PESHAWAR, Nov 16: Peshawar Pottery, a showroom of 150 years old art of making both ornamental and utilitarian earthen goods which were presented to the visiting dignitaries as 'Pride of Peshawar', has been closed down after the death of its owner, Abdur Rauf Seemab.

Octogenarian Seemab, who had inherited this art and trade of clay pot making from his ancestors, was protecting and preserving the skill and antique artefacts, some of them almost century old, but his death resulted in closure of the business.

A visit to the narrow alleys in Shah Wali Qatal area in the interior city revealed that the showroom, displaying crockery and decoration pieces made up of special white clay mixed with grinded glass and glazed in strong earthen colours, was locked.

A shopkeeper in the vicinity said that the showroom was closed down after the death of Mr Seemab and the artefacts which he kept for presenting with pride to the visiting guests as handiwork of his forefathers had also been shifted by the family members.

Ms Khalid, a daughter of Mr Seemab, told this news agency that the decision to close down Peshawar Pottery was taken because they didn't have any male blood relative and didn't want to hand over the artefacts prepared by their ancestors to outsiders.

She said that her family was associated with the art since 1860, but couldn't continue the skill after death of her father because they had no brother.

“Our forefather Khalifa Mehmood had learnt about the art of pottery with engraving from an Iranian who migrated to Peshawar. Later he adopted it as a profession by hiring the Iranian and the skill passed on from generation to generation up to my father,” she added.

The products became so popular that almost every foreign dignitary, coming to the city, would visit Peshawar Pottery and purchase the artefacts, Ms Khalid said.

“As a token of appreciation for good pottery work, Lady Wellington, wife of the then viceroy of pre-partition India Sir Wellington, presented a walking stick to my grandfather Khalifa Daud,” she said. The Tourists Information Catalogue prepared by tourism department also mentioned products of Peshawar Pottery as a source of attraction for them.

In an interview with this news agency in 2010, late Rauf Seemab had claimed that the art of Peshawar Pottery was unique from ordinary clay pot making because the material used in it was special white clay brought from Mianwali and mixed with grinded glass which made the artefact more durable.

“The piece is than glazed in strong earthen colours, which give it attractive shining,” he had said.

Mr Seemab had also shown two flower pots, beautifully coloured, at his shop which he claimed were prepared by his ancestors without using any mould and the artefacts were more than 85 years old.

Referring to two other flower pots having beautiful engraving of web on them, Mr Seemab had said the management of lone five star hotel in Peshawar wanted to purchase them at an attractive price but he rejected the offer.

The standard of crockery made at Peshawar Pottery was equivalent to the standard of pots made in England, said Zahoor Durrani, prominent tourists guide and managing director of Sehrai Travel and Tours.

“The artefacts displayed by Peshawar Pottery need due attention of government as well as private agencies for its preservation and further improvement as it carried rich heritage, glorious history and undying craftsmanship,” Mr Durrani said. — APP