A potter and the secret of bricks for Cham tower restoration in Quang Nam
(QNO) - Nguyen Qua, a 57-year-old potter from Duy Hoa commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, has discovered the secret of producing handmade bricks that meet UNESCO standards for the restoration of the Cham towers in the My Son Sanctuary.
Nguyen Qua is a potter who has spent two years taking a training course of ceramic moulding in China. He is owning a fine art ceramic workshop. His products are decorated with the statues and patterns copied from the Cham towers in My Son Sanctuary.
In 2003, Italian experts started to restore the Cham towers in My Son Sanctuary with the support of UNESCO, but the available bricks were not enough. So, they talked to Mr. Qua about testing making bricks for restoration.
After analysing samples of the old Cham bricks, the experts shared the results with Mr. Qua and required him to produce bricks with physical and chemical properties closely matching the old ones.
Despite many challenges because the method of producing the Cham bricks in My Son towers was still a mystery and there were no documents detailing this production process, Mr. Qua still agreed to cooperate to make handmade Cham bricks for the My Son restoration.
Cham bricks are four to five times larger and thicker than regular bricks. Each brick measures 30cm in length, 17cm in width, and 5 - 10cm in thickness.
After three unsuccessful attempts, Mr. Qua was successful in the fourth experiment in 2005. The bricks had an attractive design. Their physical and chemical properties matched 90% compared to the original Cham bricks in My Son.
Till now, Mr. Qua has provided bricks for restoration projects in My Son and several Cham tower relics in Binh Thuan and Gia Lai. In addition, he exported 30,000 bricks to Laos for the restoration of the Wat Phou ancient temple in 2023.
It is known that for nearly 20 years, Italian, Indian, and Vietnamese experts have been using Qua's bricks for restoration projects at the My Son Sanctuary. These bricks meet UNESCO standards and the requirements of professional agencies.
After restoration, the bricks ensure quality, adapting well to the original bricks and the environment. Currently, there is no alternative to the bricks produced by Mr. Qua.
(Source: vnexpress)