Kubachi

Kubachi is a mountain town in southern Dagestan, famous for the Persian pottery named after it.

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Historic centre of Kubachi

Kubachi is the namesake of Kubachi ware, a style of Persian pottery historically found here in abundance. The village is mentioned in Persian chronicles as early as the 4th century under the name Zerihgaran, which translates to place of chain mail makers. Although historaians used to believe that Kubachi was the place of origin of the pottery, they now believe it might be a region that is in northwestern Iran. Kubachi ware is made of clay mixed with quartz or silica to lower its fusion temperature, and is decorated with glazing in various colours.

An example of Kubachi ware

Kubachi had a large collection of the pottery in the 15th and 16th century, and starting in the late 19th century the pieces became popular among collectors in Europe and North America. They are now on display in museums around the world such as the art museums of Montreal and Cincinnati, and the name has stuck, even though the pottery was most likely not manufactured in Kubachi.

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