Traditional Eezham Clay Pottery of Kollam

The pottery tradition of Kollam district traces its roots to the island trading cultures of the ancient Eezham sea route, with potters (Eezhavas and Kumbharan communities) producing a distinctive red earthenware using iron-rich laterite clay found along the coastal strip. Traditional Kollam pots — cooking vessels, water storage pots, and oil lamps — are wheel-thrown, sun-dried, and fired in open wood-fuel kilns. A distinctive technique involves burnishing the pot surface with a smooth pebble before firing, giving it a characteristic sheen. Some potters continue to produce the large black-clay oil lamp (nilavilakku) base used in temple ceremonies. The pottery cooperative supported by the Kerala Ceramics Limited organisation provides marketing for traditional potters.