Jerusalem Pottery Shop

Jerusalem Center hot plate

We have lived in Jerusalem almost 18 months and are still finding new places! Very recently, we were given a lovely gift . . . a beautifully hand-crafted tile made into a hot plate. The address and name of the vendor was written on the back so we were excited to find a pottery shop we had never seen before located at
15 Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem.

The Tree of Life design from
Hisham's Palace (Jericho)

Even though it was a very hot day, we didn't want to pass up the opportunity for another venture to the Old City, our favorite place to explore.  And besides, our time is running out with less than one month left! Walking through the streets and alleys of the Old City is a unique experience but despite the heat, it was quite comfortable.

We love all the wonderful fruits and vegetables sold at the market and are currently enjoying the abundance of fresh figs and watermelon.

The alleys of the Old City are charming and filled with the smell of fresh spices, pita bread, pretzel-shaped bread, falafel sandwiches and lots of shops selling many varieties of desserts and sweets.

There are many candy shops in the Old City.

Fresh herbs (such as mint and grape leaves) are sold by little old ladies who sit on the sides of the alleys. The fresh lemonade in the Old City is my favorite drink. 

They add crushed ice and fresh mint leaves and blend it all up. Yum!

A popular shoe shop with the girls this semester. 

Vendors are eager for your business and it is impossible to avoid them.  They sell scarves, souvenirs of all types, lots of olive wood carvings, artifacts, jewelry and the ever-so-popular Armenian pottery. I would venture to say you can find just about anything you might be looking for if you have the time and the patience as vendors continually beg you to come in and "look for free."    

Scarves and jewelry are popular items sold by vendors. 

                               This vendor at  has some wonderful very old photographs. 

We bought this photograph of a shepherd taken by the shop keeper's father who was a photographer. He also published a book, "Jerusalem Through My Father's Eyes" which we would have loved to have purchase but I thought, "I would rather carry home pottery plates."

You have to always be aware of an occasional motorbike,  garbage truck, wagon hauling merchandise or a car that comes barreling down the very narrow streets. People scatter to stand closely up against the walls to avoid the vehicles because the vehicles never slow down!

Depending upon the time of day, there is the sound of church bells, the call to prayer for worshipers from minarets and the never-ending tour groups that crowd the streets. The atmosphere in the Old City is an unforgettable experience and a place we find ourselves going every week. 

I am always moved when I see a Muslim/s praying as well as any ethnic group of people so devout and not afraid to pray in public.  

Having a belief in the Almighty God and worshiping, gives us hope and the courage to lead good lives.  

Despite all the many shops, we were really focused on finding the Jerusalem Pottery shop. I have lead you through the streets to help you experience what it is like to walk in the Old City. We have been to many pottery shops but this time were looking for something out of the ordinary. When we came to number 15, we were surprised to find just a small arched green doorway with a sign indicating that the shop was inside. It would be easy to pass by this doorway and not even notice it, especially when there are crowds in the streets. We were excited to see what our choices were for pottery because we had been told they had quality pottery.

We opened the door and walked down the hallway to another green door which lead to the show room with a sign: 

"Low Entrance. Please watch your step."

To the right in the hallway and before we entered the shop, we saw some of the pottery in a cabinet and were intrigued. 

We walked into the show room and were excited to see some beautiful Armenian pottery and welcomed by the owner, Hagop Karkashian.   

Hanging on the walls were beautiful plates in various designs and patterns. The red design caught my eye first and I knew right then I had found a great shop. Because each plate is hand made (it takes one week to make one plate), there weren't duplicates of the each pattern.

It didn't take long for me to realize I would be buying some plates! We have been to many pottery shops but most of the shops carry plates that are mass produced and are not of good quality. The plates in this shop here have been glazed twice and you can tell when you pick one up. I couldn't wait to buy some but it was hard trying to decide which ones because I was only going to buy 6. (At least, that was how many I would start out with.)

Pottery is abundant in the souvenir shops and bazaars of the Old City and all across the Holy Land but you have to shop carefully if you are looking for quality. This shop had the quality that I was looking for. We had definitely found one of those "hidden treasure" shops in the Old City.

Whenever I visit places like this, it is like putting me in a candy shop because I love everything! Many of the designs in this shop are based on ancient mosaics and Armenian manuscripts. In addition, they have beautiful contemporary tiles that represent Biblical stories and the colorful Old City skyline with its various quarters.

 

There were bowls, plates to hang on the wall and all types of glazed tiles. The Jerusalem Pottery Shop is small but very rich with its unique plates, bowls, candlesticks, mugs, and tiles in many shapes and sizes. I knew if I didn't buy some plates I would kick myself after we returned home.  

As we began talking with the Hagop, he told us about how the family business started. He beamed with pride when he explained that all of the patterns were originally designed by his family. Some colors are still mixed according to the same recipes that they used eighty years ago. The colors are obtained from metallic oxides; the rich dark blue is made from cobalt oxide. The light blue, green, and brown colors are made from copper, chromium and iron oxides.  If I lived in Jerusalem permanently, I think I could become addicted to painting pottery and might want to work in a place like this!  

Hagop showed us a book that explained all about the history of Armenian ceramics of Jerusalem. 

The journey of this family's business started in Kutahia, a little town and a center of pottery and tile-making located south east of Istanbul, Turkey. Armenians used to live and work in the local potteries making hand-painted ceramic wares and tiles. 

This is a photo of Hagop's grandfather.

Hagop showed us his name in the book and when he took over the business. We wanted to know more so Hagop asked if we would you like to see where they make  their pottery. We were excited to see the rooms above the show room.

