Mr. Goh's grandfather , a Chinese potter, immigrated to Borneo in 1915 and opened the first family pottery factory called Song Ann, which was located near large clay reserves on the river near Tanah Puteh, an area that is now being developed in western Kuching. In the mid-1960's, Mr. Goh Teck Yuong's father, Goh Yong Ho, moved the pottery factory to an area at 8 1/2 Mile, Batu Kitang Road (travel in those days was measured by distance along the river) and went into the production of terra cotta bricks. This production lasted only ten years at which time Goh Yong Ho went back into the pottery production business while working as a thrower for another well-known pottery in the same area. Today, that area is the site of more than half a dozen flourishing studio potteries. In 1982, Goh and his father opened the Sarawak Pottery Centre in an area of primarily Chinese owned businesses south of Kuching.
Starting in the 12th Century, Chinese pottery was traded in Borneo. Most of the trading took place between the Iban (one of 27 indigenous groups and the largest today comprising 40% of the population of Sarawak) peoples and Chinese traders. It is common to find Ming Dynasty pottery still in use in longhouse kitchens. In the late 1800's there was a migration of Chinese, mostly from Southern China, into Sarawak. Kuching attracted many potters because of large banks of white stoneware clay along the crocodile infested Sarawak River. Today, the Goh's pottery still processes its own clay from these reserves, without adding additional materials to the initial body extracted from the area.
While most Chinese potters in the Kuching area still utilize traditional Chinese motifs and production practices, the Gohs began incorporating Sarawak designs with their pots in the 1970's. At the same time, the Gohs also made an important shift from making purely functional wares to producing large vases, ceramic furniture, and more "decorative" work. This change in the studio was greatly responsible for their continued success and the favour they enjoy with the Sarawak government that is a good customer, buying customized gifts for foreign and national dignitaries.
While 20% of the Goh's production is mouldware, 80% is still handthrown by two master potters, one of whom is the father, Yong Ho, and one of Sarawak's leading young potters. Including the two potters, there are 15 workers in the pottery, all involved in the various aspects of the business. The divisions of labour are noted as Potters, General Workers who process clay, maintain equipment, and handle the upkeep of the studio, and the Artists who do the decorative work such as carving, painting and glazing. The Goh children are of the age now that they, too, take part in the business by helping with glazing and loading kilns.
One of the problems the Goh pottery faces is the training of workers who can decorate to the level of finish the work requires. Since the designs are narrative based, usually, the artists must have great skills in order to achieve the desired result. Also, the Gohs use native designs and are concerned that these designs be both traditionally appropriate and correct. To this end, Sarawak Pottery Centre participates in a training scheme instigated recently by the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak for its students. The Gohs also employ several artists who are, themselves, from one of the many Sarawak ethnic groups.
Until recently, the pots were fired to 1300 C in a 120 foot long Dragon Kiln. The Dragon Kiln was fired with wood, which is in ample supply here in Borneo. Firings generally lasted two days and nights, leaving little ash glaze. In 1990, the Dragon Kiln was disassembled and a large shuttle gas kiln was installed. Also, a computerized firing system was installed making firings more consistent and less dependent on fire crews. Today, the pottery is fired in a very low reduction atmosphere.
The primary design of the pottery is generally along the lines of traditional Chines shapes in a variety of scale from 4 feet tall vases to two foot stools to small trinket vases and ginger jars. The pottery also makes special order works like vindaloo ovens for local Indian restaurants. A recent order from the Sarawak State Government included a large floor vase with a bas relief Iban warrior repleat with Iban patterns and natural backgrounds. This vase is to be presented to the King of Malaysia on the occasion of his visit to Borneo. Usually the pots are covered with coloured engobes and then decorated with sgraffitto patterns. The pots are then bisqued and gloss fired to 1300 C with a transparent glaze imported from England. The Gohs also use a tenmoku-like slip glaze for some of the larger vases. This slip glaze is also sgraffittoed.
The clay processing is done in a series of steps that are time consuming. The Gohs purchase their clay from land developers who have dug into veins of clay while starting construction projects. The clay is then slaked down and ball milled to fine consistency. The slip is then lay out to dry and wedged after it has reached the appropriate consistency. If there are moulded works to be made, the clay slip is used directly after ball milling.
The Gohs try to maintain a diverse marketing strategy that includes a majority of sales to a large hotel industry. The hotels purchase decorative as well as utilitarian pots on a regular basis. The State Government is also a consistent customer using the Goh pottery for decorative as well as gift purposes. The tourist trade has been a variable source of income for the Gohs with sales reaching their peak during the eighties. Nowadays, tourists are able to travel in Borneo much more easily so they don't stay in one place as long as in the past thereby accessing the outlying potteries. The Gohs have aggressively sought commission work from conventions and conferences that are held in the Kuching area, producing small souvenir pots for the participants. They also sell a good deal of work through the local Sarawak Museum, reputedly one of the best museums in Southeast Asia.
The challenge of the Goh pottery is to be able to compensate for the elder Goh's retirement recently. The Goh pottery's reputation was built on the superb throwing skills of two generations and the firing skills of another. After a stroke last year, the Goh father has reduced his involvement in the production so a younger potter's services are being shared with another pottery in the area. Mr. Goh Teck Yuong's approach is one of open-mindedness and invention. To this end, he is always interested in exchanges of all sorts, thus there are always changes at hand in the pottery. He has been selected on a number of occasions to represent Borneo Malaysian potters at significant conferences and study trips abroad, including one to Japan several years ago. He has also purchased a large filter press that will herald a new era of clay production not only for his pottery but for others as well. His intention is to keep alive two pottery traditions (Iban and Chinese) at once in a curious melding of the two. Both traditions date back to the stone age and over the past several centuries have had a great impact on each other.
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