The Balian “Lazy Susan”

The Balian “Lazy Susan” 1964-1967. Each ceramic Item pressed in metal moulds invented by my late grandfather Neshan Balian Sr. and then hand painted under the supervision of my late mother Marie Balian. Comprising of a small dish in the middle surrounded by 6 other serving dishes. Excellent for dips, nuts etc.

The metal plate underneath was made by the very talented Armenian artisana blacksmith, Hagop Boyadjian.

As you can see in the following picture that the piece was signed Jerusalem, Jordan which gives a relatively exact date of 1964-1967 where the Joint Workshop had ended and where each item at the Balian studio( Palestinian Pottery) was being signed Jerusalem, Jordan and the initial B in Armenian. The old and extremely heavy metal press is still at the studio albeit as a museum piece.

A very( very) recent aquisition for the Balian Armenian Palestinian Ceramics Museum of Jerusalem.

Fortunantely we still press and handpaint our own pieces although this specific form/item was heavily copied by the Hebron potters of Palestine but fortunately not the detailed hand painting involved.

100 years of ceramic excellence by the Balian Family of Jerusalem.