Prominent archeologist Roman Ghirshman believes “the taste and talent of this people Iranians can be seen through the designs of their earthen wares”. Of the thousands of archeological sites and historic ruins of Iran, almost every single one can be found to have been filled, at some point, with earthenware of exceptional quality. Thousands of unique vessels alone were found in Sialk and Jiroft sites. The occupation of the potter or “kuzeh gar” has a special place in Persian literature.
Iranian Pottery production presents a continuous history from the beginning of the Iranian history Ceramic is perhaps the earliest and the most important invention made by man. By studying pottery one may form impressions about the life, the religion of people and their history, about their social relationships, their attitude towards their neighbours, to their own world and even to their interpretation of the universe as it was then known to them. until the present day.
In Iran pottery manufacture has a long and brilliant history. Due to the special geographical position of the country, being at the crossroads of ancient civilizations and on important caravan routes, almost every part of Iran was, at times, involved in pottery making. Yet, recent excavations and archaeological research revealed that there were four major pottery-manufacturing areas in the Iranian plateau. These included the western part of the country, namely the area west of the Zagros mountains (Lurestan), and the area south of the Caspian Sea (Gilan and Mazandaran provinces). These two areas are chronologically as far as is known today, the earliest. The third region is located in the northwestern part of the country, in Azarbaijan province. The fourth area is in the southeast, i.e. the Kerman region and Baluchestan. To these four regions one may also add the Kavir area, where the history of pottery making can be dated back to the 8th millennium BCE.
Pottery Vessel, Fourth Millennium BC. The Sialk collection of Tehran’s National Museum of Iran. (Click to see larger foto)
Pottery Vessel (2nd Millennium BCE). The Sialk collection of Tehran’s National Museum of Iran.(Click to see larger foto)
Cup with hunters, 2th–13th century Carved Ware, Iran, musée du Louvre (Click to see larger foto)
