Uzbek Ceramics: Choose Wisely and Beware of Fakes

Uzbekistan has been traditionally famous for its ceramics. Pottery is an ancient art, and in this region it was very well developed thousands of years ago. Our museums hold fantastic pieces of art - a pleasure to behold - but I also feel very fortunate that we can use beautiful and authentic Uzbek pottery in real life.

This, for instance, is a large serving plate ("lyagan"), that I use every week. It is a very heavy, massive vintage plate that will last forever (you could kill an evil intruder with this piece of applied art!). Most likely, it was made at the Tashkent Ceramic Factory some years ago; as this is a very classic "dark pottery", it can be from 5 to 50 years old.



It is covered by a very thick glaze that looks like a layer of glass.

It will look a bit brighter in the sun. I like these very natural, earthy colours of soil, grass, leaves and wood.

When you look at the bottom, you see a very "healthy" dark red undyed ridge. You can see that it is well-baked, strong and smooth. It is neither underdone no overdone.

This is by no means a masterpiece, but definitely a solid and quality serving plate. I am not ashamed of serving some plov (pilav) to the guests in this plate.

Of course, I have other ceramic items at home, I just had photos of this one handy because I was showing them to ceramic experts several days ago. This plate just serves as a good example of Uzbek pottery.

What serves as a bad example is these plates from a Samarkand shop (you can see the whole article about the shop here).

These are cheap imitation of traditional Rishtan ceramics (Rishtan is a small town in Ferghana valley). They are strangely lightweight and feel "underbaked". In reality, an underbaked pottery is supposed to be somewhat heavier, but I do not have a better word to express my feelings about these. They are deficient. Somehow they do not feel right. My friend who is an expert in ceramics suspects that they add gypsum to the clay to reduce the costs. The ornament is a noisy mess. The colours are too bright so I suspect that they are not all ceramic colours but maybe some oil or acrylic under lacquer and then they are not safe for eating from them. They break easily. In two words - these are evil! I understand that as tourism is developing rapidly in our country, everyone wants to make some money on tourists, but I do not believe in fraud and fakes.

Below you can see two more examples of ceramics I have at home (I have just found some photos taken a while ago and decided to share them as well); the upper one is from Rishtan, the one below is made in Tashkent. You can see that they, too, have lots of blue, but the colours are natural, not "acidic", and the pattern is full  of harmony. They are also reasonably heavy, nice to the touch, and if you knock on them with your fingernails you will hear a clear sound.

When you buy ceramics for Uzbekistan, beware of those cheap fakes. They will not last. Good ceramics cannot be dirt cheap, even if it is made of clay; the materials, equipment, natural gas - all of them cost money; but, most importantly, creating a decent piece takes energy and time of the artist. They do invest themselves into every bowl, dish or teapot they make; it is not an automated soul-less process of stamping similar pieces for purely commercial purposes. Please, do look for beautiful and well-made pieces and do not expect to pay 2-3 dollars, it is not realistic. You cannot buy a good piece of art for that money. Find something nice to take home and pay a fair price - it will help Uzbek pottery artists and their families.

I am going to write more on Uzbek ceramics very soon as we are having a large exhibition in Tashkent and I expect to visit it and learn a lot. Please come back for updates!

RIP Mr. President

Our President Islam Karimov is gone. Buried today in the beautiful city of Samarkand where he was born 78 years ago. To us, it is a big loss. I know everything that was said about him, all the criticism, but we respected and - yes - loved him. This is not an easy country to manage. Islam Karimov was a strong leader with a vision, and he did care about the people. He has achieved a considerable progress and growth, and all those years we had peace. We hope the peace lasts and the new president and his team build on what has already been done.

Back from Vacation!

We are back from vacation which was long and wonderful. We spent six weeks in a small village in the mountains, far from the city of Tashkent where we normally live, and it was really good for all of us, including the child and the dog.

We were walking for hours, exploring this very special place. It is called Bogiston village; it is very old, dating back to the 6th century, but very small nonetheless. People who live there are all Tajik, not Uzbek, and they speak Farsi (Persian) as a mother tongue. Fortunately for me, they speak Uzbek as well, or I would have difficulties communicating.

