Uzbek Ceramics: Choose Wisely and Beware of Fakes

Uzbekistan has been traditionally famous for its ceramics. Pottery is an ancient art, and in this region it was very well developed thousands of years ago. Our museums hold fantastic pieces of art - a pleasure to behold - but I also feel very fortunate that we can use beautiful and authentic Uzbek pottery in real life.

This, for instance, is a large serving plate ("lyagan"), that I use every week. It is a very heavy, massive vintage plate that will last forever (you could kill an evil intruder with this piece of applied art!). Most likely, it was made at the Tashkent Ceramic Factory some years ago; as this is a very classic "dark pottery", it can be from 5 to 50 years old.



It is covered by a very thick glaze that looks like a layer of glass.

It will look a bit brighter in the sun. I like these very natural, earthy colours of soil, grass, leaves and wood.

When you look at the bottom, you see a very "healthy" dark red undyed ridge. You can see that it is well-baked, strong and smooth. It is neither underdone no overdone.

This is by no means a masterpiece, but definitely a solid and quality serving plate. I am not ashamed of serving some plov (pilav) to the guests in this plate.

Of course, I have other ceramic items at home, I just had photos of this one handy because I was showing them to ceramic experts several days ago. This plate just serves as a good example of Uzbek pottery.

What serves as a bad example is these plates from a Samarkand shop (you can see the whole article about the shop here).

These are cheap imitation of traditional Rishtan ceramics (Rishtan is a small town in Ferghana valley). They are strangely lightweight and feel "underbaked". In reality, an underbaked pottery is supposed to be somewhat heavier, but I do not have a better word to express my feelings about these. They are deficient. Somehow they do not feel right. My friend who is an expert in ceramics suspects that they add gypsum to the clay to reduce the costs. The ornament is a noisy mess. The colours are too bright so I suspect that they are not all ceramic colours but maybe some oil or acrylic under lacquer and then they are not safe for eating from them. They break easily. In two words - these are evil! I understand that as tourism is developing rapidly in our country, everyone wants to make some money on tourists, but I do not believe in fraud and fakes.

Below you can see two more examples of ceramics I have at home (I have just found some photos taken a while ago and decided to share them as well); the upper one is from Rishtan, the one below is made in Tashkent. You can see that they, too, have lots of blue, but the colours are natural, not "acidic", and the pattern is full  of harmony. They are also reasonably heavy, nice to the touch, and if you knock on them with your fingernails you will hear a clear sound.

When you buy ceramics for Uzbekistan, beware of those cheap fakes. They will not last. Good ceramics cannot be dirt cheap, even if it is made of clay; the materials, equipment, natural gas - all of them cost money; but, most importantly, creating a decent piece takes energy and time of the artist. They do invest themselves into every bowl, dish or teapot they make; it is not an automated soul-less process of stamping similar pieces for purely commercial purposes. Please, do look for beautiful and well-made pieces and do not expect to pay 2-3 dollars, it is not realistic. You cannot buy a good piece of art for that money. Find something nice to take home and pay a fair price - it will help Uzbek pottery artists and their families.

I am going to write more on Uzbek ceramics very soon as we are having a large exhibition in Tashkent and I expect to visit it and learn a lot. Please come back for updates!

Our Persian Tabriz Rug

This is Jager testing our new Persian Tabriz rug. He clearly approves of it! I love the rug - it was a very good buy from Kumkapi Carpets, a reputable dealer on German Ebay. This shop was recommended to me by my friend who is also a rug dealer. The rug is in excellent condition, and I paid a fraction of what I would have to pay in a brick-and-mortar shop for a new one. Now I feel I need to make changes to furniture, so that it fits the rug better. Anyway, what we have now will do for the time being. This mellow autumn palette is good with many colours, right? Certainly good with a Malinois.

Decadent Beauty of Dry Roses

I am always sad when it is time to say good-bye to flowers. This time it was a beautiful bouquet of tiny pink roses. I had no heart to throw it away, so I let the flowers dry. But then, I do not like dry flowers just standing in a vase, because they get covered with dust and also start breaking and producing litter. So, I asked my daughter for help, and we made a very convenient dry bouquet by placing all flowers in the round glass vase. 

