Chandigarh, Feb. 14 : Though pottery has been in use since earliest stages of human civilization, in India and abroad it is witnessing a revival. The decoration conscious families have given pottery a new meaning.

In India, when it comes to decorating gardens or lawns, there is a wide range of ceramics available. Vibrant colours, exotic textures and vivid shapes and sizes of the pots not only enhance a plant''s beauty but also add to the overall look of any garden.

It''s not just the exteriors, where these ceramic objects enhance the beauty of one''s house but the ceramic-based pottery has also found a place in interior decoration of houses and hotels.

"Now more Indians have a good purchasing power and their aesthetic sense has increased. Since the people have become more outgoing and have visited abroad increased the overall interest in pottery has increased ," said Rajiv Jain, an entrepreneur at Kalakriti

The art of making pottery is ancient and dates back to the time when they were only wares of utility. Even today the demand for pottery is largely limited to rural areas as utility items in many States.

But, with exclusive studio pottery designers creating decorative items, things are changing.

"Definitely it is gaining popularity and it used to be labeled as craft earlier but now the term that is being used is Studio Pottery, because artists are stepping into this field both trained and untrained and it is an art form now," said Rachna Parashar, one studio potter.

In India, there is wide range of variety available in pottery. The pottery enthusiasts can have among several options the simple unglazed type from Kanpur, the glazed ones from Agra, the blue pottery of Delhi and the terracotta from Orissa.

Besides, the imported pottery too is popular among Indians. Pottery from Mexico, China and Japan is much in demand.

Depending on the material, texture, design and size, the Indian pottery items are available from anywhere between about two dollars to 2000 dollars. Imported pottery ranges from 100 to 4,000 dollars.

India has a huge market in abroad. The US, Japan, France, Italy, Hong Kong and Mexico are among the top importers of pottery from India.

`Polystone designer pottery'' by Chandigarh-based artist Ravi Chawla is today attracting pottery enthusiasts. Her studio has the latest collection of Polystone pottery, wall murals, sculpted items, stained glass and glass fusion work.

Chawla also works with the students of the art college to produce these items under her guidance and supervision.

"Earlier we used to design simple Terracotta pots, but the possibility of getting different shape was limited. Now, I have started working on polystone. We also work on simple pots, so to give different designs on it. On polystone we can gives different shapes," said Ravi Chawla, pottery designer.

Though there are just a few exclusive showrooms for high-end pottery in India, it is the exhibitions attract enthusiasts in huge numbers.

Exotic pottery is a new-age craze here and is viewed by many persons as part of their lifestyle statement today.

In cities like Chandigarh, the obsession for high-end pottery is growing. And, that is good news for pottery designers. (ANI)