Material Inheritance

In a small studio in Bangalore, artisan Khanmung Sasa forms vessels slowly by hand. Some are low and wide, others taller and gently asymmetric. Each one begins not here, but in Longpi, a remote village in Manipur, in the far north-east of India, close to the border with Myanmar. From there, black clay is gathered by Khanmung’s uncles and cousins who remained in Manipur, prepared by hand, packed into sacks and driven south, then loaded onto a train that winds across the subcontinent. “It takes about three months just to get the clay,” says Spandana Gopal, founder of the design studio Tiipoi.

Khanmung has pottery in his blood. “His father is a potter, and his grandfather was a known Longpi potter,” says Spandana. He moved to Bangalore from Manipur, Spandana explains, “and then with him, we developed a production process where we could harness the materials and allow for things to be produced in a safer manner. We’re not just taking without giving back.” Khanmung forms and builds each piece, using techniques passed down from his father.

The pots are made from a distinctive black clay - a unique combination of riverbed clay and crushed stone from Longpi. Three women from the surrounding neighbourhood - Nilamma, Manjula and Manunath - finish and burnish the pots by hand. “The pieces get taken out when they’re at a very high temperature and they get submerged in sawdust,” Spandana explains.

Spandana was born in India and trained in fine art in London, where she now lives. She founded Tiipoi ten years ago with a simple idea: that stories of Indian design need not be rooted in nostalgia or craft alone, but in the everyday. “I felt that there was a story to be told around how people live and use things in their daily lives,” she says.

Early Tiipoi objects drew inspiration from pieces Spandana remembers from her grandmother’s kitchen. “I have a very distinct memory of objects in my grandmother’s pantry, they were all very orderly on these big stone shelves.” Now, working between India and the UK, Spandana partners with individual artisans and family-run workshops across the country to create utilitarian objects that trace back to the functionality of those very first pieces. “We felt that if there was going to be actual development or kind of process within the craft, we had to establish strong relationships and create a sustainable model to work with the artisan in-house,” she says.

The Tiipoi collection for TOAST includes three pieces: a cooking pot, a trivet and a spoon rest. “They are all centred around food and heat,” says Spandana. Their purpose remains faithful to the clay’s original use, drawing on the knowledge held by the community who have used it for generations. “We decided to stick to cookware because we could see that it was the main application of this clay body in the community. The pots were used to cook on open fires, for fermentation, to cook for many people for weddings and celebrations.”

The partnership with Khanmung has been five years in the making. “Generally it takes about six months to a year to even get a prototype,” she explains. “Especially if you’re working with an artisan who is from the north-east region of India. Khanmung is sharing something which is very personal, precious.”

There is pride in the rhythm they’ve found together, a shared trust. “It becomes about actually valuing each other as people,” she reflects. “Which is so important in a journey with craft.” What inspires her most is not the final object, but the process that shapes it. “It’s very nice to have something that captures reciprocity. I’m very interested in this energy, this symbiosis.”

Discover our Longpi collection, including pieces by Tipoii.

Words by Alice Simkins Vyce.

Photography courtesy of Tipoii.