Manipur has a rich cultural past dating back to centuries. Apart from manipur’s natural beauty, famous hand-woven crafts, markets, vibrant culture and heritage ,the state is also known for its black pottery. Villages in Manipur mostly have distinguishing characteristic in their pottery with impeccable designs. In order to introduce the black pottery to the outside world , the Longpi (Nungbi) village has taken the lead and made a mark with its black earthenware crafted by Tangkhul tribe residing in Nungbi village. This art is said to be passed on from the Neolithic period.
These black stone pottery is actually made from weather rock and serpentinite, found abundantly in the banks of the river in Longpi. Also this craft which has clay and black rock as the two main ingredients has an unique feature. It is crafted without a potter’s wheel. This makes the entire process quite toilsome which is why apparently is the reason why the younger generation resists to take the legacy of this ancient art form forward. The pottery craft requires a high degree of skill and attention after which the black pottery products look beautiful and functional at the same time.
The potters skillfully mould a wide and amazing range of earthenware brilliantly in various shapes and sizes. The earthenware looks almost like metal and also beautiful in black colour . The minimalistic style makes it look elegant. In comparison to regular cookware the black earthenware vessels take a while to heat up but also retains the heat for a longer time than. Traditionally this pottery which is meant for local use in the village and in neighbouring villages has acquired a significant importance in handicraft products outside Manipur. However it is also believed that cooking in this pottery enhances the taste of the food.
One of the pioneer Pottery Artisans, K Timothy aged 58 years from Nungbi Khullen in Ukhrul district has bagged state award in Pottery craft conferred by the State Commerce and Industry Department in 2009. He has been making black pottery for about 30 years.
The pottery products include cooker, water pot (Chamkha in Tangkhul dialect), Phampai (cooker), Tengot (Kokthi), cup, water pot (Khoram) etc. and these are supplied to Imphal, Nagaland, Bangalore and other parts of the country.