My mother gasped when she saw it today. I, too, find it very beautiful - in a quieter way. It also has a vintage feel.

I scented the contents with the Peace Blend by Edens Garden; it is a very nice soothing blend of Chamomile, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Lavandin, Petitgrain, Tagates and Vetiver essential oils. Now it stands on my dresser, slowly giving the scent away.

This is my first experience with dry roses. I now want some yellow ones, for a larger vase, to put in the living room. What do you think? Do you like these dry bouquets in containers?

Surrounded by Suzani

It is easy to see why suzani are so much loved. People love them, because they are bright, intricate, exotic and different. They bear a flavour of faraway countries, gardens behind high walls in the middle of deserts, little spice shops and huge bazaars. However, to me they are no exotic at all, because I live in their country of origin. I am used to seeing them around, mostly in other people's houses. And my mother used to work as a designer for a Tashkent factory which produced national clothing and suzani, just like those that we used to make pillows below. I used to visit her work often and could not care less for these pieces of needlework which were in abundance there. To me, an equestrian silk scarf is exotic, because we do not have them here. A suzani is not! 

I really did not care for suzani when I was a child. I thought they were too bright and with too many details. I felt that they made my eyes tired. However, at some point I saw them in different eyes, when my mother told me about symbolical meanings of their elements. Yes, as in the case of most folk arts, all those details are not just to be beatiful. Some elements are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity, others - to protect your health and life. When you start realising how much love and care people gave when designing and making these things, you begin appreciating them more. 

And then, later, I stopped being so fixated on neutral colors and plain designs which I always used to prefer, and began really enjoying the burst of colors and the sophisticated curving lines of traditional Uzbek suzani. Why having plain green pillows in that green sofa? I would really feel like a frog sitting in a marsh. This is not to say that I do not love frogs - I do! - but something like a wonderful garden in bloom would also be nice, so there you go, suzani pillows! 

The light was not so great, but at least we can see them sitting pretty together. I think they are beautiful!  All of the suzani pillows or bags we are offering at Mulberry Whisper are one of a kind or limited edition. These vintage suzani are not easy to find, and they are not cheap, too. I buy them when I can. 

The square pillow, 18 x 18 inches, can be bought here

These suzani are embroidered in tambour stitch. This is hand-guided machine embroidery which is still considered handwork, because the machine is controlled by a person, not by a computer. Of course it is much faster than working with your hands and a needle, but this is still a hard and tedious work. And the result is beautiful.



The long pillow, 13 x 26 inches, can be bought here

When I have a bit of time and inspiration, I will write about antique suzani and the meaning of the elements. I think this is a fascinating topic.

A Czech Porcelain Cup that I Found Today

Yes, I literally found it in the street and took home with me. I was coming back after taking my daughter to school, and the cup was standing at the side of the pavement. I had to come closer, and then to take it my hands to see better.

I think it is quite beautiful, even though it has some small damage at the bottom. It has a marking at the bottom saying Epiag Czechoslovakia and I think it is vintage. Sadly, it is not hand painted, but you cannot demand too much from something that you found, right? 

I am still thinking of what can be done with it. Maybe I will fill it with dry flowers and put on my dresser. I could also use it to make a candle. 

What do you think? What would you do with it? (please please do not give the most obvious answer - "would leave it there" or "would thrash it"... this is so cruel... but if this is your opinion, by all means say so). 

Our Ottoman White Rug Pillow with Floral Print

...Our last rug pillow made from my very favorite white rug with Ottoman design:

I like these soft and durable vintage rugs. They are beloved by Uzbek families and used for many purposes - mainly to cover sofas and chairs and large wooden chests. They are also hung on walls. Of course this is a machine made rug, and it is not made from wool - I think it is a mix of cotton and rayon. But it also has some benefits, making the rug both more affordable and easier to work with. Pillows made from handwoven wool rugs have to be hand sewn!

There are many people who do not like wool kilim pillows because of the rough wool which makes them itch. With this soft velour pillow and its likes, this problem will not appear, because it is soft and nice to the touch. 

