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  • Tympew betel leaf plate in handcrafted black clay showing organic leaf-shaped form and burnished surface, Lyrnai pottery from Meghalaya India, from WILLAGE
  • Tympew black clay betel leaf plate shown with other Sung Valley pottery pieces
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Tympew Plate · Betel Leaf Form — Black Clay

$34.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Shaped like a betel leaf — tympew in Khasi — which in Meghalaya is offered as a gesture of welcome, respect, and connection. The leaf form gives this plate a pointed tip and a gentle curve that holds small bites, appetizers, or offerings in a way a round plate can't. At 17 cm long, it's sized for accompaniments, not mains.

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 plate 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.

17 × 15 × 2 cm (approx. 6.7 × 5.9 × 0.8 in) · 400 g · Black clay · Burnished with serpentine stone · Microwave safe · Hand wash recommended · Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India

Dimensions

17 × 15 × 2 cm (approx. 6.7 × 5.9 × 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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