Ceramic 

Ceramics from Istalif, a small potter’s village one hour outside of Kabul, are famous for the clarity and intensity of their blue, obtained from brilliant turquoise and deep lapis lazuli. For more than four hundred years, Istalif has been the center of the regional Afghan pottery tradition. Istalifi ceramics are decorated with a lively menagerie of fantastic animal and bird forms, along with calligraphy, geometrical patterns and ornamentation. Each piece is hand thrown on a wheel, incised, and glazed, meaning that each possesses its own individual character.  

The clay, minerals, and plants for the pottery and glazes come from the nearby mountainsides and are transported in donkey carts to Istalif. Once the pieces are thrown on the potter’s wheel, they are glazed with turquoise, leaf green, and beige colours, incised or painted with motifs, and fired in traditional kilns. 

Turquoise Mountain Foundation is working with artisans from the village of Istalif to improve their production and help them to elevate the quality of their pottery. The Foundation has introduced lead-free glazes, high temperature kilns and new designs. It has also begun to manufacture tiles and identify new markets for Afghan ceramics. 

Discover the contemporary ceramic creations of Afghan artists by visiting the Turquoise Mountain gallery.