Baghdad was the hub of Islamic potters during the 10th century, and blue and green glazes were in vogue. Chinese influence in Islamic pottery-making came after the Mongol domination of Persia in the 13th century. The first example of blue pottery work can be seen on the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardez. Sultan Mehmood Ghaznavi conquered Multan in 1105 — the starting of the Persian era as far as pottery is concerned — and during this period the art of blue pottery was brought from Central Asia to this region. Outstanding tiled and glazed work can also be seen on the tombs of Bahauddin Zakariya Multani, Shah Rukn-i-Alam, Nawab Saeed Qureshi, Bibi Pak Daman, Musa Pak Shaheed, Shah Hussain Sadozai and Syed Yahya Nawab. In addition to these tombs, blue tiles were also used to decorate mosques. From generat ion t o generation With the passage of time the local people started to take interest in this art. Those who were involved in this art are called Kashikar and this art is transferred from generation to generation. The area where these families lived was located outside the Daulat Gate and currently it i s c a l l e d Mu h a l l a h Kashigaran. Owing to the lack of patronage, many craftsmen have adopted other professions, but a few families are still continuing with the old profession. The most prominent craftsmen of this art are Ustad Rahim Bakhsh, Ustad Allah Divaya, Ustad Nazar Hussain (Aga Khan Award winner), Ustad Ahmed Hassan, Ustad Wajid, Ustad Muhammad Sabir and Ustad Zafar Hussain. Usually Multani clay (red clay) is used for blue pottery, but, nowadays the craftsmen are using white clay along with red clay. In order to promote the craft, the government has also established the Institute of Blue Pottery in Multan. Traditional Persian designs have now been adapted to cater to the more sophisticated consumers. Apart from the usual urns, jars, pots and vases, there are new products such as tea sets, plates and glasses, jugs, ashtrays and even napkin holders. The colour palette is restricted to blue derived from the oxide of cobalt, green from the oxide of copper and white, though other non-conventional colours such as yellow and brown have also been added. Despite the fact that there has been amazing development in mass-production techniques and synthetic materials, the demand for this traditional handicraft has not gone up considerably. Perhaps the government needs to take substantial measures to safeguard and promote this ancient art. — KT Dawn service