The art of pottery is exclusively practiced by the women in
Nagaland. The pottery work is characterized by the designs borrowed from the textiles. Pots are made only during the months of December and January.
The clay used is either of red or gray color. It is mixed with water and pounded hard. It is then kneaded to form solid dough. This dough is then shaped roughly into a pot by hands. The pot is then dried in the sun. A mushroom-shaped block of baked clay is held inside it while the outer surface is shaped properly by striking lightly with a stick. The patterns are imprinted using the stick. The pot is again dried in the sun for some days, following which it is baked in an open fire.
The pot undergoes an additional process to remove the taste of the newly baked clay. It is filled with paddy husks and heated. After its cooling, rice water is poured into it and boiled. This process also increases its durability.
