Nizamabad black clay pottery
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox geographical indication
| name = Nizamabad black pottery
| color = Blue
| logo = File:PGI-Logo.svg
| image =File:Nizamabad black clay pottery.png
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| alternative names =
| description = type of clay pottery known for its dark shiny body with engraved silver patterns
| type = Manufactured
| area = Nizamabad, Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh
| country = India
| registered = December 2015
| material = black clay; zinc, tin or lead amalgam
| official website =
}}
The black pottery of Nizamabad in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, India is unique type of clay pottery known for its dark shiny body with engraved silver patterns.{{cite book|author=Keshav Chandra Gupta|title=Progress and Prospects of Pottery Industry in India: A Case Study of U.P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gdicUXyC0BwC&pg=PA20|date=1 January 1988|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-051-2|page=20}}{{cite web | title=NGO working to preserve culture in poor villages | website=SundayGuardianLive | date=25 January 2016 | url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/ngo-working-to-preserve-culture-in-poor-villages | accessdate=25 January 2016 | archive-date=1 February 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201071239/http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/ngo-working-to-preserve-culture-in-poor-villages | url-status=dead }} It was registered for Geographical Indication tag in December 2015.
Pottery
The pottery are made with locally available fine textured clay. The clay moulds are prepared in different shapes and are baked in kiln. Later these clay wares are washed with powdered vegetable matter and are rubbed with mustard oil. They are decorated with floral and geometric patterned grooves using sharp twigs. They are smoke fired with rice husks in enclosed kilns which gives its unique shiny black surface. They are again rubbed with oil and baked in kiln. The grooves on clay wares are then filled with silvery powder of Zinc and Mercury, washed with water and polished again. Lead or Tin Amalgams are also used.{{cite book|author=NIIR Board of Consultants & Engineers|title=The Complete Book on Glass and Ceramics Technology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5kacAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT246|date=1 October 2005|publisher=ASIA PACIFIC BUSINESS PRESS Inc.|isbn=978-81-7833-033-4|page=246}} The silver powder gives shiny hue against black background of pottery.{{cite web | last=Raj | first=Manish | title=Now GI tag for black clay pottery of Nizamabad | website=The Times of India | date=2 December 2015 | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Now-GI-tag-for-black-clay-pottery-of-Nizamabad/articleshow/50003436.cms | accessdate=25 January 2016}}{{cite web | last=Singh | first=Binay | title=Azamgarh black clay pottery in race to get GI tag | website=The Times of India | date=11 April 2015 | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Azamgarh-black-clay-pottery-in-race-to-get-GI-tag/articleshow/46883106.cms | accessdate=25 January 2016}}{{cite web | title=Etched Black Pottery from Azamgarh, Nizamabad, India: Chitra Balasubramaniam explores the pottery traditions of Bidri work. | website=Free Online Library | date=1 May 2014 | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Etched+Black+Pottery+from+Azamgarh,+Nizamabad,+India%3A+Chitra...-a0372884209 | accessdate=25 January 2016}}{{cite book|author1=Aditi Ranjan|author2=M. P. Ranjan|title=Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ixhJAQAAIAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Abbeville Press|isbn=978-0-7892-1047-0|page=157}}{{cite book|author=Baidyanath Saraswati|title=Pottery-making Cultures and Indian Civilization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aqrB_Nzr5QcC&pg=PA8|year=1978|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-091-4|page=8}}
The variety of household and decorative items are made including vases, plates, pots, lamps, tea-pots, bowls, vessels, incense stick holders and statues of Hindu religious figures. Surahi, a long-necked water pot, is a popular item.
History
The black pottery is studied by historians due to its resemble with the Northern Black Polished Ware pottery of urban Iron Age culture of Indian Subcontinent.{{cite book | title=Aspects of Ancient Indian Technology | date=7 January 2016 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLqo5bu_q_sC | accessdate=25 January 2016| isbn=9788120830400 | last1=Bhardwaj | first1=Hari C. }} The silver patterns are inspired from medieval Bidriware of Hyderabad which decorates pots using silver wires. Powdered mix of lead, mercury and zinc in equal proportion is filled into the carved design a technique which was introduced from Gujarat during the Mughal rule of Aurangzeb. How Nizamabad’s 500-year-old black pottery is regaining lost glory by Rashmi Pratap 2020 https://30stades.com/2020/08/03/how-nizamabads-500-year-old-black-pottery-is-regaining-lost-glory-craft-uttar-pradesh Around 200 families are involved in the craft in Nizamabad and majority of their works are exported. Still their condition remains abysmal. The black clay pottery was applied for Geographical Indication tag in October 2013 with support of NABARD of Lucknow and Human Welfare Association of Varanasi. It was registered for GI tag in December 2015 which gives the right to name the product to specific geographic region of origin only.
Further reading
- {{cite journal | last1=Prasad | first1=C. S. | last2=Maiti | first2=K. N. | title=Psysico-chemical Characterization of Some Common Clsys of Nizamabad, UP | journal=Transactions of the Indian Ceramic Society | volume=57 | issue=6 | year=1998 | pages=141–148 | doi=10.1080/0371750x.1998.10804855}}