The lingering charm of ancient ceramics

Lai Thieu ceramics, once renowned in the Southern region of Vietnam, hold a significant place when discussing ancient ceramic traditions. Over time, the ceramic style has gradually faded due to various factors. However, those who have a deep appreciation for Lai Thieu ceramics in Thuận An city today still hold a sense of longing and concern. They have embarked on a journey to search for and collect numerous antique Lai Thieu ceramic pieces, bringing them back to their place of origin.

The convergence of passion

Walking on Nguyen Chi Thanh Road, passing through Binh Nham ward in Thuan An city, until reaching the entrance of Binh Nham Alley 30, we will notice a small signboard with the words "Gom Lai Thieu" written on it. Following the directions on the signboard, continuing for about 100 meters is to reach the "Gom Lai Thieu" coffee shop - the new gathering point of the Antique Club of Thuận An city. Although the gathering location has only been operational for about 2 months, it has already become an interesting meeting place for pottery enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate the ancient Lai Thieu ceramics.

The area displaying the exchange of artifacts by members of the Antique Club of Thuan An city inside the "Gom Lai Thieu" café is a place that many people visit to explore

Unlike the serene exterior, stepping inside the café reveals a fascinating display of pottery, with thousands of different ceramic products. Every morning, this place welcomes many members and pottery enthusiasts who come here to enjoy tea, coffee, and engage in conversations while learning about pottery. It's not just a story about pottery and antiques, but each day brings something new and interesting, attracting passionate individuals to this place. Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuc, the head of the Thuan An Antique Club, told us that people come here to discuss and guide each other in collecting artifacts. Anyone who has newly collected artifacts (not just pottery) brings them here to share the joy and together study and learn more. Those who love pottery can also exchange artifacts with each other during these activities.

Following Nguyen Huu Phuc and Huynh Minh Thanh, the owners of the "Gom Lai Thieu" café, who are also members of the club, we had the opportunity to explore the unique display areas within the café. Although it is called a café, the main focus here is the pottery display and the stories behind them.

The entrance to the area showcasing antique tea pots is a small bridge crossing a stream. Here, Thanh has collected numerous types of antique tea pots over the years to put on the shelves. Looking at the blue and white tea pots that appear similar on the outside, Thanh guided us on how to differentiate them, as each pot was painted in a different watercolor style. In addition to the blue and white tea pots, the display area also featured various types of tea pots and ceramic artifacts of different sizes and with decorative motifs on different themes. To have such a diverse collection of tea pots, Thanh said it took him over 10 years of collecting. "The tea pots and ceramic artifacts here are all over a decade old. There are many types of pots from different origins, but my favorite is still the ones from Lai Thieu pottery because they have a simple and intimate beauty," said Thanh.

After leaving the teapot exhibition, we were led to visit several other exhibitions, such as the unicorn statue exhibition and the Buddha statue exhibition featuring products made from Lai Thieu ceramics. The exhibition is highly cherished by the owner, so the it is only opened for special guests to come and visit. On the right side in front of the exhibition room, there is a collection of over 100 ceramic vases in various styles, which Thanh holds dear.

To retain the antiquity

Inside the exhibition area of the Antique Club at the "Gom Lai Thieu" café in Thuan An city, Nguyen Huu Phuc brought a pair of ancient vases with intricate patterns and a set of four precious office items for an exchange with fellow members. These are also two of his favorite items in his long-standing collection. When we asked about the unique feature of the vases, and why each vase has different points (unlike modern ceramic products), Phuc explained that it was the distinctive characteristic of traditional Lai Thieu ceramics. Each product was a unique artwork; none of them were the same, even though they were created by the same person.

Huynh Minh Thanh is lost in introducing his collection of hundreds of tea pots

Throughout history, Lai Thieu ceramics with its valuable characteristics from the quality of the clay to the simple and rustic design were close to the daily life of the people, yet still elegant and sophisticated with delicate patterns blending in unique glazes, to have captivated many, especially antique collectors. Depending on each stage, Lai Thieu ceramics would produce products that suit the taste and needs of consumers. "Initially, Lai Thieu ceramics mainly produced ordinary household items. Since the 1960s, Lai Thieu ceramics were with production of artistic and decorative ceramics, and for exporting abroad and being recognized as products with high artistic value. These were also the ceramics that many collectors and enthusiasts have been interested in later on," added Nguyen Huu Phuc.

In our conversation, Nguyen Tan Dung, Director of the Cultural Information and Sports Center of Thuan An city, shared his responsibility as a cultural worker in preserving and promoting the traditional craft , which led him to think of creating a community that gathers antique enthusiasts, especially Lai Thieu ceramics lovers. From such concern, he and the antique collectors in Thuan An city met and the result was the establishment of the Thuan An Antique Club (now Thuận An city Antique Club) in 2013. "The club is a place where artisans, collectors, and antique enthusiasts gather to help and have an organization to engage in activities that are in line with the local traditional values and legal regulations. This is not only my duty but also a concern, a passion to admire the ancient artifacts of our homeland," said Nguyen Tan Dung.

From a small number of club members at the beginning, the Thuan An city Antique Club has now gathered about 50 from the city and some provinces who participate in joint activities. Collecting and rediscovering the value of antique artifacts, including ancient Lai Thieu ceramics, is the passion of the club members. Thereon, many ancient Lai Thieu ceramics that have traveled to distant lands have had the opportunity to return to the land where they were originally produced. For those who love ceramics but do not have the means to collect, they can now visit the "Gom Lai Thieu" café to admire and appreciate the ancient artifacts, and in doing so, they can gain a deeper understanding of the culture and traditional history of this land, where "a tree yields fruit, the land bears ceramics."

Reported by Hong Thuan - Translated by Vi Bao