Page 170 - Changing Living Spaces

Laitpharlang Cajee and Monica Mawlong

In the modern communities of northeast India, the production of hand-
made cord-stamped pottery is now a living tradition among the Oinam
village of Manipur, a Mao Naga tribe in the Senapati district of Manipur.
They are still at a very primitive technological stage and make pottery us-
ing a crude moulding technique and hand-beaten methods. However, the
cord-stamped pottery found in the archaeological sites of Manipur is dif-
ferent from contemporary pottery except in certain aspects of production
and manufacturing technology. The Nagas make handmade pottery with-
out the use of the wheel.1 To date, the potter’s wheel is uncommon among
the Khasi in Meghalaya. Modern communities use handmade pottery
for various purposes, such as cooking, storage, and making rice beer. The
handmade pottery production in these tribal communities in north-east-
ern India can reveal the behavioural aspects of the culture and tradition
of the people (Alemchiba 1967, 37–8).
Pottery in Larnai Village

In a few parts of Meghalaya state, remnants of the indigenous art of fir-
ing clay pottery are still practiced. Larnai, a small village about 2 hours’
drive from Shillong in the Jaintia hills, is virtually the only known place
where traditional pottery is still made. The ecological distribution makes
the Jaintia hills a distinctly rich region in mineral resources. In addition
to coal and limestone, there are numerous other mineral deposits in the
region, including shale, phosphate, and bauxite.
Since time immemorial, the people of the village of Larnai have used
this fireclay to make pottery, and still practice the tradition to a lesser ex-
tent. More than 20 different types of vessels needed for cooking, storage,
preparation of drinks and rituals are made by the women with their bare
hands (MtI, ODC-H, Larnai Clay Pottery). A variety of black clay collected
from the Sung Valley is tempered on a cowhide or an apartment disc with
fine grains of sand coloured green until it acquires a smooth shape. First,
two pieces of a vessel are made and joined together with the wooden beat-
er while they are leather-hard. The pottery is dried in the sun and then

1 A few villages produce pottery, notably Viswema and Khuzama of the Angami
tribe; Thenyezuma, Runguzuam, and Kholazumi of the Chakhesang tribe; Te-
sminyu village of the Rengma tribe; Tokikehimi and a few other villages of the
Sema tribe in Wokha; some of the Ao tribe; Kong-sang, Yali and Nakhhao vil-
lage of the Chang tribe; Wakching, Shiyong, Leangha, Chui, Choshachinguyu,
Longkai, Sheanga and Tangjen of the Konyak tribe; Ngura and Lungmutra of the
Sangtam tribe; Noklu and Sao village of the Khemungam tribe and a considera-
ble number of villages in Phom region. See: Alemchiba (1967).

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