At the top of the stairs was a window where we could see women painting the unglazed pottery.

The pretty teenage girl was the Hagop's daughter. She is gifted musically and plays the piano and has performed with other music students in a recital at the Jerusalem Center. 

Hagop said that one of these women have worked for 35 years in this shop.  

Each piece of pottery is hand painted and can take up to 10 days to make. All the decorations are done by hand in the studio. Hagop said they use stencils and the dots help them to know where to draw the lines for the designs.

After each piece is painted, they are dipped in glaze and baked.  This is the liquid glaze.  

Tiles are baked in this oven. 

After glazing, tiles are left to dry on the boards above.

Pottery is baked after glazing and after a 2nd glazing, they are baked again. All of the pottery is "food safe" and can be put in the dishwasher.

The pottery pieces are fired in electric kilns which give 

better results than the earlier wood-fired kilns. 

The clays used by the Karakashians are brought from Hebron and mixed in a specific proportion. 
This mixture is especially strong and free from glazing and firing defects.

In 1919, following an invitation by the British Mandate in Jerusalem, several Armenian potters were brought with their families to Jerusalem from Kutahia. They were appointed by the British pro-Jerusalem society to renovate the tiles covering the external walls of the Dome of the Rock. 

Since the Temple Mount is currently off limits, I was glad I could retrieve the photo I took this past winter which shows the beautiful Armenian tile work and
can appreciate it even more knowing that Hagop's grandfather was responsible for replacing the tiles.  Learning the history and connecting with people
whose ancestors played such a major role makes our experiences in Israel even more meaningful.

Among the artists in this group of craftsmen was master painter Megerditch Karakashian, Hagop's grandfather. Because of the persecutions of Armenians by the Turks back home, these families decided to settle in Jerusalem where they established the art of Armenian ceramics.

Megerditch and his partner, Neshan Balian, set up their pottery workshop in 1922 on Nablus Road  and started to produce hand-painted ceramic wares and tiles. 

They introduced the art of Armenian pottery to Jerusalem, contributing to the local art scene and culture. 

Their families were the original Armenian families who came from Turkey to do tile work for the Dome of the Rock.  Prior to their arrival, there was no tradition of hand-painted ceramic tile or pottery-making in Jerusalem.

The designs of the Karakashians still include the traditional motifs that their father brought with him from Kutahia. Their designs included birds, peacocks, gazelles and intricate floral patterns based on ancient Kutahia and Iznik designs. Graceful gazelles painted on a cobalt-blue background graze peacefully among foliage. 

"Tree of Life" fountain, Legacy Hotel - Nablus Road

They have integrated local designs into their repertoire, such as the famous Tree-of-Life mosaic from Hisham’s Palace in Jericho; the Jerusalem-map mosaic from Madaba, Jordan, and the birds-in-vine mosaic from the ancient Musrara Armenian chapel in Jerusalem; the Tree-of-Life fountain in the Legacy Hotel in Jerusalem;  the tile panels of the façade of Saint James Armenian Cathedral in Jerusalem and beautiful tile works in the Armenian cemetery.

The Karakashian family ceramic tradition continued with the two brothers Stepan and Berge Karakashian. After the death of their father, the two separated from the Balians and in 1964 established their own ceramic studio called Jerusalem Pottery which operates to this day.

Elegant peacocks with long colorful plumage are painted on tiles and symbolize long life. 

One of Stepan’s (Hagop's father) contributions to Jerusalem was the making of the ceramic street signs in the Old City, which can be seen today. At first, the Jordanian government commissioned Stepan and his brother Berge to make the street signs in English and Arabic. 

After the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, however, the Israelis commissioned the brothers to add the Hebrew names underneath each street sign.

Hagop's grandfather was commissioned to make tiles for King Hussein.  The photo above is one of those tiles.

The family business was honored when Jerusalem postal  stamps used their "Tree of Life" and other designs.  

Display window - Jerusalem Pottery Shop

In 1995, Hagop (son of Stepan) completed his higher education in the United States and came back to join the family business and preserve the family tradition of pottery and tile making. He created the www.jerusalempottery.biz website to sell the family ceramics worldwide and also brought back to life the making of large tile murals, introducing his own style and designs.  

Already Hagop’s young daughter, Patil, seems to want to continue on the path of her grandfather Stepan by coming to the studio and painting small things. Who knows, maybe she will one day be the fourth generation representing this great art work.

There are many imitations of Armenian pottery on the market today. These wares are mass produced and of low quality. One can tell the difference between an original hand-painted bowl and an imitation by noticing the brush strokes on the original piece. The originals also have the Karakashian family signature on the back.

Hagop was so friendly and we appreciated the time he took to tell us about the history of the Jerusalem Pottery Shop.  I can't wait to go back and see some what patterns he will have hanging on his wall.  Hmmm . . . maybe I need more than 6?

The Karakashians take great pride in their work and in maintaining their standard of craftsmanship. They look to the future with the hope that their family business will continue for generations to come to supply those who visit Jerusalem with their unique style of Jerusalem pottery.  

We felt so fortunate to find this WONDERFUL pottery shop and left with a bag full of plates. Now I just have to figure out how to get them back home!  If  I don't have enough space to pack them in my carry-on bag, Hagop said he will ship them and you don't often find vendors willing to do that. 

Jerusalem Pottery

We left the shop and felt so good about our purchase and were thrilled to learn the history of the Armenian family, the Karakashians. What a legacy they left!

When I set my table back home with the beautiful plates we purchased, I will be reminded of a wonderful family and their ancestors in the Old City of Jerusalem and

wish them much continued success!

What a fun afternoon in the Old City of Jerusalem!