By Nikolin Svetlana :
Pottery-making is one of the most ancient art forms as evidenced by Paleolithic and Neolithic archaeological excavations. An examination of the history of pottery reveals the colorful vicissitudes in human evolution.
In Punjab area of Pakistan, specially Multan – one of the Indian subcontinent’s oldest cities, famous blue or “Kashi” pottery craftsmanship is still alive.
This craft is originally influenced by the Persian, Central Asian and Mongolian art and has originated from the city of Kashgar, in western China. Every piece of pottery is handcrafted and hand-painted individually before heat treatment at temperatures around 250 degrees Celsius.The resulting product is immensely beautiful and looks very delicate, yet it is remarkably durable.
Any single piece will stay true in color and condition even if exposed to natural elements for well over 100 years. Besides just being lusterware, Kashi is known for intriguing decorations, which include animal motifs, floral patterns, and calligraphy.
(Nikolin Svetlana is Editor in Chief, a NGO activist for peace and dialogue and a writer based in Belgrade, Serbia and United Kingdom)
