Labu Sayong 101: Process on making it.

 In this post, we will be discussing on the process of making labu sayong.

The process is divided into 5 main processes which are: settling down the soil, moulding, shaping & designing, drying and lastly, baking.

Settling down process.

A very fine clay soil taken along the riverbanks is left under the sun for days, and then pounded into extremely fine powder. After so, the powder is mixed with water and then kept into a sealed container for few days. The mixture is then carefully kneaded and wedged to remove all water bubbles. This is to avoid the pot to break when exposed to intense heat. Indeed, it is a tedious process.

Nowadays, the clay soil is mixed with sodium and water to produce a batter.

Moulding

The batter or mixture is then poured into the mould. After that, let it set aside for 3 hours or so depending on the weather. The pot is then removed from the mould and turn upside down to dry.

 Shaping & Designing

The interesting process is shaping and designing. It simply done on a board wheel by a highly skilled craftman. The motif / ornaments either being decorated by hand or simply stamped onto the surface of the clay. Some common ornaments are bunga padi, bunga tanjung and so many more.

Drying & Baking

The pots are then dried in the sun for 3 days or so to harden the surface. It will also increase its durability.

Usually in the old days, the pots then are fired in open trenches fill with some firewood, coconut husks, dry rambutan trees until they are red hot. After that, they are immediately removed and placed on a pile of paddy husk or saw dust for 20 minutes to impart the black sheen. The base of the pot is brushed with liquid resin or wax to render it waterproof.

In this new generation, the pots now are baked in a machine at a temperature of 1000 centigrade for 10 hours or so..depending on the size.

reference: http://leisuretoursmalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/05/educational-tour-of-labu-sayong-cottage.html