We still have this last floral pillow - an orphan! - for sale in our Mulberry Whisper shop on Etsy. You can give it a nice forever home! It will look good with many colors of furniture and many styles of interior. My mother made it with much love and care, so I hope it still retains some of the positive energy. 

My New Uzbek Rug Pillow Case

During my last visit to the bazaar, I bought a stunning Uzbek rug. It was a vintage rug made in the city of Chust, Ferghana Valley, Uzbekistan. The pile on the rug was quite high and had the typical silky sheen of high quality wool; it was also very soft to the touch. But it was the palette that attracted my attention first of all: rich raspberry pink with mustard yellow, taupe, indigo blue and grayish green. They are so much in tune with autumn - think harvest; orchards full of ripe fruits and piles of corn and pumpkins. The design is also unusual in its barbarian boldness, with large shapes and lots of sharp angles.

The rug was somewhat damaged at the edges. I considered mending it and just using on the floor but then decided to make beautiful rug pillows from it. You can see the first one here (and you can buy it in our Etsy shop), and I just love how it turned out! There will be six altogether, and all of them will be lovely, although slightly  different - coming from different parts of the rug.

How do you like it? To me, this is a wonderful example of self-taught artists' freedom in using colors and shapes. The true ethnic spirit is present in every line and streak of color. I know little about carpets coming from that part of Uzbekistan, but I certainly loved this one, and these rug pillow cases seem to be the best we have had so far.

I am still not sure if the decision to make pillows from the rug was good, but now it is too late to regret. However I might keep a rug cushion, or maybe two... they are so unique and beautiful - it will be too hard not to keep a piece of this beauty to myself.

Life as a Bed of Roses: Uzbek Suzani

At last, I have fulfilled my dream: we made a pair of pillow cases from vintage Uzbek suzani.I bought this suzani last weekend; it was somewhat more expensive than planned, but I had to buy it. It has a lovely pattern with flowers and my beloved pomegranates, and the colors are so vivid - summer in the middle of the winter!


Suzani are widely used for ritual purposes, such as weddings. The one we used for the cushion covers is called 'gul kurpa' which means 'blanket of flowers'; traditionally, it serves as a bed spread for the newly weds, symbolizing good wishes for their life together.

Most of the elements of embroidery have a specific meaning - for instance, pomegranates mean prosperity, the wavy white stitch called 'suv' represents water, and water means everything for our dry region, as you may know - it is precious here; and there is also the representation of sun in this embroidery (see the photo below, on the right side of the pillow - it is like a white wheel). So, in general, this suzani means wishing a life to be like a fragrant garden, full of flowers in full bloom, ripe pomegranates and clean water running in small canals around - a very traditional Uzbek vision of happiness and prosperity. I have been to such gardens in reality, and I can tell you that I would not mind my life to be like them...

This pair of suzani pillows is for sale in our Etsy shop, here. I believe the price is more than reasonable - this is our first experience with suzani, and I just want them to sell quickly, and then we will make more. Hope they will make someone's life a bit more like a beautiful garden from an Uzbek fairy tale!

My New Silky Rug: More Pillows are Coming!

This is my newest find - a lovely vintage rug, smooth, supple and silky to the touch, in stunning colors. I love the pattern, especially the tiny funny animals. It is much better live - striking! I paid much more than I usually pay for rugs I buy to make kilim pillows, and when I told my mother about it she said I was crazy. But then I took it out from the bag to show her, and of course she was fascinated with it, too.

I am hoping to list cushion covers made from it in the Mulberry Whisper shop on Etsy this week - do not miss them, if you like this rug, because there will not be many; the rug is not big. I guess it is made of rayon and cotton - feels like natural fibers.

