Kumharwara

Pottery belongs to the historical background of the Persian and Turkish art. Originating before the Neolithic period, this type of art gained significance around the world. However, pottery in Pakistan has been reduced to being used as the means to earn money. Although pottery is an essential part of our daily lives such as using terracotta for keeping plants, making statues and decoration pieces, or using mud pots for storage of water or cooking food, it is still easily marginalised as we fail to acknowledge its importance. Pottery came into being to fulfil the basic necessities of the people of early ages which went onto become a business activity for many. However, there are many people who indulge themselves in this form of art as they have passion to carve their creativity on these mud pots.

An old man named, Abdul Sattar, owns a small barn with the strength of not more than 2 or 3 workers, each of them performing different duties.

One of the worker mixes and kneads mud, the other one sits and operates the potter wheel while carving the damp mud into the shape of a pot, another man makes beautiful designs on it and finally it is baked in heat.

Mixing and Kneading are the early stages of pottery-making and the most important ones. This is because the quality of the end-product depends on the mixing of mud as well as the quality of mud itself. According to Mr Sattar, this type of mud is especially used for pottery-making, known as "pahadi mitti" which he buys from Gadap, near Surjani town. As important as this stage is, it requires manpower which can become really tiring and exhausting.

_{Abdul Sattar has been in working in this profession since past 20 to 25 years and he has inherited these skills from his forefathers. Despite being the owner of this barn, he works tirelessly along with his workers to meet the daily target of making more than 100 pots daily.}

There is one skilled worker who is specifically hired to carve designs on these pots before drying up completely. This requires handling the pots with tenderness as they can easily distort. The designing adds value to the mud pots which turns from an ordinary creation to a valued one.

After they are baked properly, these mud pots are sold off to the vendors as they further import them to Saudi Arabia, where they are used for storage of water.

Abdul Sattar sells off these pots for PKR 250 per pot. According to him, one should feel content in what they're doing. "If my talent, skills and hobby together earns me a few rupees, then who cares about the profit," he said.

The skilful workers are not provided with wages according to the labours' laws, which is also a reason contributing to their poor working conditions. The potter has to continuously run the wheel with his bare foot which may cause sore feet.

It is not surprising to know that potters reside in an area which is quite far from the main city, as they feel the demand for the mud pots has been declining.