Monday, December 11, 2017
Elder of ZiyonIf you look at Shop Palestine, you can see the description of the handmade ceramics they sell. But something about it is interesting:
Fakhoury Pottery and Karakashian Pottery in Hebron and Jerusalem respectively supply our beautiful handpainted ceramics. The Fakhoury’s come from a long line of potters and, in fact, the name Fakhoury even means “potter” in Arabic. Their shop is located in the old city of Hebron where Israeli soldiers and settlers routinely physically and verbally harass Palestinians. Despite the difficulties, the family is determined to keep their store open and their craft alive. The Karakashian studio in Jerusalem continues the family tradition that began in 1922 when Megerditch Karakashian came to Jerusalem to help renovate the Dome of the Rock.You can read a bit more detail about the history of this craft from the webpage of Armenian Ceramics in Jerusalem, whose Balian family were the original partners of the Karakashians mentioned above.
The Balian Family of Jerusalem has been producing exclusive hand painted ceramic tiles and pottery since 1922.So there is no "Palestinian" tradition of decorative ceramics. It is an Armenian tradition.
This makes us one of the oldest-if not the oldest- business in existence in Jerusalem.
The studio is currently being run by Neshan Balian Jr, whose grandfather Neshan Balian Sr came to Jerusalem in 1919 from Kutahya, Turkey.
Neshan Balian Sr. and Megerditch Karakashian- a master potter and artist respectively- were brought over to Jerusalem by the British government and David Ohanessian , who was a ceramist, linguist and head of the Kutahya Ceramic Association, to renovate the ceramic tiles of The Dome of the Rock.
Before the arrival of the Three Armenian families to then Palestine, the production of decorative ceramic tiles and pottery in this region did not exist at all. It was Neshan Balian with his partner the Megerditch Karakashian and David Ohanessian,, who established this unique form of world famous art known presently as the Armenian Pottery of Jerusalem.
And the Arabs were not the ones to import the Armenians to renovate the Dome of the Rock - the British colonialists were!
The very people who falsely claim that Jews are recent 20th century immigrants to the region wholeheartedly embrace a "Palestinian" three families who were also recent 20th century immigrants to the region.
Why? Because they aren't Jews!
(h/t Irene)
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