Design Resource
Blue Pottery - Jaipur
Art of Blue Glaze Pottery
by
Prof. Bibhudutta Baral,Anisha Crasto and Anushree Kumar
People and Place
Blue pottery was a native craft of Persia, which was brought to India by Mughals and later brought to Jaipur by the then ruling Maharaja and got patronized. The local people got trained under the expert guidance of few Persian artists and this is how the craft grew in Jaipur. Later, late Shri Kripal Singhji started an institute for people to learn this languishing craft. A lot of artists and people not having a creative background joined to learn blue pottery. Therefore, there is no specific community involved and practicing this craft. Though, a majority of these artisans belong to Kumbhar (potters) family, who have stopped working on red clay and moved on to practice Blue Pottery on a large scale. There are around 200 families in Kot Jewar practicing this craft and around 20-25 families practicing in Jaipur. These families basically belong to Kumawat and Prajapati caste which are supposed to practice pottery.
Blue Pottery Craft started in Jaipur and latter many people learned this craft and started practicing it in places near to Jaipur. Though presently there are only few centers where Blue Pottery is being practiced, new people are gradually showing interest in blue pottery due to its increased demands in recent years. Presently, apart from many big setups in Jaipur the craft is being practiced in nearby places like Kot Jewar, Sanganer, Neota, Delhi and Khurja. People in Jaipur are still practicing the traditional way while those in Khurja have moved on to make the base in red clay and then glazing it in vibrant colors.
