Blue pottery of Jaipur

Jaipur blue pottery has been strongly influenced by the Persian ceramic style but it has developed its own designs and motifs.

Inspired more from nature, the pottery is adorned profusely with animals, birds and flowers with a hint of Persian geometric design in the compositions.

[2] Some of this pottery is semi-transparent and mostly decorated with Mughal arabesque patterns and bird and other animal motifs, a design forbidden in Persian art of Islamic origin.

Jaipur blue pottery, made out of ceramic frit material similar to Egyptian faience, is glazed and low-fired.

The range of items is primarily decorative, such as ashtrays, vases, coasters, small bowls and boxes for trinkets.

[5] The products made include plates, flower vases, soap dishes, surahis (small pitcher), trays, coasters, fruit bowls, door knobs, and glazed tiles with hand painted floral designs.

[7] Other accounts of the craft state that blue pottery came to Jaipur in the early 19th century under the ruler Sawai Ram Singh II (1835–1880).

However, by the 1950s, blue pottery had all but vanished from Jaipur, when it was re-introduced through the efforts of the muralist and painter Kripal Singh Shekhawat,[11] with the support of patrons such as Kamladevi Chattopadhaya and Rajmata Gayatri Devi.

The fountains inside the Polo Bar and the Maharani Suite within the Rambagh Palace complex are examples of some of the finest craftsmanship of Jaipur Blue Pottery and evidence the support of royal patronage to the art.

Being fired at very low temperature makes the process a fragile one, fraught with risks and requires practice, patience, and expertise.

For approximately 4–5 hours firing of the pieces takes place with meticulous care to maintain even temperatures to avert any cracks.

Previously, the glazed coating used on pottery contained lead but an increasing awareness of harmful effects has led to lead-free production.

The revival of Jaipur blue pottery art owes a lot to the artist Kripal Singh Shekhawat.

[13] Leela Bordia with ceramic training from US extended the art of blue pottery to beads, necklace, pendants and other ornament-like items.

[14] It has been suggested that to revive and promote the art of blue pottery, sustained efforts are required to train the artists to use standardized tools, diversify into utility products by moving beyond decorative ones, and to assist and enable marketing avenues.