Israel · Ceramics

Jerusalem Armenian Kütahya-Style Ceramic Tile Making

No single standardized Hebrew or Armenian term documented beyond general reference to Armenian ceramics

The hand-forming, glazing, and painting of ceramics and decorative tiles in a distinct Armenian style, made by artisans of Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter and directly documented as one of the city's most iconic crafts. The industry was founded by refugees fleeing the First World War and the Armenian Genocide, who brought their distinct pottery style with them from Armenian-Turkish cities, most significantly Kütahya, in Ottoman Anatolia. David Ohannessian founded the Jerusalem workshop directly following the tradition of ceramic-making he had practiced and overseen at his own atelier in Kütahya, which had flourished before the war and his subsequent deportation to Syria; motifs in his work include cypress trees, tulips, and grapevines typical of traditional Seljuk and Ottoman decorative art, figures derived from Armenian medieval illuminations, designs drawn from European Renaissance majolica, and bird motifs specifically based on a fifth-to-sixth-century Armenian mosaic floor discovered during a Jerusalem archaeological dig in the 1890s. Following traditional Kütahya methods, the processes of clay and glaze mixing, wheel-throwing, design, painting, and firing were performed by a variety of specialized artisans, all supervised by Ohannessian, some specializing in design and others expert at the potter's wheel. The craft became internationally famous when it caught the eye of British dignitaries during the Mandate period, who commissioned the distinct, colorful tiles for their own homes and buildings, and, in a genuinely remarkable specific commission, to replace some of the old and broken tiles on the Dome of the Rock -- a striking instance of Christian Armenian refugee craftsmanship directly restoring one of Islam's most sacred sites. Local Armenian artisans have subsequently been commissioned by the city of Jerusalem to produce their famous tiles for street signs throughout the Old City, and to decorate landmark buildings including the House of the President and the American Colony Hotel; the craft has additionally been featured in a special exhibition by the Israel Museum. The Armenian community, though Christian, produces beautifully decorated, lovingly handcrafted religious items for all of Jerusalem's three major faiths -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- with the craft becoming particularly beloved among Israel's Jewish community for Judaica items including Shabbat candlesticks, Kiddush cups, and Passover Seder plates.

Risk level: Vulnerable · Not independently inscribed