Black Pottery of Nizamabad is renowned for its shiny appearance and engraved silver motifs. A specialty which is much admired among local folks and recognized as a geographical indicator of the town. A community known as Prajapati is particularly contributing towards the preservation of this craft.
There are numerous benefits of cooking and eating in clay pots. It preserves the nutritional value of food as well as adds essential minerals to it. Black pots provide all the benefits along with the exquisitely finished surface. Nizamabad offers a range of these pots, from long vases with intricate work to one-time use utensils for special occasions.
Around 500 registered pottery artists with their families are working relentlessly to keep the tradition on track. One such inspiring artisan couple is Baijnath Prajapati and his wife, Pushpa Prajapati. They have risen above many hurdles to set up a unique pottery workshop-cum-store in Nizamabad. Their ancestors migrated from western India to Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, a few centuries ago, and since then, the descendants are engaged in this craft.
Baijnath went further and introduced technology in the craft, which doubled the production and reduced the manual effort. His wife took the managerial roles and ran the store. Together they took the craft beyond their previous limits and connected it to a potential market.
Inside Nath Pottery Store (Nizamabad, UP, India)
What Makes Black Pottery Special?
The black pottery of Nizamabad gets the black color not by any coating, but by going through a special process of firing, where the pots are kept in an air-tight Aanva or kiln at a temperature of around 600 °C. The locally available fine-textured clay works well under 1000 °C and is naturally rich in mica content. Black pottery is also an interest of historians due to its resemblance to the Northern Black Polished Ware of the Iron Age culture of India.
Black pottery stands out mainly because of the contrasting black and silver colors, which look similar to the metal Bidriware of Hyderabad. In Nizamabad, the silver color is produced by mixing an equal amount of lead, zinc, and mercury. The motifs are drawn on the pots using sharp twigs before firing them. After firing, the silver color is pressed into the engraved lines.
The pots are washed with Kabiz or a clay slip containing mango bark, bamboo leaves, and Arus or Adhatoda leaves and then rubbed with mustard oil before firing. This gives a shiny and smooth finishing to the pots and also protects the surface from scratch.
Handcrafted by Baijnath Prajapati
Role of Women
Pottery is a kind of profession where often the whole family of the potter is involved, especially the women. In the case of Nizamabad's black pottery too, women play a crucial role, from making intricate motifs on the pots to preparing and applying slip to individual pieces.
Pushpa was not familiar with the craft before her marriage and later learned the essentials from her mother-in-law. She went ahead and saved 10 thousand rupees to open her own store. Today with her husband running a successful pottery store.
Owners of Nath Pottery Store (Baijnath Prajapati & Pushpa Prajapati)
The Inspiration
Baijnath is voluntarily involved in the family business since childhood. "When we were kids, we used to carry the pots to the city for better sales," he says. Things have much improved since then, though he's well aware of the areas which needs improvement.
He educated himself in pottery and learned the fundamental tools to improve production. "I've approached CGCRI (Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute), Khurja, and took training from there. I've also learned a few techniques from BHU (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi," he says. He went to Trivandrum to learn techniques for creating special kiln for black pottery.
He is a master of Jugad. Using available tools and parts, he has developed his own blunger, electrical furnace, and potter's wheel with a speed controller. He gladly shows his innovation of clay bottle caps, "I checked on the internet that clay bottles are fitted with plastic caps or corks, so I decided to develop clay cap with rings," he says. It took him 13-14 experiments over 1.5 years to perfect the ring caps.
To increase the revenue, he has also set up a Jigger Jolly machine in his workshop, which helps to manufacture one-time use clay utensils faster, even by an untrained person. For design, he takes inspiration from the Internet, movies, and the customers.
Clay Bottle with Ring Cap | Self-Assembled Blunger
Challenges
Baijnath is unsure about his children's future in pottery due to the uncertainty of clay in his region. The potters dig the clay from local ponds during the summer season. But with the increase in population and in the name of development many ponds are converted into residential properties. There is no action from the Govt. till now to ensure a stable clay supply for the artisans.
Potters are relying on the Govt. to provide a solution for this challenge while dealing with other hurdles related to outdated technology, pricing, and logistics to reach potential customers. "It's not the size of the pot but the intricacy of work on it which decides the price." He says. He values his craft and like any other artisan doesn't want people to belittle it. "When people negotiate my art saying it's only made of mud, I want to remind them that they are also made of the same mud." He says.
Government Support
The Govt. of Uttar Pradesh has initiated the “One District One Product” scheme in 2018 to promote the indigenous crafts of the state. Black Pottery has been recognized under the ODOP scheme for the Azamgarh district. Govt. has made it easier to get loans and grow pottery business now. They have also distributed electrical Chak or potter's wheel, though many didn't last very long.
According to Baijnath, the scheme has tremendously benefited him and his community. His sales have increased, and the craft got much-needed attention from people. He also gets invitation to various fairs and exhibitions.
Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions and evolved over thousands of years to suit our needs. Our ancestors not only understood the health benefits of using clay pots but also gave due respect and attention to the potters. Techniques used in Nizamabad's pottery are still ancient and far from catching up with latest technology like 3D Printing, but with the support from the Govt. and people, artisans are ready to catch up.
Pictures By: Shruti Singh
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