By James Khangenbam 8 April 2023 Imphal:
“After my national award in 1990, the government have entrusted me to train the art of making Black Pot to my villagers. Now 200 to 300 people from my village have started making pots and they are earning for a living. Now our village has two more National award winners on the same art. My youngest son is running a pottery shop at Vasant Kunj, since 2005. The powdered raw materials from Nungbi, Ukhrul is sent off to Delhi and groups of skilled potter who are five to six in number make the Black pot and other designs which is a big demand in the National Capital. Shop owners use to buy in bulks. The sale range from 200 to 500 pieces in one buys and the price is good. My 33 year old son is doing good business promoting the black pot and meeting the demands of the ever increasing buyers” says Machihan Sasa the two times National Awardee including the grand Shilp Guru recognition.
Sasa has 3 sons and 1 daughter. Eldest get state award, 2nd get district award last one in Delhi got an award for black pot making. Machihan Sasa held from Nungbi (Longpi) Kajui, Ukhrul District. He learned the art of making Black Pot which basically is the ‘coiled technique’ of pottery craft, from his father who was a potter by profession.
Sasa was born in 10th April, 1950. In 1970, he started helping his father in pot making. Among 3 brothers and four sisters Sasa and his younger brother are making pot. His younger brother was trained by him. Sasa was not interested in school. So he joined his father. His Friends use to tease him passing comments like “young potter – don’t you feel shy’’. Sasa started his career in pottery at the age of 20.
In 1979 he started receiving awards at the district level. His first prize was worth 25 Paisa. He got the recognition from a fair. Next years, if you have new design you will get prize was the assurance the district fair committee of Ukhrul gave him and he started making new designs where he got acclamation. Sasa started getting grants under various schemes. The grants he got was Rs 5/10/20 thousands. Sasa have attended more than 80 fairs including international meets since 1979. He uses to get first and second prize in the fairs. Now there are more people working on Black Pottery. And the product is being used widely out of popularity and promotion. The credit goes to Sasa. “High profile people come to meet you, government is giving you aid. You are doing the best thing, we will also follow your path’’ was the ultimate words from his once teaser friends.
After my National Award people seek training from me. By then government encouraged trainee with a stipend of Rs.250 under the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, New Delhi. The first batch of 25 people was trained in 1990. Next year 20 more people and it went for around six consecutive years. Number of potters in my village and beyond was increasing in number. Every household makes their own they are expertise in the field now’’ says the well-built strong man Sasa with a smile. Uyan (cooking utensil) or Hamphai in his mother tongue Tangkhul language is the best choice of the people.
Lison stone is the name of raw material stone. It is black stone – Black serpentine rock which is found in Kapungrum, Ukhrul. Soil is salanali found near river Sala village of Ukhrul. Sala village has no inhabitants. Raw material – Four kilometer of rock. Soil we get from river bank. “We powdered the stone and filter the finest particle. The perfect proportion is 3 kg of stone and 2 kg of soil. We mixed the powdered stone and soil with water in a quantity not less and not more to make a paste similar to the flour paste in Puri making. Time consumption depends on the shape, size and design. It gets complete in half an hour or one hour. Polishing is done with green bamboo stick and then the pot is exposed to fire’’ explained Sasa. On longevity he says it depends on how one use it. Uyan (cooking utensil) lasts for 10 to 12 years. If we drop then it breaks.
An individual can make 5 to 6 hampai a day. Next day it is polish for shinning. And after 2 /3 days it is treated with fire flames.
