Old Times in the Soil | Mangshi Dai Pottery

Some say that people living in the present have memories of the pre-mechanical era engraved in their bodies from birth. For our ancestors, it was common to grind stones, knead clay, and cut wood. Watching the craftsmen work and feeling the warmth and satisfaction when touching handmade objects is a response to the memories imprinted on our DNA. This is how I feel when I touch Mangshi Dai pottery. Archaeological excavations have shown that more than 4,000 years ago, pottery made by the ancestors of the Dai people had become an indispensable part of their lives. The pottery-making and pottery-using practices of the Dai people are recorded in many historical materials, such as the History of the Ming Dynasty and the Baiyi Chronicles. At present, in Dehong, the traditional primitive pottery-making techniques of the Dai people are only preserved in Mangxiang Village, Mangshi. Mangshi's traditional Dai pottery is made from natural clay using relatively primitive handmade techniques. After being beaten, decorated, shaped, and fired, the pottery is not glazed and presents a beautiful light reddish-brown and beige color, making it look more primitive than other pottery. This gives Dai pottery a unique beauty that is simple, natural, primitive, and heavy, and has important cultural protection and research value.