Keeper of a dying art

WHEN most people think of Sarawak pottery, they are likely to picture the curvacious ceramic vases created by the Chinese potters who brought over the knowledge and techniques of their forefathers when they immigrated to Kuching before and during the British colonial era.

In the present day, these white-clay vases painted – sometimes carved – with Sarawakian motifs and designs are much sought after as decorative and souvenirs items.

However, not many people realise these are just one of two categories of traditional Sarawak pottery. The other category encompasses those created by the native communities, including the Ibans.

Unfortunately, just like a number of other traditional native handcrafts, Iban pottery is struggling to justify its relevance in a world conditioned to the modern convenience of cheaper factory-made or mass produced items.

Humble beginnings

However, in a small, nondescript workshop on the shores of the massive lake, created by the Batang Ai hydroelectric power dam, the traditional art of making Iban pottery is being kept alive by 65-year-old Andah Lembang from Nanga Sumpa, about 1.5 hours boat-ride upstream from the dam.

Andah’s interest in making the round-bottomed clay pots was first sparked as a young teenager as he assisted his grandmother and mother to make pots which the family used to cook meals as well as store food and water.

During those days, it was normal for each family to make their own pots as they did not having the option of buying the metal pots and pans commonly used as cooking utensils nowadays.

“However, it was not until I was much older and had worked offshore for a number of years that I decided to return to my longhouse and begin making the pottery myself,” Andah told thesundaypost when met at Nanga Sumpa.

Part of the reason behind his decision was that he did not have the heart to see the art disappear and become lost over time.

When the Batang Ai dam was impounded 30 years ago, it made it much easier and faster for residents of Nanga Sumpa to travel to the mainland to purchase their daily necessities. Indirectly, this helped speed up the demise of the traditional clay pots as household utensils, replaced by plastic containers and metal receptacles.

Strength to strength

Unperturbed, Andah continued to refine his skills and knowledge as a potter while farming his land and working as a boatman ferrying tourists to a nearby homestay established by a local travel and tour company next to his longhouse.

As word of his abilities spread, Andah began to receive invitations from state and federal agencies to demonstrate and teach the craft at workshops and events all over the state and country.

Foreign researchers also began to make their way to Nanga Sumpa to interview Andah and study how traditional Iban pottery was made.

A Japanese researcher was so taken with it that Andah and his wife were invited to visit Japan for a few weeks to do live demonstrations there in 1991, he recounted to thesundaypost with a smile.

Andah’s efforts to preserve the artform was officially recognised by Malaysia when he was appointed as an adiguru (mastercrafts person) by Kraftangan Malaysia in 2006.

The agency also provided funds for him to build a workshop on the mainland near the jetty of the Batang Ai dam so that it would be easier for him to conduct training and demonstrations for students and visitors.

During Andah’s grandmother and mother’s time, the task of making the traditional, round-bottom pots fell mainly to the womenfolk while the men assisted with tasks such as gathering rattan and building and minding the woodfires needed to fire the pots.

Andah is a double rarity in that not only is he a craftmaster of a disappearing artform but he is also performing a task that was usually performed by the women of his community.

A spokesperson from Kraftangan Malaysia told thesundaypost there are now only four adiguru from Sarawak recognised by the agency.

Andah is also the only Sarawakian adiguru who does traditional Iban pottery.

“Andah is the only one still actively making pottery on a regular basis. Nowadays, this type of pottery used mainly for decorative and storage purposes. This may be one reason why there are not as many potters around as it is difficult to sell what they make,” said the spokesperson who declined to be identified.

The spokesperson agreed Iban pottery tends to command less market and branding recognition compared with other Sarawakian handcraft like pua kumbu.

The agency conducts research and development (R&D) activities to improve the appeal of Iban pottery as with certain traditional Malaysian handcrafts, such as applying modern glazing techniques as well as using more durable clay that can withstand higher firing temperatures.

However, despite the innovations to improve the product’s marketability and promising signs of potential demand from overseas buyers, the major challenge lies in improving the connections between the artisans and retailers, the spokesperson said, adding that this was a common problem which also affected other traditional handcrafts and not only confined to traditional Iban pottery.

The spokesperson highlighted that the agency provides financial aid to traditional artisans who meet certain criteria to help them establish workshops and procure equipment and machines to expand their production.

Furthermore, artisans like Andah are often invited to attend Kraftangan Malaysia workshops and events, where they are given the opportunity to conduct training and demonstrations, sell their products and network with other members of the industry.

