Anh Ha, one of the ICU residents, took me to a village called Bat Trang one weekend before Tet. An easy motorbike ride away from Ha Noi, the village is known for its ceramic pieces, which the residents make by hand as well as produce in bulk. The streets are lined with shops selling their crafts and some of the pieces are quite stunning.
Trying to avoid the mass produced side is sometimes difficult, but when you find the good stuff, it’s definitely worth the effort. Vases, tea sets, cups, dishes, you name it. I made sure to stock up, but I’m hoping to get back there to pick up a tea set before leaving for home. Let’s just cross our fingers that everything makes it back to the States in one piece… I took pictures just in case. Worse comes to worse, some of you will be getting a picture of a pretty cool piece of ceramic.
If you venture through the alleyways, you can discover the kilns and little houses where you can try your hand at making something. It’ll undoubtedly turn out a little lopsided and discolored, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
We tried our hand at painting a couple already-fired pieces and then sat down at our own spinning table and constructed a couple very unique pots… or dishes… or cups.
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