Striped Cottage Chic - Uzbek Vintage Fabrics

These striped pillow cases are made of fabric which I love and value very highly. It is called 'bekasab', and it is a traditional Uzbek fabric made of silk and cotton. Bekasab is traditionally used in Uzbekistan for national gowns (chapan) and wonderful quilted blankets (kurpa), as well as pillow cases. Becasab resembles raw silk (not surprisingly) and linen, because of its somewhat rough structure. Its stripes might look less exotic than ikat and suzani, but it is just as traditional and valued here, in Uzbekistan. And, of course, it is easier to incorporate such cushions into many styles (or at least I think so). I see these as very cottage chic, with their home-made flavor and naive colors.

This particular fabric has a very high silk content - possibly as high as 80 per cent - and is wonderfully heavy and cool to the touch. Its subdued gold color with a greenish tint reminds me of ancient gold pieces. I only  had one small piece sufficient to make just one pair of pillow cases for the lucky buyer - it can be purchased here, in our Etsy shop, and all of my striped bekasab pillows are here. 

Another Find: My Green Majolica Plate

I found this vintage majolica plate at the flea market a couple of years ago. The man who sold it to me could not tell me anything about its origin. I am sure it is European, but there are just two digits instead of a factory mark. Maybe this is a replica of a plate produced by a large factory? The design is quite sophisticated and seems very professional to me.

I would appreciate any views and ideas regarding origins of the plate - I am very curious!

New Velour Pillow Cases

This has been a very busy week. I have participated in the toughest negotiations... actually, they were tough mostly because the parties were not very well prepared, or, more specifically, the documents were a mess. I hate participating in the negotiations when documents were translated by someone else (save for my proven partners), because as a rule there will be mistakes and inconsistencies. I make mistakes, too, but they are my mistakes... and there are not many, frankly. But in this case the legal agreement was one big mistake. We worked for 12 hours for several days and when everything was finished and the minutes were signed (at 10pm!) I was very happy. I even uncorked a bottle of champagne at home.

Speaking of nice things, my Uzbek ikat velour pillows from the previous post sold very quickly, and now I have another pair. They are even more beautiful, but oh so hard to photograph because of this silky glistening - even in the soft light. What can I do! Maybe it is not a bad thing when the item is better than in the photograph - better than the other way round, that is for sure!

It is a pity that a photograph cannot convey their silkiness and softness. This vintage silk velour is amazing to the touch; I do need to have a pair of such pillows for myself, only I need green or gray ones, to go with my new old Chinese rug.

Ikat Silk Velour - A Kinesthetic Heaven

I was very pleased to find this piece of vintage silk velour which was just enough for two pillow cases (20x20 inches). 

 

As a girl, I did not appreciate this fabric which was so much loved and treasured by my Uzbek relatives. They had pillows, bed covers, throws, decorative cushions and floor seating made of this ikat velour fabric, and I used to think snobbishly that it was too bright and 'too Uzbek'. It was in the same category as heavy handmade furniture made of walnut wood, hand cut lead glass vases and thick Aubusson carpets. All those things seemed very old fashioned, heavy, bulky, awkward and even ugly.

I am still indifferent to lead glass; however I like that old fashioned furniture, even if sometimes it looks somewhat primitive and naive in its attempts to imitate European style thus creating a new 'European Asian style', in my view. In addition to that, I bought a wonderful Aubusson rug last Sunday (you will see it when I get if from the dry clean). I have learned to appreciate the coziness of traditional Uzbek houses where everything is covered in rugs and carpets, throws, blankets and bedspreads, with lots of throw pillows and other soft things to lean and recline on. And this ikat silk velour (called 'bakhmal') is particularly treasured.

It is easy to see why Uzbek silk velour (or is it velvet?) is so much loved. It is lovely to the touch, smooth and cool, like grass in the shade or running water; it is a pleasure to hug a cushion covered with bakhmal. I can virtually touch it with my hand for hours while sitting at someone's house and talking, and I will keep enjoying the sensation.

This silk velvet is traditionally produced in Samarkand, in a rather primitive way, and it has a cotton foundation and a silk pile. Very easy to care for, and durable, and looks good even worn out, like a good rug. 

My pillow cases are especially nice, to my taste, because of the unusual color combination; I was fascinated by the slate blue background with greenish yellow vine, leaves and flowers contoured in magenta. This one is definitely not over the top, and it seems to have a certain Chinese influence. I would say that is is Uzbek fabric imitating Chinese designs imitating European art nouveau - is not it a nice example of cultural penetration and exchange?

