Welcome to HMB Pottery! Soul of Multan in Every Piece!

Blue pottery in Multan has a history that dates back centuries. It is believed to have originated from Persia and Central Asia, and the art form was introduced to the Indian subcontinent during the 14th century. Multan, already a centre for glazed tilework on its shrines, became a significant center for blue pottery in Pakistan. The craft involves the use of distinctive blue and white glazes on pottery, creating the fine floral and geometric designs. Over the years, the artisans of Multan have refined and developed this art form, making it a symbol of the region’s cultural identity.

Multan is best known for blue pottery, called Kashigari locally. The craft covers both the glazed tiles on the city’s shrines and mosques and the hand-painted pots, vases, tea sets and serving dishes made in workshops around the city. Multan is also known for its camel-skin lamps, hand-woven khussa shoes and blue and white tilework, but blue pottery is the craft the city is named for.

Multan is the city in Pakistan famous for blue pottery. Known as the City of Saints, Multan has produced hand-painted blue and white pottery for centuries, and the craft is still worked by family workshops across the city today. The technique reached Multan from Persia and Central Asia and developed here into its own recognisable style of cobalt blue, turquoise and white floral and geometric patterns. Blue pottery is also made in Iran, Turkey and in Jaipur in India, but in Pakistan it is Multan that the craft is named for.

Blue pottery is so named because of the prominent use of blue glazes in the decoration of the pottery. The distinctive blue and white color scheme is a hallmark of this traditional craft. The blue glaze is often made using cobalt oxide, giving the pottery its characteristic deep blue hue. The combination of the blue glaze and the hand-painted designs makes blue pottery visually striking and culturally significant.

Kashikari, also written Kashi Kari, is the art of making and painting glazed ceramic tiles. The name comes from Kashan in Persia, an old centre of tile making, and kari, meaning craftsmanship. In Multan the same craft covers shrines and mosques in cobalt blue and turquoise tilework, and the pottery sold today is made by the same families using the same glazes and hand-painted patterns.