Decorative Bowls – Hand-Painted Armenian Ceramic Fruit Bowls, 13 in (33 cm)
A Balian decorative bowl is a 13 in (33 cm) centerpiece and ceramic fruit bowl painted entirely by hand in our Jerusalem studio, the same studio our family has run since 1922. No transfers, no decals, no machine printing. One artist draws the black outline with a fine brush, a second fills in every color by hand, and the bowl is then glazed and fired above 1,830 °F (1,000 °C) until the colors fuse permanently into the surface.
That firing is why these are decorative bowls you can genuinely use. The glaze is lead-free and food safe, so the same bowl that anchors your coffee table on Tuesday can hold a citrus salad on Thanksgiving. Plenty of customers use them as ceramic fruit bowls. Set one on a kitchen island, a console table or a dining table and it does what an accent bowl is supposed to do: it gives the room a focal point with real provenance behind it.
Each bowl is $400 plus shipping. Shipping is quoted individually, based on your delivery address and the number of pieces you order, because every bowl is hand crated and shipped door to door by FedEx, DHL or EMS. Send us your city and ZIP code together with the bowl numbers you like and we will email you an exact all-in total. Request a shipping quote.
Because every piece is painted freehand, no two bowls are identical. Brush pressure, color saturation and the placement of each bird or blossom vary slightly from bowl to bowl, and that variation is the signature of genuine hand painting rather than a flaw. The gazelles, songbirds, pomegranates, cypress borders and Tree of Life motifs all descend from the Ottoman-Armenian tile tradition our family brought to Jerusalem in 1919 to restore the tilework of the Dome of the Rock. Looking for something larger? See our 14.5 in (37 cm) centerpiece bowls.
Shop the collection: five hand-painted decorative bowls
Bowl 3001 – Gazelle & Golden Floral
13 in (33 cm) · $400 + shipping
Bowl 3002 – Red Garden Birds
13 in (33 cm) · $400 + shipping
Bowl 3003 – Tree of Life
13 in (33 cm) · $400 + shipping
Bowl 3004 – Paired Birds & Blossoms
13 in (33 cm) · $400 + shipping
Bowl 3005 – Turquoise Gazelle
13 in (33 cm) · $400 + shipping
Bowl 3001 in everyday use. The golden ground and cobalt rim of these decorative bowls were painted to sit against fresh fruit.
Bowl 3005 on a kitchen island. A lead-free, food-safe glaze is what lets these decorative bowls work as everyday ceramic fruit bowls.
A decorative bowl that doubles as a ceramic fruit bowl: the red garden-bird border was glazed to sit against pomegranates, figs and pears.
Ceramic Fruit Bowls: Decorative Bowls Made to Be Used
Because the glaze is lead-free and fired above 1,830 °F (1,000 °C), these hand-painted decorative bowls work just as well as ceramic fruit bowls. At 13 in (33 cm) each one holds a full load of citrus, apples, figs or pomegranates on a kitchen island or dining table, then wipes clean and goes straight in the dishwasher. The photographs above show Bowls 3001, 3005 and 3002 in daily use, which is how most of our customers live with them: a decorative bowl on display that also earns its keep as a fruit bowl.
Watch a large hand-painted decorative bowl take shape in our Jerusalem studio, painted by Nanor Balian and artist Khatoun. Each finished bowl is sprayed with a lead-free glaze and fired above 1,830 °F (1,000 °C) in a ceramic kiln, which is what fixes the color permanently into the surface.
Hand-Painted Decorative Bowls by the Balian Studio of Jerusalem, Since 1922
The Balian Studio has painted ceramics in Jerusalem since 1922. Our great-grandfather was one of the Armenian ceramicists invited to the city in 1919 to restore the tilework of the Dome of the Rock; when that work ended he stayed and opened the studio that four generations of our family have run ever since. Every decorative bowl on this page is painted in that workshop, by hand, by artists we know by name.
How to style a large decorative bowl
On a coffee table. At 13 in (33 cm) these bowls are large enough to hold a coffee table on their own. Center one on a 48 to 60 in table, leave it empty, and let the painting be the object. A stack of books underneath adds height if your table sits low.
On a dining table. Fill it with lemons, pomegranates or green apples. Our glaze colors were chosen to sit against fruit, and a bowl of citrus against the cobalt rim is the most photographed way our customers use these pieces.
On a kitchen island or counter. A working ceramic fruit bowl that happens to be art. Because the glaze is fired hard it wipes clean and shrugs off daily use.
On a console, mantel or shelf. Set the bowl upright on a plate stand and it becomes wall art. Many customers buy two: one to display, one to use.
As a gift. Weddings, housewarmings, anniversaries, retirements and the holidays. Each bowl ships crated, with a card naming the artist who painted it.
Sizes, pricing and how to order
| Piece | Diameter | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative bowl (this page) | 13 in (33 cm) | $400 |
| Large centerpiece bowl | 14.5 in (37 cm) | $500 |
| Decorative plate | 15.75 in (40 cm) | $400 |
| Decorative plate | 11.42 in (29 cm) | $150 |
| Decorative plate | 8.66 in (22 cm) | $50 |
Prices are in US dollars and exclude shipping. Shipping is quoted per order, because the cost depends on your delivery address and how many pieces you buy: several bowls travel in one crate far more economically than a single piece. Send us the bowl numbers you want along with your city and ZIP code and we will return an exact door-to-door total. Minimum order $150 plus delivery. We accept PayPal, which carries its own buyer protection, and wire transfer for larger orders. Full details are on our pricing and delivery page, or you can contact us for a quote.
Frequently asked questions about our decorative bowls
How much is a Balian decorative bowl?
Each 13 in (33 cm) hand-painted bowl is $400, plus shipping. Shipping is quoted individually based on your delivery address and order quantity, so send us your ZIP code for an exact total.
How big are these decorative bowls?
13 inches (33 cm) in diameter, which is large enough to work as a coffee table or dining table centerpiece. We also make a 14.5 in (37 cm) size at $500.
Are they food safe?
Yes. Every bowl is finished with a lead-free glaze and fired above 1,830 °F (1,000 °C), which makes it safe for fruit, salads and serving.
Can I put them in the dishwasher?
Yes. The colors are fired under the glaze, so they will not fade or wash out. Avoid abrasive scouring pads, and do not use these bowls in a microwave or oven.
Can I use these decorative bowls as ceramic fruit bowls?
Yes. The lead-free glaze is fired above 1,830 °F (1,000 °C), so every bowl on this page is food safe and works as an everyday ceramic fruit bowl. At 13 in (33 cm) it holds a generous load of citrus, apples, figs or pomegranates, and it wipes clean or goes in the dishwasher afterwards.
Do you ship decorative bowls to the United States?
Yes. The United States is our largest market and we ship door to door to all 50 states by FedEx, DHL or EMS. Typical transit is 7 to 14 days from dispatch.
What happens if a bowl arrives broken?
Send us a photograph within 48 hours of delivery and we will replace the piece at no charge.
Will two bowls of the same design look identical?
No. Each one is painted freehand, so brushwork and color vary slightly between pieces of the same pattern. That is the signature of genuine hand painting.
What makes Armenian ceramics from Jerusalem different?
The tradition began when Armenian ceramicists came to Jerusalem in 1919 to restore the tiles of the Dome of the Rock. The Balian family opened its studio in 1922 and has painted continuously for four generations, so the motifs on these bowls descend directly from that Ottoman-Armenian tile tradition.
The initial black outline of every hand-painted bowl is drawn freehand by our lead artist.
The ceramic colors are then filled in, one at a time, within the outlined spaces.
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