| Russian porcelain is widely known and is often | | | | purposes, as well as calendars. This gave rise to |
| used as a traditional gift. | | | | the tradition of decorating tableware with |
| The art of decorative painting on porcelain is | | | | octagons (ancient Slavs recognized eight parts of |
| handed down by craftsmen from generation to | | | | the world) and calendar symbols (the twelve |
| generation. Few of us, however, have asked | | | | months).The three-leaf clover symbolized a part |
| ourselves what exactly is depicted on a Gzhel | | | | of the tree of life, procreation, and the connection |
| teapot or a Lomonosov porcelain cup. | | | | between the ancestors and future generations. |
| The blue color, glazed cobalt, has a long | | | | The symbol of the tree of life is very ancient and |
| history.Majolica made in Gzhel, 60 kilometers from | | | | exists in the folklore of many peoples. D. |
| Moscow, has traditionally been decorated with | | | | Melchizedek wrote that this symbol includes all the |
| glazed cobalt.Archeological excavations prove that | | | | formulas of the creation of the world - every |
| the craft of pottery has existed in Gzhel since | | | | single one of them.Let us, however, return to the |
| the beginning of the 14th century.It is possible | | | | later historical period.During the Middle Ages, cobalt |
| White and Blue undergalzed cobalt painting | | | | glazed decoration enjoyed especial popularity.Gzhel |
| tehnology appeared at Gzhel due to invasion of | | | | craftsmen like to say that there is no blue like the |
| Mongols. Blue and White China was well known | | | | blue of their sky in Russia.So, the idea came to |
| product of Chinisean Yuan and Ming dynasties and | | | | them to transfer this blue onto white porcelain. |
| Mongols could deliver examples of that china to | | | | The design is transferred to unfired majolica or |
| Russia at 13-14th centuries.In the second half of | | | | porcelain. After it is fired at a very high |
| the 17th century, Afanasy Grebenshchikov, a | | | | temperature, the paint acquires its famous deep |
| merchant, built a manufacture where he made | | | | blue color and becomes glazed over by the |
| various kinds of majolica earthenware. For his | | | | process. The design is very durable. The colors |
| ware, he used the famous white clay (Gzhel), as | | | | and the glaze shimmer. It looks delicate and |
| well as the experience of potters from Gzhel. | | | | esthetically pleasing on white porcelain and |
| Upon returning to their homes, the craftsmen | | | | porcelain with gold, and gives a delicate and elite |
| began establishing their own majolica | | | | character to the tableware.In the beginning of the |
| manufactures.Traditionally, Gzhel porcelain has | | | | 18th century, porcelain was especially popular in |
| been decorated using flower motifs, the Gzhel | | | | the Russian Empire. It was valued more highly |
| Rose, for example, and fabulous creatures such | | | | than gold. The French Imperial Plant was one of |
| as the Firebird. | | | | the main manufacturers of porcelain tableware. |
| Gzhel porcelain often features octagonal shapes, | | | | Porcelain items were manufactured for the court |
| shapes with eight radial points, shapes with twelve | | | | of the Bourbons, and blue was the traditional color |
| or six radial points, as well as a three-leaf | | | | for decoration, since it was the color of the coat |
| clover.What do these symbols represent?The | | | | of arms of the Bourbons.Soon, Russia acquired |
| Firebird is a pagan, pre-Christian god of the | | | | this tradition - porcelain of that time was often |
| ancient Slavs, the embodiment of the god of | | | | decorated with blue and gold. Initially, this tradition |
| storms. In Slavic tales, this is a fairy bird that flies | | | | was not as widespread, and the 'ancestor' of the |
| from another kingdom (a faraway land).The | | | | modern, world-famous cobalt mesh of the |
| Firebird is a very ancient pagan god that has | | | | Lomonosov Plant, the set that belonged to the |
| survived only in traditional Russian folk tales.The | | | | Empress Elizabeth, known for her passion for |
| symbol of the Sumerian goddess Inanna (Ishtar) | | | | porcelain, was pink. (Cups of this design are still |
| denotes 'clear sky', which was ruled by Zeus. The | | | | being manufactured and are called pink mesh). |
| late Scythians traced their origins back to Zeus. | | | | Glazed cobalt, however, has become |
| His third wife, Hera, was a co-ruler of the sky. | | | | characteristic of Russian porcelain, due to the |
| Her symbol was a duck ('sunny' in Sumerian), a | | | | technology of its manufacture - the higher firing |
| golden bird or Zhar bird (Russian name of the | | | | technology than that of the French porcelain.Later, |
| Firebird, deriving from the Scythian zar, gold).It is | | | | under the the influence of Empire, the style that |
| assumed that the Firebird of the ancient Slavs | | | | Catherine the Great was especially fond of, many |
| came from the Zhar bird (Golden Bird) of the | | | | buildings in St. Petersburg and Moscow were |
| Scythians.Flowers were the symbol of the sun | | | | decorated in blue and gold. Glazed cobalt |
| among the ancient Slavs. Flowers were braided | | | | decoration of porcelain items augmented by gold |
| into the hair of girls during celebrations of the | | | | over glaze was especially popular at that time. |
| ancient festival dedicated to the god the Sun.The | | | | These traditions may also be noted in the world - |
| bud of a flower symbolizes a possibility.A flower in | | | | famous cobalt mesh, blue, flower motifs of glazed |
| full bloom represents development and fruition.The | | | | cobalt - an Empire - style tree of life, and gold |
| ancient Slavs often used ceramic jars for religious | | | | over glaze that symbolizes the ancient Firebird. |