AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF TRADITIONAL BLUE POTTERY OF MULTAN

Abstract

The province of Punjab is the land of art, culture, heritage, civilizations and various innovative skills, that the people of this fertile zone are blessed with. Blue pottery is an emblem of Multan’s cultural and artistic identity. Blue pottery being a representation of art is a well-known and most widespread practice in Multan. This study aims to investigate traditional blue pottery production focusing on the comprehensive features of the blue pottery making procedure. The intricate designs and vibrant blue hues reflect the city’s rich history and artistic heritage. The principal objective of this study is to revive the traditional craft of Blue Pottery prevailing here for centuries, which is also known as Multani Pottery or Multani Kashi. The techniques and motifs used in blue pottery have been passed down through generations, preserving ancient traditions and connecting the past with the present. It is gradually being replaced with Industrial blue pottery for its more functional products. It will provide an insight into the methods and techniques of the centuries old traditional blue pottery which is becoming a dying craft, and how it can be improvised through various methods, thus providing awareness to the new generation and employment opportunities to the existing artisan. To obtain a deeper understanding of research matter, qualitative research tools, and techniques including participant observation, formal interviewing and ethnographic methods were employed. The findings indicated that potters mainly follow traditional methods which is a tiring and time- consuming process of pottery making by gathering raw-material and using specific tools. Numerous designs and patterns of blue pottery are drawn on ceramic items and tiles depending on the requirement of the customer as well as the size of the item.