship. It comprises three parts; chimney with 2.15 metres in diameter, oven having a length of 14 metres and a width of 5.60 metres and fireplace. To go there, from Amphur Muang Sing Buri, take Highway 3251 (Bang Rachan-Sankha Buri). The temple is around one kilometre away from Channasut market. A bus number 605 from Amphur Muang also passes the temple. For more information, call TAT (Central office) at 036-422-768/9. |