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  The riverboat heading from Bagan to Mandalay up the Irrawaddy sleepily paused at a waterside community known for its handmade clay pots. Two artisans created the pots from masses of cool earth with grace and skill. This lady artisan tapped embossed patterns into the moist clay with metered precision. I am in awe of the electric current that runs between the artisan brain and a practiced pair of hands such as hers.

Photography and words by Anush Mirbegian