This is a very clean place, full of walnut trees, huge rocks, thyme and ice cold water. You can drink from any spring there, the water is delicious and definitely healthier than bottled one. At least I believe it is.

Before we left in the very end of August, the signs of autumn were already visible.

This was a small irrigation ditch, full of the same clear and cold water.



My Malinois Jager looking at the village from the hill.

Water in Uzbekistan is scarce; in the summer you can feel very clearly how special and valuable it is. After walking in the hot and dry mountains for hours, I am always very happy to find a lovely stream to drink from and wash my hands and face.

It is always difficult for me to resume my work after being away for weeks. I am bracing myself though. Took photos of a dozen of items today and will be listing them in my shop in the nearest days. Actually, I have already listed two beautiful vintage Russian shawls that you can see there. Moe to follow. 

Black Cherry is Here!

I am happy to announce that the season for black cherry is officially open! It is sweet and lovely, and when it is served on vintage Uzbek pottery, I like it even more!

A Very Unique Dress from Uzbek Silk

...We are having a very busy spring; kids have Taekwon-do competitions, we have a lot of work to do, and I also resumed running and working out with weights. I feel a bit guilty about not writing, but not overly so, as I decided that, when choosing between writing and sleeping, I must sleep.

However, this is something I want to share. A new dress fully designed and made by my mother is always a bit of a special event to me, and this one is a very unique dress. It is made from highly unusual Uzbek silk with a very wild ethnic print - I have only seen a similar fabric once. It is many years old, was stored in a chest for ages, and it looks amazing. All these designs are based on ancient rituals and beliefs and are said to incorporate symbols that protect from evil and grant health and prosperity.

The dress is voluminous, flowing and gleaming. It has a deep plunging v-neck and kimono sleeves. I really, really like it, and I am a bit jealous of someone who will buy it. I love both the fabric and the design. But, realistically, I do not wear black and white, so I could not have it to myself, anyway. I hope someone who buys it will wear and enjoy it a lot. I will ask my mother to make a similar dress for me, in colors that will look good on me. She loves working with Uzbek fabrics, as did her mother and aunt before her - both were well known fashion designers here in Uzbekistan.

The dress is for sale in our Etsy shop, Mulberry Whisper, and I do not expect it to last long. It fill fit Large and Extra large sizes.

On Cherry Blossom and Lost Wanderers

I spent twenty minutes under the Japanese cherry tree today, marvelling at its ethereal beauty. We have only had these trees for ten years or so, I think; they are not native to Uzbekistan. The one I was admiring today grows near the Navoi Opera Theatre which was built by the Japanese prisoners after WWII, and I believe the tree has a symbolic meaning - was planted there for a reason.

I must admit that the topic of Japanese prisoners never was of a great interest to me - you see, our life in USSR was infused by the war, we were eating and drinking war - no, breathing it... every family would have veterans, or someone who was killed, or both; there were all those countless books, films, memorials - what does a handful of prisoners mean compared to this huge array of memories, evidence, emotions? However, when you stand under this tree, next to the theatre build by the prisoners from a faraway country, you have to think about them. I read that there were almost 24 thousands Japanese PoW in Uzbekistan, and that most of them survived - only 817 died and were buried here. Local people are kind, and even in the hungry time after the war they would share food with the foreigners. As one article said, "If civilians treated German prisoners like enemies, the Japanese were looked upon as tired wanderers far from home".

I hope that most of those lost wanderers finally made it home.

Waves of Uzbek Silk Ikat

Uzbek ikat silk is something I can look at forever, as if it at the sea or a meadow full of flowers. These are two expecially beautiful specimens I photographed for a customer today. You can click the photos to open them full size.

Close-ups of the same fabrics:

If you ever handled Uzbek silk, you will know that it is heavenly smooth and cool, like water in a river, or cream, or glass. It is interesting, that the pattern is not printed; the threads are dyed in a variegated manner, which makes them self-patterning, but not in a random manner. It is based on a drawing and the masters plan, calculate and dye the threads so that they form whatever pattern they should. I cannot even start imagining the complexity of this task, and to think that this technique was known for centuries!

