Gzhel

"The Gzhel bush" is what Russians call the 27 villages near Moscow, where one of the most famous Russian folk crafts emerged in the 18th century. The village of Gzhel has always been famous for its high-quality clay. It was used to make apothecary ware, and the blue paint was pragmatically picked as a match for the glaze. Color painting was popular at first, but Dutch influence, itself inspired by Chinese porcelain, meant that blue became the color of choice. Gzhel was not always a success story. Local production entered decline in the 20th century before a revival effort in the 1950s brought back the nearly lost painting and ceramic production techniques.