Black Pottery (2020)
Today in India, black pottery is practised in some states such as New Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Manipur. Among them, the black pottery of Nizamabad in Uttar Pradesh is more famous and has had geographical identification (GI) since 2013. At first, pots are made on wheel, the trimming happens during leather-time, and then the final form is given shape. Then pots are kept on the wheel and the surfaces are burnished by using a gemstone. Before drying, the Terra Sigillata is applied on them. Pots are kept in the sun and when they lose wetness, the surface of the pots are very carefully rubbed with a cotton fabric to make them glossy. The products are then placed in an earthen container which is filled with some cow dung and sawdust up to the brim. After that, the container is covered with a lid, and kept in the kiln to bake the pots inside. The smoke inside the container changes the surface of the vessels to black.
