Rus Ceramic Art: Gzhel Porcelain

Gzhel is located some 50-60 km SE of Moscow & has been famous since 14th. Century as a center of ceramic/porcelain production. Gzhel is the name the major village in this area. It is for this reason the name, Gzhel, is applied to the beautifully artistic porcelain & majolica ware made there. Gzhel is the area where the famous cobalt blue & white pottery of the same name is produced. Gzhel is also the oldest as well as the most famous of the Russian ceramic centers.

Gzhel pottery was first mentioned in a decree made by Prince Ivan Kalita in 1339. This is considered to be the official date of this art craft's birth. Gzhel artisans at this time produced plain & enameled pottery as well as toys. In the 2nd. half of the 18th. Century they developed the mastery the art of majolica.

Gzhel majolica is considered as the first page in the history of Russian ornamented folk ceramic arts. During that period whole entire adult population of the 30 villages in the Gzhel region were engaged in the production of majolica. Majolica of the 18th. Century was mostly decorated in shades of blue, green, yellow & brown. It involved mostly rustic scenes of villages, birds & animals with flowers & trees. The artists made figures, decorative objects as well as tableware including pitchers, kvass jugs, kumgans, salt cellars, plates, platters, bratinas & even ink pots. Pitchers in the shape of a double-headed eagle were popular. Kvass jugs were typically a doughnut shaped form complete with a hole in the middle & mounted on four lion's paws. They all had scroll shaped handles & spouts. Many had 3-dimensional figures & vines wrapped about their handles, necks & spouts.

In the 19th. Century they switched over to the production of semi-faience. Semi-faience is white & after firing was ornamented the cobalt blue & covered with a transparent glaze. These objects & their forms differed very little from the earlier majolica. It was the colors of blue & white changed their appearance. There were fewer landscapes & more floral designs, with empire-style vines & festoons being very popular. In less than 50 years, the Gzhel factories had mastered the production of all of the basic types of ornamented pottery. During the Soviet era, the Gzhel factory began producing porcelain which has regained the traditions of the original majolica as well as the semi-faience.