Beautifully designed crockery, cutlery and pots decorated with flowers give a special identity to the city Multan. In addition to pottery, different types of decorative tiles are also produced from Multani mitti. Lately, however, the art of blue pottery built from Multani Mitti has died down and replaced by use of plaster of Paris, or gypsum powder, from which beautiful utensils and pots are made. The artisans claim that the modern pottery does not deteriorate even after a century as compared to the traditional pottery. At present there are three major pottery centres in Pakistan – Multan, Gujarat and Lahore – but the crockery and pots made in Multan are regarded as the best in the country.

Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) recently arranged a visit of Institute of Blue Pottery Development Multan for journalists from Lahore. On this occasion, the representative of the institute said that the art of pottery has been the source of identity of this region for centuries. Blue pottery comes into being when Multani Mitti is used for handmade pottery, greasy tiles and other decorative products highlighting beautiful flowers, petals and charming impressions. Pottery is a very traditional art. In the beginning, artisans made use of blue colour to make designs on pottery, hence the term Blue Pottery became popular. However, many other colours are also used in addition to blue. He said that young artisans are taught various jobs in the institute including pottery making, tile making, glazing and other works. Most of the salaried workers in the pot factories have learned to work from here.

Syed Mohsin Abbas Naqvi, an artisan, said he has been working at the pottery production site for 30 years. He said that earlier, pots were made from Multani clay. Under traditional style, the craftsmen made pottery from clay and then cooked it in small kilns. But now only a few craftsmen are alive who work in that traditional method. The main reason is that this craft has not been promoted and appreciated. Now most of the work is of ceramics. It is the largest factory in Pakistan where manufactured utensils are produced on a large scale not only for domestic consumption but also for exports abroad.

The craftsmen now work in ceramics factories where they put the solution of gypsum powder in different molds from which the pots are shaped. These pots are dried in 24 hours and then the cleaning process starts. The fingers of the skilled craftsmen skilfully clean the surface of the pot. If there is any roughness on the pot then the surface of the pot is softened by cleaning it by hand. This is how the inside of the pot is cleaned. Some utensils are made in two moulds and then the two parts are joined together. After cleaning the utensils, the craftsmen draw expensive paintings on them.

According to 30-year-old Aniza, she has been making pottery for the past eight years. He had done a six-month course to learn the skill. At that time he was told different designs and their names. Different designs are made with brushes and colours are applied on different utensils. According to Aniza, these are special types of dyes which come in powder form, then they are mixed as required and given a liquid form. It takes an hour to make a pattern on a large pot. Typically, she said, she daily makes patterns on five or six pots. Like Aniza, there are many other artist, most of whom are young and energetic.

Syed Samar Abbas Jafari, who is also associated with the profession, puts a layer of cobalt oxide on the pots. He said that when the vessels come to him from the mold, they are glazed. These pots are then placed in the furnace. A modern type of furnace can hold 800 to 900 pots at a time. Gas and LPG cylinders are used for fire. At a temperature of 1250C, cobalt oxide merges with the vessels and hardens. At 1270 C, the process of solidification of the vessels is completed. After that, these pots are kept for 24 hours to cool down and then the masterpieces are ready. He claimed the vessel is so strong that even if it was soaked in water for a year or buried in the soil, it would not be damaged.

Misbah Ishaq, zonal in-charge of PTDC, said that the history of pottery is as old as the history of Multan city. The use of leaves, petals, branches and flowers in painting is said to be a reflection of the Iranian influence on this art. When Muhammad Bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Multan, many craftsmen took to this region along with the Islamic army and made this land their home. Due to immense influence of Muslim saints in the region, the city is also called as the center of Aulia. Misbah Ishaq says that this art was encouraged and appreciated even during the Mughal rule.

Mohsin Faraz, a young historian who researches history, said that the craft of traditional pottery and embroidery, which is nearly 1,000 years old is slowly disappearing from Multan. “Now there are only a handful of young people left, who are keeping this art alive with their hard work and dedication. The prized art did not get the acceptance it deserved,” he said.

Mohsin Faraz further said that the beautiful art has been passed down from generation to generation due to which it is also called hereditary art. It is said that the households were strict in preserving their special techniques of pot-making and colouring and would even not tell their production formulas to their daughters-in-law. Protecting this formula was like a valuable business secret, but now the scene has changed, as skill-development institutions have also come into existence.

Most of the blueprints are still made by hand, but the process of making gypsum powder in solution, moulding it and using modern kilns has made the process of making pots easier and faster. On the other hand, it is very important that the more difficult the work of making these utensils, the more expensive these utensils are.

The Institute of Blue Pottery Development also has a Display Centre for sales of pottery products, including vases, jars, cups, decorative tiles used on buildings, ceilings, walls and floors, decorating pieces and teapots. The price of a small cup of tea starts from Rs500. According to the organizers, blue pottery is either bought to decorate the drawing rooms of the house or is used by big hotels, nawabs and families.

There is also a ceramics factory in Shahdara near Lahore but most of the utensils are made here.