And this is what my mother is going to make from the khan atlas: a wrap dress with kimono sleeves, very beautiful, flattering and easy to wear.

If you would like to have a similar tunic, you can order it in our Etsy shop here.

Shah-i-Zinda, the Precious Blue Fairytale

This spring I visited Shah-i-Zinda, the famous necropolis in Samarkand, Ubekistan. As it often happens, I procrastinated for a long time, unable to choose photos for the post. Truth is, I was very unhappy with the photos, as they fail to reflect the bright, jewel-like beauty of this architectural ensemble. But I will show them anyway; just remember that they do not give justice to the beauty of this place.

Shah-i-Zinda is a complex of tombs and other ritual buildings, where the eldest ones date to 9th century and the newest ones - to 19th century.

"Shahizinda" means "the Living King" in Persian.  The legend says that the Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of Prophet Mohammed, came to Samarkand with a small army to install Islam here. In one of the battles with pagans, right at this hill,  Kusam ibn Abbas was wounded with an arrow, but managed to hide in a small cave or a well, which closed as he entered. And he still lives there, hidden from people.

The wooden terrace is at the entrance, to the left. It has a beautiful painted ceiling.



On the left is a tall staircase to the main part of the complex. The legend has it that you should walk and count the stairs, and remember the number. On the way back, you should count again. If numbers match, you will be granted a wish. On the right you can see a pathway leading from the end part to the exit (so, this belongs to the end of the photo set, but the photo is vertical, so it does not fit anywhere else).

These are several groups of mausoleums throughout  the necropolis. They mostly belong to the relatives and the courtiers or military leaders of Timur the Great, also known as Tamerlane; we call him Amir Timur here. The mausoleums are lavishly decorated with majolica tiles in various shades of blue, green and turquoise. 

 

It is nice to see children around; they clearly enjoy spending time in the beautiful place. And aren't they lovely girls?

I was transfixed by the lavish beauty of these buildings. In reality, they gleam and glisten, and the tiles look deep like sea water with ripples.

I love all the amazing textures and intricate lines.

The kids were not alone; after some playing and looking around, they came to their adults (I kept an eye on them, just in case. And they allowed me to take photos).

 

We went further, and I took more photos. It would be good to have a camera which could take 3D photos! or, better still, one to capture my feelings - the awe, admiration and excitement! 

There is a long path through the complex, with buildings on both sides.

I think that the last part is the most beautiful one. It was like entering a jewellery box which is adorned with precious enamel even from the inside. You enter and gasp...

...and start spinning around, trying to see everything, absorb it and remember. This smooth, cool, bright, fragile-looking beauty, aimed at making people stop and stare in admiration. A tribute to the people gone. Not only to those who are buried here, but also, ultimately - to the masters, who created this wonder.

Some people come here to pray.

Others just come to see the beauty. The smallest one seems to be impressed, too.

This was a very enjoyable hour - it was as if I spent this time in a fairytale. I hope to come back with my daughter, as I know she will love it as much as I did. If you ever visit Samarkand, make sure you go to Shah-i-Zinda, too. This is a place worth seeing.

A Secret Park with Squirrels

We spent another month on improving our collective health; I went through an extensive anti-inflammation therapy which, as I already know, has been successful, and the dog was busy restoring his digestion. He has made progress, too, but I am yet unwilling to say that the battle is over. I still want to be sure before I start celebrating.

In the meantime, I have found a lovely little park in the very middle of our city, and it has squirrels! In order to understand my emotions, you should know that squirrels are very rare here. Moreover, these do not look like Central Asian squirrels to me; I strongly suspect that their ancestors were brought from Russia and then managed to escape and settle down here.

It took me about forty minutes to get closer to these cute creatures. I tried to be "calm as still water" and was moving ahead little by little. Finally, I guess they started seeing me as part of the landscape.

I like this very concentrated sniffing - just like a dog doing good quality nosework!

I have learned that squirrels eat grass, straw, dry leaves... their tastes are quite Spartan. I bring them some walnuts and just leave them under the trees; I hope they collect them later.

It is great fun to see wild animals in the city. I hope to see them again and to spend some enjoyable minutes in the atmosphere of almost-wild-nature, listening to the birds singing and breathing fresh air.