Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Gulf News reader Simran Vedvyas took these pictures of a potter at the wheel in Heritage Village, Dubai. Pottery is regarded as one of the oldest handicrafts in the UAE, with excavations in the country revealing that Emiratis were skilled at pottery about 2,500 years ago, in the Umm Al Nar era. Vedvyas was amazed to see the intricate and inspiring artistry by the potters at work. The focus that the potter had and the gentle care he took while moulding the shape of the pot caught her attention. She said: “This is a living testimony of the authorities’ respect of Dubai’s past.” Pottery found in the UAE between 5000 BC and 3000 BC was mostly imported from southern Iraq and was of the style called ‘Ubaid,’ according to the National Media Council’s online history website. Crockery from this era was decorated with thick black paint on alluvial clay from the region. Moulding pottery from the UAE didn’t happen until about 700 years later and this is when the orange pottery with black decorative paint comes from, which is seen even today.
Staff
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
