[Purchased Item] Fascinating City - Uzbekistan
morichiho Hello everyone.
Following on from the Mexico edition the other day, today is the second part of the purchasing edition!
Let me introduce you to Uzbekistan.
However, since not many people travel to Uzbekistan, it's hard to imagine what kind of country it is!
It's embarrassing to say, but until the owner brought over the products he had purchased, I only knew Argentina as just one of the countries in Central Asia.
I think many people have an image of nomads like this. (Below is a yurt, a residence in Uzbekistan)
However, Uzbekistan has long been a stopover on the Silk Road, and as a place where Middle Eastern and Asian cultures intersect, it has many other wonderful cultures as well!
First, please take a look at this photo. 
Vivid blue tiles. The pattern that covers the ceiling is a spectacular sight. This is a mausoleum in Samarkand, where there are many buildings with a blue motif like this one.
Samarkand once flourished during the reign of Timur. Timur brought excellent engineers and artists from his expeditions to Samarkand to make it a beautiful city unlike any other in the world. This is how Chinese ceramics and Persian pigments came together to create buildings based on blue tiles, known as "Samarkand Blue."
Samarkand is also known as the "Blue City," "The Pearl of the East," and "The Jewel of Islam."
Another product based on the color blue is Rishtan pottery. 
Pottery has been produced in Rishtan, where high-quality clay is available, for about 1,000 years. It is characterized by a refreshing blue color called "Rishtan Blue", and is carved with traditional plant and geometric patterns. 
Even today, there are pottery studios in Rishitan where artisans are still making pottery. It is interesting to see how the designs differ from studio to studio. 
In addition to Rishtan pottery, RUKA Kita-Aoyama also sells Uzbek tableware made during the Soviet era.
It's different from Rishtan and has a cute pattern unique to the Soviet Union. This is a valuable item as it is no longer produced.
These Uzbek tableware are so colorful that they really make your food look great! Please come and see them at our Aoyama store!
~Extra Edition~
The hotel that the owner stayed at was really cute, so I'd like to introduce it to you. This is a hotel in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
It's like a world in a picture book!
Uzbek jewelry has an oriental feel.
At the market, each shop spreads out their cloth like this to sell their jewelry.
That was the end of my special article on Uzbekistan. If you have the opportunity to travel there,
Please use this as a reference ♪
RUKA Mori