Ware Gzhel: origin, features of creation, advice on choosing

In the dish Gzhel there is something fascinating - the characteristic blue-blue ornaments on a snow-white background make it very elegant. A thing created with a special technology and with a special pattern 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 concept of Gzhel itself comes from the village with the corresponding name in the Moscow region, located 60 kilometers from the capital. A number of other settlements were located around it, where they actively used special refractory clay, which this area is rich in.

The settlements of the so-called Gzhel bush, in which they engaged in various crafts, are first mentioned in the Spiritual Instrument of Kalita, dated 1328. High-quality clay mined there in the XVII century was used to create medical vessels. It is no coincidence that Gzhel, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, was assigned to the Apothecary Order. Local peasants, in contrast to the overwhelming majority in the country, were free men, not serfs.

The manufacture of products made of clay engaged in the village masters with experience. Children helped to apply glaze. The painting often trusted the girls. Then almost finished things were burned. The technology of creation varied depending on the village. Each manufacturer is the secret of its own production, passing it only to the heirs.

The beginnings of the future large-scale crockery production in the form of a craft manifested themselves in the 18th century — along with stove tiles, toys and bricks, local craftsmen also made dishes that were mainly supplied to Moscow, taking advantage of great demand there.

Porcelain dishes became very fashionable at the end of the XVIII century. Possession of it indicated that a person enters a special circle and can boast of his wealth. The great demand for such products provoked the development of its factory production. By the 1970s, a wide range of dishes had already produced about a hundred small factories. Gzhel producers, who supplied the china to the imperial court, secured a completely comfortable life.

Some sets that were created and painted here were designed for 150 people. Dishes sometimes had very bizarre forms. For example, the jug handle was designed in the form of a branch, and the nose looked like a bird's beak, an animal figure appeared as a product hand, “birds were sitting” on the case, and so on.

The sets were supplemented with small painted sculptures representing various household scenes. The touching naivety of images from the national life in many respects contributed to the preservation of the popularity of Gzhel porcelain, despite the fact that already in the 19th century the competition between porcelain factories was quite large. Gzhel breeders received silver medals for their achievements in production.

Curious that At first the dishes Gzhel was multi-colored. She painted with the use of red, green, yellow flowers. Special blue-blue paint began to be applied when it was painted in the second half of the XIX century.A distinctive blue-and-white pattern, which was sometimes branded, sometimes supplemented with gold contours in objects, 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 stalled until the middle of the 20th century.

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

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

Technique of drawing provides 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 by hand. Smears are applied in a special way. There is a whole set of techniques that allow you to create a drawing in a manner typical of Gzhel.

The range of painted tableware in the Gzhel style is notable for a great variety, a wide variety of objects are drawn up in the appropriate spirit. Thanks to this technique, a beautiful wall decorative plate can be attached to the wall that performs an aesthetic function only. Although the masters give a unique look and quite practical items, such as tea or table services.

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

• tea or coffee pair;
• teapot;
• coffee pot;
• pancake plate with a lid - crepe maker;
• oiler;
• creamer or milkman;
• capacity for spices;
• sauce-dish;
• cutlery such as spoons and coasters for various purposes;
• dishes and plates;
• bread bowl and bread box;
• ikornitsu or sprats;
• salad bowl;
• power outlet;
• candy bowl;
• cake maker or cake cake;
• beer mug or shtof;
• piles.

The craftsmen do not do without painting and such colorful things as samovars, which even on the modern table look like practical design elements, giving the composition to the dish a special color.

This Gzhel does not just decorate the house. Many people buy it for collections. The most valuable from an aesthetic point of view items replenish the funds of museums. The secret of success is in the special charm of such things. You can admire them to infinity.

Considering that real Gzhel dishes cost much, and are in demand not only in our country, but also abroad, there are quite a few products on the market that imitate a characteristic painting. Home-grown craftsmen often use ordinary paint instead of cobalt oxide. You can distinguish originals from fakes, if you look closely at the product 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 images are well thought out and traced, and then polished. If the background of the object is not perfectly white and there are rough edges on it, then this is not Gzhel.

Brand product has a special stamp - swan or clear, in large letters the inscription "Gzhel", enclosed in an oval. The most valuable items are sold with the mark "painted by hand." Some contain the name of the author.

Use this Gzhel convenient.There are no objects of this kind with an unstable base or with loosely fitting lids. On sale you can find both porcelain and earthenware items. Both porcelain and earthenware contain components such as:

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

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

Real dishes Gzhel 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 be safely put in the microwave, the enamel just will not suffer. The most obvious sign of this Gzhel is the high price. But here it is necessary to decide for yourself what is more important - real Gzhel dishes or its factory imitation, beautiful, but with all the signs of mass production.

You will learn how to paint dishes using the Gzhel technique in the following video.