 

I love how it looks in the afternoon sun, with spots of light here and there. It reminds me of grapevine in the autumn, when heavy grapes are hanging like crystal chandelier, and sun falling through the rusty colored leaves. Pity that this autumn I did not make it to Ferghana Valley, to take pictures of their amazing grapes; next year, maybe... In the meantime, I still have these velour cushion covers to look at and to touch.

Nostalgia Rustic

It may sound funny, but sometimes I become tired of our beautiful silk ikats with their barbarian boldness and lavish beauty. I long for something rustic and earthy to see and to touch, to clean my senses of rich colors and sophisticated patterns. Something of cotton and linen, in white and some clean plain colors, looking as if it should smell of old type plain soap (because the soap is stored in the cupboard where linens are also kept) and laundry blue.That is how linens in my great grandmother's house used to smell...

My pillow covers made of vintage linen with cross stitch embroidery - a set of two linen shams with roses and leaves, and one square pillow with flowers and a butterfly (the cut out details are lovely) are perfectly in line with this nostalgia for rustic simplicity. I am looking for something we used to have, and then got rid of;  I miss the smells and feelings.  The white curtains with crocheted lace and embroidery are also from that part of life which is over.

I wish I had at least three houses; one for this rustic style, linen and wood; another one for oriental lavishness with rich colors and luxurious fabrics; third one for clean Japanese simplicity with exquisite details. I would be moving between the houses depending on my mood. As it is now, I have to look for some sort of a balance in my only house.

St Clement's Majolica Plate - It Is Here!

I just have to show this plate! I bought it from KimmiesTREASURES and it arrived several days ago. It is a majolica plate by the famous French St Clement factory, and it is so lovely - pictures just do not do it justice (very difficult to photograph, too, because of the glare).

I must say I love all things fruity - dresses, scarves, sweaters, purses, plates - and I just had to have this plate. It is quite old but in perfect condition, and a beauty to look at and to touch. Kimmie provide excellent service - great communication, fast shipping, sound packaging - I could not be happier! I must say that the price was very affordable, too. Kim does not have a lot of sales on Etsy yet, but I checked her feedback on Ebay and was very happy. I cannot recommend her enough.

Thank you, Kim, and I will definitely be back, especially if you find more fruity treasures for me!

My Real Nomadic Rug

...Nomads, by definition, cannot own a beautiful house with a garden, a swimming pool, a conservatory and other wonderful immovable things, or they will stop being nomads. No beach cottages (do not go there right now, for you will not be back soon),  no supermarkets, dry clean, fast food, and even no shower. They have their livestock and yurts - and, of course, they have the whole desert and the sky above it... And obviously because they own so few material things, they have to make them as beautiful as possible. Their saddle bags, rugs, clothing, wooden doors of the yurt, runners - everything is lavishly decorated in bright colors, with patterns and symbols with deep ritual meaning. In many cases the meaning of symbols is lost, but the symbols are still used...

If you ever happen to visit Uzbekistan, make sure you have time to go to Nukus (the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan) to see the Karakalpak Museum of Arts founded by Savitsky. Besides unique collection of Russian and Uzbek avant garde art, the museum owns amazing pieces of Karakalpakstan folk art, including a yurt and its accessories. I was very impressed when I saw it for the first time, about 12 years ago.

I remembered nomads today because I took out the pieces of the most beautiful ethnic rug I bought recently to look at and photograph. Our rug pillows introduced recently were a success; at least I hope so (I have already received good feedback and hope that the other buyers will love their pillows, too). They were sold in a moment, and I only have one left of the second series. Now I am offering new rug cushion covers, made of a beautifully worn rug in autumn colors - I only listed them today. All these were made of soft and silky vintage rugs, made of silk and cotton or rayon; they are beautiful and lovely to the touch, and certainly more 'civilized' than a kilim made of coarse and itchy wool.

However, what I found recently is the most stunning, wildly beautiful, unusual and insane rug I have ever seen - not civilized at all. Behold!

