Where lumps turn shapely

By Uthpala Gunethilake

It did. At the Oscars Banquet in 1996, the tableware that graced the evening wore the unmistakably Sri Lankan mark, 'Dankotuwa'. The tableware adorned with an intricate gold design, belonging to a collection fittingly named 'Magnificence' created by Dankotuwa Porcelain was selected for the occasion. The same design in platinum was again used at the Oscars in 1997. But then that is only one of the occasions their porcelainware decorated prestigious and grand tables. 

Dankotuwa Porcelain Limited was begun under the Ceylon Ceramics Corporation (CCC) in 1983 aiming to produce quality porcelain tableware for the export market. After several shifts in ownership over the years, in 1990, International Ceramics Inc. (ICI) of Japan became its major shareholder. On December 5, the company celebrates 10 years of collaboration with ICI, and several new collections are on the way for 2001, for the local market.

Dankotuwa, however, concentrates more on the export market and among the 25 countries which select Dankotuwa Porcelain to grace their tables are USA which is the biggest buyer, UK, Spain, Japan, Dubai and South Africa to name a few. Also among its buyers are Macy's, Ralph Lauren, Boots and Debenhams. Around 1000 are employed in the factory, and the company has showrooms in Dankotuwa, Colombo and Katunayake Airport.

But how does a bland lump of clay become an object of such glazed beauty that more often than not is cherished for generations? The process is intriguing. Raw material such as quartz, feldspar and kaolin used at the Dankotuwa factory are both locally obtained and imported. They are then carefully tested for quality and texture since any little flaw in the material will show itself in the final product. Afterwards they are ground and mixed into just the right mixture to be shaped into porcelainware.

Shaping these lumps of clay are done with the use of machines. A mould shapes the external side of tableware such as cups and bowls, while a rollerhead of the proper shape is stamped to create the inside. The process through which cups and plates are moulded is slightly different to the way things like casserole bowls are shaped.

"Each item goes through three kilns," explained Shiromi Maldeniya, Assistant Production Manager-Quality Assurance. Glazing brings the product closer to what it eventually becomes, but decorating is what clinches the market in the end. A team of designers develop the decorations, but Ms. Maldeniya says that the customer can always supply a design. These designs are on a sticker-like organic coating and after being 'pasted' on the shaped piece of porcelain, it is again passed through the kiln. The heat melts the extra pieces of the 'sticker', leaving the design.

This 'sticker' with the design on it, or 'decal' as it's called, is no easy matter. "We import around 800kg of ceramic gold each year from Hereaus in Germany for decoration. We are their largest buyer. Porcelain is not for everyday use. It's meant more for ornamental purposes and elegance. Our designs vary according to the country. "The demand for ornately decorated, gold-bordered porcelainware comes from the Jewish community, and buyers from Italy and Middle East," says Jayantha Ranatunga, CEO of Dankotuwa Porcelain Limited. 

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