Blue ceramic of Rishtan

Rishtan is the oldest centre of ceramic art in Central Asia. The technique of glaze earthenware which local people use for their household needs, and which is exported from the FerganaValley, is worked out here. It differs in shapes, ornaments and colors. The most characteristic coloring of this earthenware (ceramics) is turquoise, dark blue and brown color on a milky-white background. Ishkor glaze made from plant ash gives the earthenware its beautiful soft shine.

Rishtan ceramists' mastery of composition is inexhaustible. The paintings, which are done mostly in a free brush manner, are based on direct observation of the nature and reproduce the variety of the surrounding world - flowers, branches, fruit, pitchers, knives, etc.

Today, like a thousand years ago, ceramics are painted by hand. The artist's individuality is manifested in a unique manner within strict traditions of the folk art, an art style that developed over centuries.

Rustam Usmanov's art is in perfect harmony with folk traditions. On graduation from the Tashkent Institute of Theatre and Art, he devoted much of his time to studying the old Rishtan ceramics through books and museum collections. It helped him enrich his knowledge about ceramics and gradually develop his own original manner, freedom of composition and technological skill of his mastery. The mastery of his beautiful paintings and richness of pattern themes give a unique, hard-to-reproduce character to each of his works. They are some of the best art works of Uzbekistan decorative art.

Rustam Usmanov built his own complete pottery studio at home. Mahmud Azizov, a skilful master of kuzagar, produces different plastic forms on the moving pottery circle. Rustam and his relatives paint them by hand.

The children Asiya, Adelya, and Ruslan work together. They play and joke, trying to make their paintings different from the others'. A charming improvisation can be seen in their childish sincerity and of patterns and steady hands. The best works will remain in the family museum, because the family doesn't want to part with them. The most exciting minutes come when it is time to open the kiln. The adults and children get together, hand over items that are still warm. This moment brings to Rustam that feeling of fullness and significance for which he lives and works.