Persian pottery through history: lustre, minai and Lalejin today

Prehistoric and ancient

Painted pottery from sites such as Tepe Sialk and Susa dates back to the 5th–4th millennia BCE, with animals and geometric bands.

Medieval innovations

• Stonepaste (fritware): a white quartz body developed in the 12th century
• Lustreware: metallic sheen from a second firing, made in Kashan
• Minai: overglaze enamel colours painted in miniature style
• Underglaze painting and blue-and-white wares in the Safavid period

Kashan's role

Kashan was so important for tiles and ceramics that 'kashi' became the Persian word for tile.

Pottery today

Lalejin near Hamedan is Iran's largest pottery town, famous for turquoise-glazed ware. Meybod, Shahreza and Mashhad also have active workshops.

Buying and care

Ask whether pieces are food-safe (lead-free). Antique claims need provenance, and exporting antiquities is restricted.