Gzhel, a picturesque area 60 kilometers southeast of Moscow, is known as one of the oldest and largest centers of china production in Russia, a true cradle of Russian ceramics. Gzhel is also the word for traditional Russian blue and white porcelain produced there since the 19th century - the region is famous for it.
Gzhel’s ceramic production has a long history. Archaeological research shows the first pottery appeared here already in the 14th century. Ceramics seems to be something Mother Nature herself created this area for: craftsmen could not find a better place than this, with its rich and beautiful woods, crystal clear rivers and fabulous white clay.
The 18th century made Gzhel famous for its wonderful majolica coloured clay with polychrome paintings on white glaze. But it was the 19th century that marked the dawn of Gzhel’s Golden Era and the beginning of Russian china, as the craft evolved from semi-faience to faience and later to porcelain.
The items painted in deep-blue were ones of a special interest. Local craftsmen as well as entire factories were all involved in production of blue and white tableware, vases, toys, animal and bird figurines and statuettes of horsemen or dancers.
Painting is made by special cobalt paints which is put on the raw unglazed porcelain pieces. Then the painted products are burnt in the high-temperature ovens. As a result of burning the cobalt painting, almost black before burning, becomes bright and vivid blue. Then the products are coated with glaze and are burnt at second time. This technique allows to protect painting very well. The artists of porcelain manufacturing use only one cobalt paint but in spite this they get live painting with many shades of blue. This is achieved by so called “brush technique” of painting when different brush pressure makes different thickness of the paint and to get varying degrees of transparency.
Gzhel produces tea, coffee and dinner sets, samovars, vases, candlesticks, clocks, lamps, statuettes and figurines of more than 2500 varieties. Gzhel porcelain enjoys far-reaching popularity both in its native country as well as far beyond Russia with many art lovers and connoisseurs around the globe yearning to get one or two precious pieces for their collections.