The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has ratified Ninh Thuan provincial People’s Committee’s proposal on compiling a dossier on Cham ethnic pottery to secure UNESCO’s recognition as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.
The art of Cham ethnic pottery making
The Ministry noted that during the planning and documenting process, Ninh Thuan provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Viet Nam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies - Ho Chi Minh city branch have to conduct surveys, study and invite localities with Cham ethnic traditional pottery to participate.
One of the outstanding characteristics of the Cham ethnic traditional pottery making is the technique of making pottery without turntables, and open firing with straw and fire-wood. They are unique products bearing many cultural history marks of the ethnic minority group.
The open pottery firing
Cham ethnic people use their skilled hands to create a variety of products in different designs, serving the needs of daily activities, beliefs and religions, while expressing the creativity and cultural identity of the Cham ethnic group. They include water containers, rice containers, reliefs, decorative lamps, statues of Apsara and Shiva.
Pottery traditional crafts of Cham ethnic group in Binh Thuan and the arts of pottery making of Cham ethnic group in Bau Truc village, Phuoc Dan town, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province were recognized as national intangible cultural heritages.