Abdulla Narzullayev is the sixth representative of a famous dynasty of potters. His ancestors were also engaged in this profession.
The Gijduvan district of the Bukhara region is called the “China of Uzbekistan”. Because there are many entrepreneurs and types of entrepreneurship in this district. At the same time, national crafts are well developed in the region. Kun.uz visited the house of Abdulla Narzullayev, a famous potter, who was recently awarded the honorary title of “People's Master of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
Abdulla Narzullayev is the sixth representative of the famous potter dynasty. His ancestors were also engaged in this profession. Today, the potter's house, the museum and the guest house organized there resemble a craft academy, combining 3 national crafts - embroidery, carpet weaving and pottery.
The potter's sister Mavluda Narzullayeva and the head of the family Gulbahor Narzullayeva are engaged in embroidery, his daughter-in-law Zarina Utkirova is engaged in carpet weaving, and his son Akmaljon Narzullayev is engaged in pottery.
According to Abdulla Narzullayev, the family's national pottery museum complex is included in the international tourist route. Tourists from different countries visit the house and get acquainted with the handicraft products, the work process, and the history of the dynasty.
“Our main goal is to preserve tradition in our crafts. That is why we use local raw materials in all three crafts and work in a local style. Our ancestors worked on similar pottery wheels for centuries. They prepared glaze in such mills, baked their works in such kilns. We get the soil from the vicinity of Gijduvan. We go and select the soz soil ourselves. My father, mercifully, taught us that when you open a lump and point it at the sun, there should be no sand in it. The second sign is that if there are pores inside the lump, then it is soz soil. Of course, after selecting it, we bring it to the workshop and experiment with each new soil. Because each soil has its own character,” says Abdulla Narzullayev.
According to the folk master, traditional Gijduvan pottery belongs to the decorative arts. The products are mainly purchased by foreign and local buyers as decorations. However, they can also be used as household items.
Abdulla Narzullayev, who has promoted Uzbek crafts with his exhibitions in many countries, is currently preparing to organize his next exhibition in Israel.
