IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCKbowls for a living. Today, five families
of artisans live here, and continue to
make alms bowls in the traditional way,
maintaining this tradition (although
unlike their ancestors, they may
have a bit of help from a blowtorch).
The workshops echo with the ear-
piercing clangs of hammers hitting
metal, making watching television
and chatting a little difficult for the
neighbours. Many of the alms bowl
makers wear earplugs.
When a monk orders a bowl,
the families come out in full force to
produce it. Each family has a different
responsibility during the process:
First, the steel rim of the bowl is
wrought into a circle. A cross-shaped
frame is then attached to the rim, and
the gaps are filled with white steel.
Finally, the bowl is hammered into
shape, and polished and glazed to
make it waterproof.
It is a lengthy process that takes
days, and the final product – which
differs in style and shape – can weigh
up to two kilograms. Needless to say,
strong men and women work here! The
work itself is also imbued with religioussignificance, particularly the phase
of creating the cross-shaped frame.
In Buddhist folklore, upon achieving
enlightenment, the Buddha received
alms bowls from the guardians of the
four cardinal points (North, South, East
and West). The Buddha, not favouring
any guardian in particular, combined
the four into one: The cross symbolises
these four points and their respective
guardians; the eight separate pieces of
steel that make up the bowl are said to
represent the Buddha’s eightfold path.
While the community receives
much-needed support from foreigners,
who buy the bowls as souvenirs, and
from the many monks who insist on
only using handcrafted bowls in virtue
of tradition and their finer quality, it
seems that this time-worn skill will
eventually die out.
Traditional crafts are sustained by
family and communal custom, but the
children of these crafters, as well as
other young people, are increasingly
disinterested in the work. As the older
generation passes on, so may the
knowledge of how to handcraft these
sacred bowls. agFive families of artisans
live here, and continue
to make alms bowls in
the traditional way
bElOw An elderly couple makes
traditional Buddhist alms bowls
before Khao Pansa in Bangkok
RIght The finished bowl is placed
over a burning fire for five minutes
to protect the metal from rust. It is
then washed and coated with varnish
mixed with black colouring