Pottery Craftsman In Pulutan

MINAHASA, ZONAUTARA.com – In order to produce the best quality pottery would takes a patience. That is how the direction team of Zona Utara watched process make a pottery in Pulutan Ceramics Training Center, Minahasa Region, Indonesia.

Yulin Ngelo, 62, looks deftly while poking a clay soil. Less than three minutes later, the clay was shaped like a vase.

“This is just the beginning stage. It still has to be processed. After this, maybe two or three days later, it will be a final form, ” said Yulin, Saturday (18/11/2017).

At the Pulutan Ceramic Training Center, despite her skill as a pottery craftsman, Yulin work in the burning of pottery. She and other worker serve the burning pottery from the craftsmen in the Village of Pulutan.

She explained, there are two types of burning pottery, namely burning Biscuit with a temperature of 600° Celsius and Glasir burning with a temperature of 1200° Celsius.

“For burning, it takes about six hours. If the needle in the pyrometer has shown the maximum temperature, it means the pottery is ripe, appear reddish color, ” said Yulin.

According to her, every house in Pulutan Village produces pottery and there is no residents who can not make pottery.

“I myself since 12 years old, have learned to make a pottery,” added Yulin.

Another people in Pulutan Village, Denny Ngantung said, that the pottery craft in the village has been present for long time. He and Yulin are elders in Pulutan Village that already fifth generation of pottery makers.

The main problem for craftsmen in this village is decreases clay supply.

“First, clay can be obtained in every land of residents. The clay-containing is in the third layer of soil, ” said Denny, 68 years old.

But now, to get clay is be difficult. Current time, they have buy clay from the resident who has that soil. Clay weighing 30 Kilograms, bought at a price of Rp2.000.

Based on the monitoring of Zona Utara direction team, every people in that village produces their own various forms of pottery. Among them are vases or flower pots in various sizes, ceramic floral displays, and porno or a container for cooking sagu.

The five-year-old children in the village is seen playing with clay, although not a better form, but it is show that pottery craftsmen in this land of Minahasa has successor for the future.

Editor : Christo Senduk