Alwar Pottery & Paper Craft
Earthenware thrown so thin the light comes through it.
Alwar in eastern Rajasthan is known for kagzi pottery — literally 'paper' pottery — a delicate grey-to-black unglazed earthenware whose walls are thrown and then scraped so thin that a finished vessel rings when tapped and glows where the light passes through the rim. Bowls, cups, surahis, incense holders and decorative pots are made this way. The town also had a long tradition of handmade paper produced by the Kagzi community, whose craft name the pottery took over as the paper trade declined.
Craft at a Glance
Origin
Alwar, Rajasthan
Also Known As
Kagzi pottery, egg-shell pottery, Alwar black pottery
Craft Type
Kagzi (paper-thin) pottery and, historically, handmade paper
Practising Community
Kumhar potters and the Kagzi (papermaker) community whose name the pottery borrows
Materials
Fine levigated local river clay; wood, cow dung and leaves for firing; a burnishing stone or agate; and, for the paper craft, cotton and hemp rag beaten to pulp in water.
Known For
Feather-light dark grey unglazed pottery; the Kagzi community's rag paper
Where It's Made
Alwar city and nearby villages of the Alwar district, Rajasthan
Time to Create
Two to five days per batch, including very slow drying and a smoke firing
GI Status
Not GI-registered
Process Steps
Refining the clay
River clay is soaked in water, passed through a fine sieve and left to settle so only the smoothest, grit-free particles are drawn off for use.
Wedging
The refined clay is kneaded thoroughly to drive out air and give it an even, plastic consistency.
Throwing the form
The potter raises a vessel on the wheel with walls slightly thicker than the finished piece will have.
Paring the wall thin
Once leather-hard, the piece is returned to the wheel and its wall is shaved with a metal rib to a translucent thinness.
Burnishing
The near-dry surface is rubbed firmly with a smooth stone to compress the clay and give it a soft sheen without any glaze.
Slow drying
The pots are dried gradually in shade, then sun, over several days so the thin walls do not crack or distort.
Smoke (reduction) firing
The pots are fired in a kiln whose vents are closed so smoke and carbon penetrate the clay, fixing the grey-black colour.
Technique Glossary
Kagzi
'Paper-like'; the term for both the Alwar papermaking community and the paper-thin pottery associated with the town.
Levigation
Refining clay by suspending it in water and drawing off only the finest particles that stay in suspension longest.
Leather-hard
The stage when clay has stiffened enough to handle but is still damp enough to carve and pare.
Burnishing
Polishing unfired clay with a hard smooth tool to give a sheen without glaze.
Reduction firing
Firing with the air supply cut back so smoke and carbon change the clay's colour to grey or black.
Surahi
A long-necked water bottle whose porous earthenware keeps the contents cool by evaporation.
Rib
A flat tool of metal, wood or rubber held against a turning pot to shape and thin its wall.
A Craft Through Time
Pre-modern
Papermakers to the court
Kagzi families make handmade rag paper for the Alwar state, its scribes and its offices.
19th century
A recognised craft town
Alwar is noted in regional accounts for both its paper and its fine pottery.
Early–mid 20th century
Paper declines
Machine-made paper undercuts the handmade trade and many Kagzi households look for other work.
Mid-20th century
The thin-pottery turn
Craft families apply their fine touch to earthenware, producing the translucent wares Alwar is now known for.
Late 20th century
Emporium promotion
State emporia and craft fairs market kagzi pottery as a Rajasthani speciality.
Present
A handful of makers
Only a few families still throw the thinnest pieces, and the craft is regarded as endangered.
Did You Know?
Alwar's kagzi pots are sometimes called 'eggshell pottery' because a finished vessel can weigh less than the lump of clay an ordinary potter would use just for its base.
Every craft has a story. Every story begins with tradition.