You can’t talk ceramics without referring to the indian city of Jaipur that has embodied, for centuries, an artisanal pottery sanctuary in India. Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is famous for its grandiose architecture and pink buildings. The city is actually nicknamed the pink city, and that name could not match better with the colorful pottery from Jaipur.
Jaipur blue pottery is characterized by its use of bright and flamboyant colors, mainly blue and turquoise, along with orange and green, all of which get mixed together into the different ornaments that decorate the piece (floral and geometric patterns, arabesques, and more). Originally turk and persian, Jaipur blue pottery was brought to South Asia by the mughals and blew up in India in the midst of the Mughal Empire era. Before that, Jaipur style was mainly used in architecture, and it’s in those decades that it became what we know it to be : bowls, vases, jars, plates, etc.
The technique used to manufacture Jaipur pottery makes it quite unique. Unlike standard pottery, Jaipur pieces aren’t made of clay : they’re made from a specific mix of quartz, glass, gum and water, which requires a much longer baking time. Therefore, the fabrication process of a single piece is extremely industrious and requires a significant deployment of time and labour. In certains studios of Jaipur where manual, authentic and meticulous work is valorized, a single piece can take up to 15 days of work to make!
Needless to say that Jaipur blue pottery products are rare and unique. Meticulously handmade by local craftsmen, they are fabricated with dedication in order to offer a product that is the most faithful possible to indian traditions. At Pieceful, our mission is to ensure the survival of these small artisan businesses and to respect and honour the hard work of the craftsmen in order to offer products that possess exceptional cachet and beauty. That’s why we work with locals to make sure all our products come from indian local businesses located in Jaipur. Take a look at the pieces we offer on our website, and, who knows, you might just fall in love with Jaipur too...