Tibetan Black Pottery Well Inherited in SW China

Tibetan artisan Sunro Chilin makes black pottery at home in Tandu Village, Nyishar Township, Shangri-la County in Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province on March 15, 2012.

Partly for its commercial value, the Tibetan black pottery, an ancient art arising in about 2500 B.C., has been well protected and inherited by generations of craftsmen in southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to Xinhua.

As the cradle of Tibetan black pottery, Nyishar Township in Shangri-la County of Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has done a good job in protecting and inheriting this pottery art.

The black pottery is a popular daily utensil among local Tibetans, which features well-chosen material and exquisite workmanship.

Generally, the Tibetan pottery has big belly and small mouth, decorated with ceramic chips in various colors and simple floral designs.

At present, over 80 different kinds of potteries, classified into life utensil, religious utensil and artwork, are sold to more than 30 countries.

Early in 2008, the pottery was inscribed into the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list of China.

Sunro Chilin, a representative inheritor and old craftsman, lives in the Tandu Village of Nyishar Township, 35 kilometers away from Shangri-la County.

The 63-year-old craftsman learned the artistic skill from his grandfather decades ago and now teaches it to his two sons, a son-in-law and even two grandsons.

The whole family earns a living by producing and selling the black potteries with an annual income of 70,000 to 80,000 yuan (11,074 to 12,656 U.S. dollars).

Besides his family, over half households in the village live on making black potteries and many of them learn it from Sunro Chilin.