The tribal pattern is intricate, and the colors are very autumn-like, festive and vivid. The color scheme is not very usual; the combination of pumpkin orange, dark blue, brick red, navy and sage makes me sigh in admiration every time I look at it.

As you can see, the pile is very thick, and it creates a striking contrast between well-preserved areas and worn out ones.The rug has holes and patches... it has certainly seen a lot during its long life. 

These two pieces are just enough for two medium sized pillow cases. They will not be easy to make, but I am sure they will be breathtaking. I know it is a very banal thing to say, but it never ceases to amaze me how things can travel around the globe; who know where these pieces of old nomadic rug will end up? and will  they be bought together or will be parted? We will see... I hope to offer them in my Etsy shop next week.

By the way, even though this is a very real nomadic rug, it is not coarse and itchy at all. It might have been owned by a family with distinguished taste.

Handmade Enamel Earrings and Ikat Pillow Giveaway!

The enamel earrings and the ikat pillow case, worth US $47 together, will be sent to the international winner.

My first giveaway brought me a lot of joy, excitement and traffic, so I decided to have another one. This time I am joined by Alery Accessories - a wonderful Etsy shop selling handmade enamel jewelry and silk scarves. It is a great privilege for me to have a giveaway with this excellent artist. Alery is giving away these beautiful red and black earrings, perfect for Halloween. As for me, I am giving a silk ikat pillow case made of salvaged vintage silk. I love this striking fabric and I hope it will go to a loving home.

The giveaway works as follows:

First you leave a comment telling us what your favorite colors are (you do not have to limit yourself to this, though) and then sign in the form below to provide your name and to state that you have commented (please use the same name).  

After you indicate that you have left a comment on this blog post,  you will see options for additional entries such as blogging (3 additional entries), sharing at Facebook (2 entries more), etc.

Even if you are not interested in those additional options, you will need to at least register your comment using this form in order to enter, because the winner will be chosen automatically with the help of this software. If you do not do that, you will have no chances to win, sorry.

You can get 25 more entries if you buy something from us on Etsy. In that case, your chances are growing dramatically - actually the first giveaway was won by my customer!

And if you happen to win - we ship all items for free, including your purchase! (If you do buy, please send to the respective shop owner (Alery or MulberryWhisper) a note to delay shipping until the end of the giveaway). This includes our past customers. If you have already bought from us, you qualify for the additional 25 entries! Claim them and indicate your Etsy user name in the form.

This giveaway is open worldwide and comes with free shipping as long as you have a valid address (no P.O. boxes please). You should be 18 years old and above to qualify. All entries of the drawn winner will be verified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you very much for participation and comments! We do apologize for not responding to individual comments, but we highly appreciate them and very grateful to all of you!

UPDATE: The Winner is Lulu!... Congratulations; we will mail your prizes to you within a couple of days! Many thanks to everyone who participated, and please check back for more giveaways!

My White Curtains

I have always had a weakness for embroidery. As a girl, I was taught to embroider by a very good artist who was trained in Torjok, traditional Russian center for needlework crafts. She was amazing; I could look at her completed works for hours. I have not learned much, but I can appreciate a good piece. So you will understand, I could not leave without these curtains.

I was looking for vintage silk and came to say hello to an old acquaintance of mine. That lady makes very good embroidery using her old sewing machine. She sells her own works, and sometimes vintage. Today she had one of these curtains on display... my heart stopped beating... I asked the price, and then I learned she had five of them! Fortunately, I still had enough cash, and I took all five.

At home I was admiring them for half an hour. The embroidery in the middle is amazing. It looks like filet crochet, but that is embroidered net, Russian style. And then there is beautiful cutwork, and a wide border of lace at the bottom, with lovely tassels. Someone gave a lot of time and commitment to make these.Not everyone knows how long it takes to make these things. It is very hard on the eyes, too. 

I listed them for sale. I do not have a room suitable for them, and certainly I could not cut them for pillow cases. If they do not sell for the listed price, I will just keep them and try to do something with my kitchen to be able to hang them... However I will be glad to let them go to a good home.