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Klipoh, under the radar pottery village in Magelang
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Pottery clay is molded and dried before being burned in the wood-fire kiln. (JP/Stefanus Ajie)
Located 5-kilometers from Borobudur temple, Klipoh is a small village in Karanganyar regency, Magelang, Central Java.
Nestled within Menoreh Hill and paddy, it is recognized as a village that produces pottery. Reliefs carved in Borobudur displaying a pottery-making process, suggest Klipoh existed since the ninth century.
Eighty percent of the villagers currently make pottery for a living. The pottery-making skills are passed on from generation to generation.
A local, Sian, shared that she had been making pottery since she was little after learning the skill from her mother.
Read also: Govt to develop new tourist destinations around Borobudur
A day in the life of Klipoh residents revolves around the wet clay. The women are responsible for making and drying the pottery, while the men are in charge of the firing process.
The villagers offer a wide array of pottery, such as cuwek (small plate) and lemper (big plate), kendi (jug), anglo (furnace) and kendil (pot). These items are sold to the merchants across Magelang, Temanggung and Wonosobo at prices starting from Rp 1,000 (less than US$1).
As a center of pottery, Klipoh also offers a pottery class for visitors. (jes/kes)
