Karachi's Wonderful Clay District

For centuries, beautifully designed earthenware has been used in most households across the subcontinent and the tradition has carried on in Pakistan.

Earthenware, once vital for cooling water in matkas or cooking stews in handis, remains crucial in rural Pakistan due to limited access to modern utensils.

Earthenware makers excel in making clayware for numerous purposes - here are some fired plant pots on display, ready for sale.

Traditional kiln for firing earthenware, clay pots ('bartan' in Urdu).

A potter makes small clay vessels for drinking tea.

Drying clay tea cups in the sun, before firing.

Eye catching wares are often to be seen on roadsides across Pakistan.

A collection of decorative and food utensils on display at a local roadside shop.

Earthenware drinking glasses, cups and bowls.

A seller of earthenware dishes wheels his cart in a local neighborhood.

Roofs of rural and urban homes often contain tiles made by local potters.

Along with earthenware, archaeological finds at the ancient sites of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa revealed that metal work was also part of the many skills of this ancient civilization, with brass, copper and other metals used to create kitchen utensils.

Since the 13th century and the advent of the Mughal Empire in the subcontinent, craftsmanship in metalware became increasingly refined.

Frying pans, spoons, pots, woks and other kitchen utensils bear living proof of the craftsmanship of the era. Lahore’s Walled City contains Kasera Bazaar, established over 125 years ago, with its huge variety of cutlery and crockery taking visitors on a journey into the past. From the modern to the archaic, all types of cooking utensils and crockery made from brass, iron, steel and copper can be found on display here.