Gzhel utensils: origin, design features, selection tips

In the gzhel dish there is something bewitching - the characteristic blue-blue ornaments against the snow-white background make it very elegant. A thing created using a special technology and with a special design will bring joy and beauty to the house. To make the right choice and not run into a fake, it is advisable to know about the features of such dishes in advance.

The very concept of Gzhel comes from a village with the corresponding name in the Moscow region, located 60 kilometers from the capital. Around it there were a number of other settlements where they actively used the special refractory clay, which this area is rich in.

The settlements of the so-called Gzhel bush, in which they were engaged in various crafts, were first mentioned in the Spiritual Charter of Kalita, dating back to 1328. The high-quality clay mined there in the 17th century was used to create medical vessels. It is no coincidence that Gzhel was assigned by the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to the Pharmaceutical Order. Local peasants, unlike the vast majority in the country, were free people, not serfs.

The manufacture of clay products was done by village craftsmen with experience. Children helped to apply the glaze. Murals were often trusted to girls. Then almost finished things were burned. The technology of creation varied depending on the village. Each manufacturer keeps the secret of its own production, passing it only to the heirs.

The beginnings of the future large-scale tableware production in the form of fishing proved to be in the 18th century - along with stove tiles, toys and bricks, local craftsmen also made dishes, which were mainly supplied to Moscow, being in great demand there.

Porcelain ware became very fashionable at the end of the 18th century. Possession of it said that a person enters into a special circle and can boast of his wealth. Great demand for such products provoked the development of its factory production. By the 70s, a wide range of dishes already produced about a hundred small factories. Gzhel producers, who supplied porcelain to the imperial court, secured a completely comfortable life.

Some of the services that were created and painted here were designed for 150 people. The dishes sometimes had very bizarre shapes. For example, the handle of a jug was shaped in the form of a branch, and the nose had the appearance of a bird's beak, the figure of an animal acted as the hand of the product, “there were birds” on the case, and so on.

The sets were complemented by small painted sculptures representing various everyday subjects. The touching naivete of images from folk life largely contributed to maintaining the popularity of precisely Gzhel porcelain, despite the fact that already in the 19th century the competition between porcelain factories was quite great. Gzhel breeders received silver medals for their achievements in production.

Curious that At first, Gzhel dishes were multi-colored. It was painted using red, green, yellow flowers. Special blue-and-blue paints began to be used when painting in the second half of the 19th century. Having become a signature characteristic pattern in blue over white, sometimes supplemented by golden contours of objects, it gave the dishes special features. Although the production itself has experienced a long period of decline. This happened at a time when, after the revolution, porcelain factories were nationalized, and life on them died out until the middle of the 20th century.

Today porcelain gzhel belongs to the luxury class. Because of its practicality and special aesthetic qualities, it often acts as expensive gifts.

A special blue-blue pattern over white in Gzhel painting is achieved by using cobalt as a dye. Original exquisite painting is a combination of flowing lines, floral and floral ornaments. The dishes also depict real landscapes, buildings, figures of animals and people. Plots are often associated with the Russian winter and fairy tales. The blue-blue palette allows you to make real pictures with Russian color. The most popular images of birds and roses.

The technique of creating a drawing provides for the following tools:

• tassels;
• spatulas for mixing paints;
• cobalt oxide;
• palettes.

When applying paint to a ceramic surface, it looks black, and turns blue after firing. All pictures on the dishes are created manually. Smears are applied in a special way. There is a whole set of techniques that allow you to create a picture in a typical Gzhel manner.

The assortment of painted dishes in the Gzhel style is very diverse, in a corresponding spirit they decorate a variety of objects. Thanks to this technique, you can attach a beautiful wall decorative plate to the wall that performs an exclusively aesthetic function. Although the masters give a unique look to quite practical objects, for example, tea or table sets.

If a full set of dishes is not needed, you can choose:

• tea or coffee pair;
• kettle;
• coffee pot;
• pancake plate with a lid - crepe maker;
• oiler;
• creamer or milkman;
• container for spices;
• gravy boat;
• cutlery such as spoons and coasters for various purposes;
• dishes and plates;
• bread bowl and breadbox;
• caviar or sprat;
• salad bowl;
• power outlet;
• candy box;
• a cupcake or cake box;
• beer mug or shtof;
• piles.

Masters cannot do without painting and such colorful things as samovars, which even on a modern table look like practical design elements that give the tableware composition a special touch.

Real gzhel does not just decorate the house. Many purchase it for collections. The most valuable objects from the aesthetic point of view replenish the funds of museums. The secret of success lies in the special charm of such things. You can admire them ad infinitum.

Given that real Gzhel dishes are expensive and in demand not only in our country, but also abroad, there are many products on the market that imitate the characteristic painting. Homegrown craftsmen often use regular paints instead of cobalt oxide. You can distinguish originals from fakes if you carefully look at the goods offered in the store.

Real Gzhel objects have a special pattern. He does not sin with smeared contours and lines. It can be seen that the master of painting worked thoughtfully, slowly. Even the smallest details of the images are well thought out and drawn, and then polished. If the background of the subject is not perfectly white and there are roughnesses on it, then this is not a gzhel.

The branded product has a special stamp - a swan or a clear, large letters inscription "gzhel" enclosed in an oval. The most valuable items are sold marked “hand-painted”. On some, the name of the author is indicated.

Use real gzhel conveniently. There are no objects of this kind with an unstable base or with loose caps. On sale you can find both porcelain and earthenware items. Both porcelain and faience contain such components as:

• feldspar;
• kaolin;
• plastic clay;
• quartz.

Moreover, the proportions of the compositions are different, which affects the physical properties of the dishes. Real Gzhel porcelain is very light and clear, waterproof. When a cup of gzhel is brought to the light, it shines through.

Real gzhel cookware is heat resistant. Since the drawing is applied under the glaze, and the dishes themselves are created using a certain technology, it is not afraid of any temperature. This design can safely be put in the microwave, the enamel just will not suffer. The most obvious sign of real gzhel is the high price. But here it is already necessary to decide for yourself, which is more important - the real Gzhel dishes or their factory imitation, beautiful, but with all the signs of continuous production.

About how to paint dishes using the Gzhel technique, you will learn from the next video.