Although Kraftangan Malaysia provides aid such as subsidising accommodation and travel costs in addition to providing product innovation support, it is mainly left to the individual entrepreneur to leverage the exposure and experience into business opportunities.

Passing on baton

Despite great efforts over the years to cultivate interest and knowledge of making traditional Iban pottery in the next generation, Andah is still one of the very few Iban potters who practise the art.

“It’s not easy to make Iban pottery as it’s difficult work. The pots can easily break if you don’t know the proper technique,” Andah said.

“That may be also one reason why the younger ones are not interested to continue making it.”

However, not all is lost as Andah’s granddaughter, Lemenggau Manggin, has shown interest in learning the craft and is now assisting him with making the pots and sometimes travels to exhibitions with him.

According to the spokesperson from Kraftangan Malaysia, Lemenggau also recently completed studies at the National Craft Institute which, among others, aims to ensure the continuity of national heritage crafts through providing a formal curriculum and nationally recognised certification for students taking courses there.

However, this cannot disguise the fact that the future of traditional Iban pottery still hangs in the balance.

Unless viable solutions are found to modernise the artform as well as improve its income generating potential, it will unfortunately continue to be a dying art.

Taking a good beating

TRADITIONAL Iban pottery is unique because the clay is beaten into shape rather than formed on a potter’s wheel.

The process begins with a particular type of dark-coloured clay which is broken into small pieces and left to dry under the sun.

It’s then pounded into a fine powder with a wooden mallet and sieved to extract stones and other foreign objects.

The powder is mixed with water until it forms a smooth, dough-like clay which is then kneaded to remove air bubbles which could cause the pot to crack during the firing stage.

The clay is then formed into cylindrical shapes. The bigger the cylinder, the bigger the pot’s size.

The potter uses a flat wooden paddle to flatten one end of the cylinder into a circle roughly twice the width of its original diameter to form the mouth of the pot.

A simpai – a circle made of thin rattan strips with a diametre big enough for an adult’s hand to pass through – is placed on the centre of this flat surface.

The clay outside of the simpai is folded inwards, completely covering the circle and holding it in place. This will help the pot’s mouth to keep its shape during the beating process.

The potter then pushes one end of a small pestle through the centre of the embedded simpai to form a hollow cavity in the body of the cylinder, taking care to ensure the thickness of the cylinder’s walls is even and to smooth over any cracks which may appear.

The clay vessel now looks like a cylindrical vase but not for long. The potter lightly presses a round stone (batu segala or batu bulat) against the inside of the vessel as he or she lightly beats the outside with a flat belian (ironwood) paddle called a penempa.

The potter turns the pot over little by little as he or she continues beating, working from the bottom of the pot upwards towards the mouth, using the round stone and penempa to give the pot its distinctive round-bottom.

Throughout the shaping and beating process, the potter uses his or her fingers, dipped in water, to keep the clay moist and moldable, and smooth out any cracks.

The reverse side of the penempa has motifs – usually inspired by flowers and nature – carved into it.

When the round shape of the pot is fully formed, the potter uses this carved side to stamp patterns on the pot’s outside surface; again turning the pot slightly after each stamp until a circle has been completed and working from the base to the mouth of the pot.

This part of the process requires steady hands as one misstep will force the potter to smooth the surface of the pot out and begin all over again. The potter must ensure the thickness of the pot’s walls remains the same and that no cracks appear.

Once the pattern is completed, the potter carefully extracts the embedded rattan circle from the lips of the pot, using a small knife, then water and their fingers as well as the round handle of the penempa, to smoothen the lips and neck of the pot.

The pot is examined closely for cracks and defects before it is dried under the sun for a few days. After that, it’s slowly smoked over a wood fire to extract any remaining moisture.

Finally, the pot is fired in an open woodfire for about half an hour to harden it before being immediately dipped while still hot into a solution of pounded samak tree bark and water.

This makes the vessel waterproof as well as increases its durability. The finished pot is then left to dry completely.

The pot can be positioned upright on a rattan ring (bemban). Alternatively, thin strips of rattan are woven to create a basket-like jacket and handle which enables the pot to be conveniently hung or carried.

Nowadays, Andah usually uses commercial grade potter’s clay which can withstand higher temperatures without cracking.

He also uses a small gas oven for the firing stage as it is easier to control and monitor the firing temperature compared to an open woodfire.

(Sources: Andah Lembang and Kraftangan Malaysia)