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  • Sung side plate in handcrafted black clay showing rounded form and burnished surface, Lyrnai pottery from Meghalaya India, from WILLAGE
  • Sung black clay side plate displayed with other Sung Valley pottery on a wooden surface
  • Stack of Sung Valley black clay plates showing variation in tone and hand-formed edges
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Sung Side Plate — Black Clay

$30.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

A small, round plate for the things that go alongside — bread, fruit, a wedge of cheese, a few slices of something. At 19.5 cm across it sits between a saucer and a dinner plate, which is exactly where a good side plate should be. The form is softly rounded, slightly uneven, and heavier than you'd expect for its size.

This is Lyrnai pottery from Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills — made by women in the villages of Tyrchang and Lyrnai using clay pulled from the Sung Valley floor. There is no potter's wheel. Each piece is hand-molded, fired in an open kiln for nine to ten hours, then plunged white-hot into Sohliya bark water. That's what turns it black. This tradition received a Geographical Indication tag (GI No. 1095) in 2024.

19.5 cm diameter × 2 cm height (approx. 7.7 × 0.8 in) · 400 g · Black clay · Burnished with serpentine stone · Microwave safe · Hand wash recommended · Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India

Dimensions

19.5 cm diameter × 2 cm height (approx. 7.7 × 0.8 in)

Origin

India

MATERIALS

Black Clay, Burnished with Serpentine Stone

STORY

Lyrnai pottery is made by women in two villages in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills — Tyrchang and Lyrnai, population under 2,000 combined. The clay comes from the Sung Valley, a 26 km² area with a mineral composition found nowhere else. There is no potter's wheel. Each piece is hand-molded, fired in an open kiln for 9–10 hours, then plunged white-hot into Sohliya bark water to achieve the black finish. This tradition received GI tag No. 1095 in 2024 after a decade-long application. WILLAGE carries this collection because this is exactly what we exist to do — bring indigenous craft to tables that would never otherwise encounter it.

Care Instructions

Microwave safe. Hand wash recommended with warm water and mild soap. The unglazed surface is porous — dry thoroughly after washing. Not dishwasher safe.

  • In stock

Preserve Traditional Craftsmanship and Generational Artistry

Made from locally sourced clay using no electricity, no machinery, and no synthetic materials. The entire process — molding, firing, finishing — is done by hand using methods unchanged for generations. Your purchase supports women artisans in villages with a combined population under 2,000.

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