TEHRAN – An Iranian potter, who has works imprinted by the National Seal of Excellence, has been selected to show off skills at an Uzbek exhibit.

Arezu Anousheh has been selected out of two other skilled Iranian potters to take part in the International Pottery Forum and Exhibition, which will be held in Uzbekistan’s Rishton from September 21 to 23, CHTN quoted a local official as saying on Monday.

Anousheh, who is a native of Alborz province, is an accomplished artisan when it comes to glazed potteries and ceramics, the official said.

Alborz region, which borders Tehran province from its western frontiers, has long been a hub for skilled potters.

Earlier this year, Alborz’s tourism chief said the history of pottery making in some parts of the province goes back over 7,000 years. “The skill of making pottery in Alborz, as a significant intangible heritage, has a history of more than 7,000 years. And, even today, it is one of the pottery hubs of the country,” Rahim Khaki said.

Citing an example, the official referred to clay vessels unearthed in 2020 from Moushelan Tepe which is situated some 65 km west of Tehran. “Some potteries discovered from the site date from the 5th millennium BC,” the official said.

Of all human handicrafts, pottery is the oldest. Even writing, the actual communication method used to create this article, came after the first few pots. And like many other things, there is a theory that it was discovered entirely by accident.

In ancient times, people carried water in hand-woven baskets. The water, especially that of rivers, would contain some clay. When the clay dried out, it took on the shape of a basket. Eventually, people realized that these clay liners could be used as sturdy containers. They collected clay, shaped it, and baked it in the sun or hot ashes, sometimes decorating it with primitive tools. This is how the first clay pots (and thus all pottery) came into being.

It is believed that the first potter's wheel was made in 3129 BC. BC from Sumer, although there is evidence that points to other places of origin. Precursors of the wheel, however, appeared as early as 4500 BC. So, an exact date is probably not possible. However, the idea of ​​using a disc in making pottery was shared by many cultures.

Today, ceramics are heated using a kiln. It is generally accepted that the ancient Egyptians built the first kilns lined with bricks of clay and straw for insulation. They were also among the first to glaze their pottery before firing. Similar to its modern counterpart, this glaze gave the pottery a glass-like luster and texture and rendered the object non-porous.

AFM