Nizamabad, famed for its lustrous black pottery, is ideal for the pottery due to the presence of the mica-rich clay from the local ponds. It is believed that the craft was introduced during the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The artform

The clay is collected by the potters in the summer and stored for later use. The object is sun-dried for several days after being removed from the potter's wheel, and then a coat of mustard oil is applied to add lustre. A second round around the potter's wheel ensures that any irregularities in the shape, etc., are scraped away. The dry clay is then loaded into the kiln to undergo another firing after designs are carved onto it with a tiny needle and coated with mustard oil. The kiln's intentionally constructed oxygen-free environment is mostly responsible for the color of the ceramics.

GI

This black beauty was awarded the GI tag in 2015.