Koozehkonan Pottery

It seems that soil and water were the first materials that man could use to make artifacts because these two were the most available natural materials to humans. Thus, pottery can be considered an art that is as old as human life. The findings show that the making of clay vessels dates back to about 14 thousand years ago and before the beginning of agricultural activities.

At first, humans made vessels using a hole in the middle of a lump of clay or creating an upward spiral using a strip of clay, but gradually with the advancement of pottery techniques and the invention of tools such as the pottery wheel, more skills emerged to use for making pottery. In Iran, the history of pottery is more than 10 thousand years, and some tools, such as the pottery wheel, have been discovered in archaeological excavations.

This art took on special manifestations in different parts of Iran according to the taste and available facilities such that some cities in different provinces like Hamedan, Yazd, Isfahan, and East Azarbaijan were known as the main centers of pottery. In East Azarbaijan Province, “Koozehkonan” City is known as one of the most important cities in the field of pottery. For this reason, the pottery skills of the artists of this city were inscribed on the list of Iran’s cultural heritage in the year 2011.

Where is Koozehkonan Located?

Koozehkonan is located in Shabestar County, in the west of East Azarbaijan Province at a distance of 75 km from Tabriz, the capital of the province, and 12 km from Shabestar City, which borders Mishoodaghi mountain from the north and Bandar Sharafkhane from the west. The northern slopes of Koozehkonan house fields of tulips and wild rhubarb and rock salt mines. The average height of Koozehkonan is 1421 meters above sea level.

The population of this city is about five thousand people. A significant part of the residents of Koozehkonan are agriculturists and grains, beans, and summer crops as well as tree products such as cherries, apples, apricots, peaches, figs, pears, almonds, and walnuts are considered to be their main products. In addition, pottery is also one of the main professions practiced in the city, and the name “Koozehkonan” means those who engaged in making jars.

The Importance of Koozehkonan Pottery

Pottery has been practiced in Koozehkonan for generations and is considered its cultural heritage. Remains of old pottery were found in this city, which is proof of the antiquity of this profession among its people.

The traditional methods of Koozehkonan pottery have been preserved and simple geometric decorations are still used in making pottery items, which are used in a natural way without the use of glaze coating. Of course, some glazed dishes were found during the excavations done in the Jame’ Mosque of Koozehkonan, which, according to some experts, are similar to the turquoise tiles used in the Blue Mosque of Tabriz, which was built 600 years ago. Also, the remains of several large jars, each of which could hold nearly 100 liters of water and whose body was more than six centimeters thick, were discovered in Koozehkonan, which shows that the people of this city had their own special methods for making pottery in the past.

Pottery craftsmen of Koozehkonan continue to produce pottery items by using their hands and wheels that are rotated by electric power or traditionally by foot power to shape different containers, after kneading and preparing the clay. Thereafter, in order to create strength in them they are baked in a furnace. Also, the glazing operation of the dishes is done in different colors such as blue, green, and ocher in accordance with the usage of each dish.

The pottery produced by Koozehkonan artists can be found in many homes. However, in recent years, with the decreased interest in using earthenware, the pottery art of the Koozehkonan has been facing certain problems. The loss of the genuineness of products by imitating common methods in other places to attract more customers is the threat facing this art industry.

In East Azarbaijan Province, “Koozehkonan” City is known as one of the most important cities in the field of pottery. For this reason, the pottery skills of the artists of this city were inscribed on the list of Iran’s cultural heritage in the year 2011.