By: Tayida Phanich
Edited by: Maina Shaevitz
Known for their beautiful landscapes complete with towering mountains and glistening lakes, Central Asia is home to “the stans” a word which is often translated to “land of.” But this region shares more similarities than just their names. In the past, the grasslands and steppes of Central Asia were home to nomadic herders. Because of their geographic location, these countries were a prominent crossroad in the silk road and soon became a hub of trading between the west and east, absorbing their products and religions along the way. Starting in the late 14th century, the Timurid renaissance brought on the revival of arts and science in the Muslim world, and the Soviet Union colonization of most countries in the area in the 20th century brought on European influences to their art. In particular, on the region’s ceramics. Ceramics and pottery have dominated Central Asia ever since ancient times and have only grown from then as ceramic centers in the region became more and more widespread throughout the centuries. In the 20th century, Rishtan ceramics, named after the town in Fergana valley in Uzbekistan in which it was made, became the main ceramic center in the region. And it remains so today, as a tribute to the rich history and traditions, these products convey as well as the undying popularity of the art form in this region.
As with most ancient art forms, no one knows exactly when these pieces first originated. The region was rich in clay and this raw material had been kneaded and molded into objects ever since we’ve known about it. In Uzbekistan, archeologists had found ceramics including lagans (large plates), vases, kosas (bowls), and various jugs that were traced back to ancient times. Likewise, the use of clay in Kazakhstan was dated back to the 5th millennium B.C, when their way of life transitioned from hunting and gathering to domestication and farming. As a consequence, people began playing around with clay, learning how to shape pots and add decorative patterns.
In the ninth century, pottery had become one of the most widespread art forms in the regions, with many pottery centers popping up all across in particular in modern-day Uzbekistan for example the town of Afrasiab and Ferghana. During this time, there were two main types of ceramics: unglazed and glazed. At first unglazed ceramics were molded and decorated by hand, but as technology progressed so did their designs. Now equipped with stamps, decorative designs could be more detailed and created in abundance for less time. Due to this, jugs and pots that were completely covered by a woven or decorative pattern emerged, and more intricate markings grew in popularity such as plant shoots, birds, animals, royal receptions, and mythical creatures. Glazed ceramics arose in the towns of Khurasan and Transoxania, developing a technique that required a higher level of skills as an aqueous solution had to be created, typically out of minerals and metal oxides in which the clay pieces are dipped or poured over. Despite this, other towns developed their own centers for glazed pottery, the most famous of which being in the town of Afrasiab. Besides their high-quality clay, colors, and glazes, they were well known for their compositions. In one piece, artists combined the motifs of plants like sprouts and pomegranates, geometric patterns, birds, and animals along with fish, which posed as a religious symbol.
As the eleventh century rolled around, a huge stylistic transformation had occurred from naturalistic representations to a more ornamental decorative pattern. One notable change is the alteration of animals like birds and fish into decorative patterns through stylization, depicting them with less accuracy and in a more abstract aspect, using geometric shapes like triangles and squares to draw them. In addition, techniques on glazed ceramics had become greatly refined and the region had established its characteristic style in this period with pieces having a white background and olive green patterning or white and black designs with an ochre background. However, these developments were halted in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries due to Mongol invasions but were quickly revived in the fifteenth century under the Timur empire. Brought along with a new age of creation, technology, and trading was a new type of ceramic ware that impersonated Chinese porcelain made with local silicate bodies. Moreover, this new development caused another shift in design and styles as local craftsmen began to introduce their own decorative elements into their work. Blue ware with a black underglaze design had now become increasingly popular especially as household items.
And the art form’s popularity only rose from here. Although not many new techniques were developed, ceramics thrived, with each country diversifying through their motifs, colors, and techniques. For example, in Uzbekistan, their decorations tend to depict plants and geometric patterns, using the traditional technique of Kalami (free-hand painting), or using stamps with easily absorbable dye. Depending on the region, colors were divided into two groups, various shades of blues and more earthy tones like browns and greens. Similarly, in Kazakhstan, patterns differed depending on the object’s use. Tableware was decorated with red or dark finishes and polished, whilst jugs used to carry water were littered with simple patterns such as parallel lines, zigzags, crosses, and circles with some jugs having leak marks. Many pottery pieces were also religious and used for ceremonies, many pots and bowls were found buried in graves decorated with fascinating ornamental art and a style that depicted the anthropomorphization of the vessel.
In the nineteenth century, centers in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan emerged to form the main schools that were to become Central Asia’s ceramics industry. As a characteristic of their past, the typical colors on each vessel were blues or yellow-brown schemes with engraved designs. Most of the craft workers produce glazed and unglazed tableware including jugs, bowls, flat dishes, and pots. Following this, in the twentieth century, Rishtan ceramics had gained themselves a rather large reputation for their work, developing a new style: lyrical painting. During this time, ornamentation of objects greatly increased as well, depicting objects ranging from teacups to guns on the vessel itself. Moreover, other regions such as northern Tajikistan and Khwarazm diverged in their methods as well, with the latter producing ceramics for architectural decor.
Having faced a minor setback with the invasion of the USSR and the economic crisis that followed, Central Asia’s ceramic sector is making a great recovery, its popularity still on the rise. In this region, ceramics and pottery are not merely pieces of molded clay, but an ancient tradition that has adapted yet has been preserved as it emerges in the present, strong as ever, carrying the history, beliefs, and culture of the region all in one complex art form.
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