Art of pottery of Mazandaran Province in danger of oblivion
Not much time has passed since the time when pottery made by the artists of Kelagar Maḩalleh, the hub of pottery production in Mazandaran Province, were considered the main items of brides’ dowries. This is while, presently, these valuable handicrafts remain unnoticed behind the windows of luxury shops.
Not so long ago, a number of pottery workshops, with numerous kilns, were working places of some top local craftsmen including Gholamali Chinisaz, Azizulah Fakuri, Azim Bakhshi, Yousef Talebi and Sobhan Najafi.
The ceramic items made in Kelagar Mahalleh of Juybar had conquered the markets of that time, IRNA wrote.
Today the situation has changed; handicrafts made by local artists, including Ramezanali Chinisaz, have lost the competition to new colorful dishes and don’t have many customers anymore. But, he hopes, the profession inherited from his ancestors will flourish again.
The earthenware made by him are popular in the world in such a way that, according to him, a French female tourist tried to find his workshop to come and visit him.
However, what is going on in his workshop makes you wonder. All that is visible is a 50 sq. m. space in the corner of a house’s yard, where there is a pottery wheel and a kiln.
He is a famous craftsman; generations of his family have been involved in this profession for 300 years. He can be considered the last survivor of the skilled potters of Mazandaran Province.
He said that the oldest pottery items of Iran which were discovered in Hotu and Kamarband Caves of Behshahr, a city in Mazandaran Province, date back to 8,000 years ago.
He noted that the motifs of the artworks were inspired by the surrounding nature and landscapes.
The earthenware was carried on animals to be sold in local markets. The clay used for making the vessels has special properties of removing salt from the water and cooling it.
Touching a piece of pottery gives you a wonderful feeling, perhaps because it is a product of the combination of the four elements: earth, water, air and fire. Since all these elements have been found across the world from the beginning of creation, humans have practiced this art since ancient times.
The ancient pottery items that witnessed the development of life and human civilization throughout history tell countless stories of people who have never been heroes, but lived.
Considering Iran’s special geographic location, at the crossroads of ancient civilizations, people of almost every part of the country have been engaged in pottery-making throughout history.