The Armenian Ceramics of Old Jerusalem
By Sylvia Bourdjian-Matta
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 20 October 2006: The Balian Family of Jerusalem has been
producing exclusive hand painted ceramic tiles and pottery since 1922. This
makes them the oldest business in existence in Jerusalem.
The business is currently operated by Neshan Balian Jr., whose grandfather
Neshan Balian, a master potter, came to Jerusalem in 1917 from Kutahya,
Turkey. He was brought by the British government to renovate the ceramic
tiles of The Dome of the Rock.
We contacted Mr. Neshan Balian Jr. and asked him the following questions:
– What is remarkable in the Balian pottery and why do you call yourself
‘Ceramics of Palestine’?
There are quite a few so called Armenian ceramics artists in Jerusalem
nowadays. Apart from the Karakashians, they all started about 10-15 years
ago when the word “Armenian Ceramics” started to become a common term in the
tourist and designer market in Israel/Palestine.
I think the most remarkable aspect about Balian pottery is that we produce
all of our pottery ourselves. We do this from scratch; meaning we import the
plastic clay from Italy and then form it ourselves on the wheel (or press it
on special ceramic presses for items such as plates, trays etc) and fire it
for the first stage which is called the “biscuit” stage. At this stage the
pottery is white and porous and the girls hand-paint the pottery which is
then re-fired with a coating of glaze to give the final glossy product. No
other so called “Armenian Pottery” studios in Jerusalem produces their own
biscuit pottery. They all buy it from the Hebron potters which produce the
imitation mass produced Armenian pottery in the souk and then paint those
pieces and fire them in their small kilns. How can you call yourself a
potter or a ceramist when you are not producing your own original pieces and
just painting on ready made objects?
The reason the place is called Palestinian Pottery is that when the studio
was established by my grandfather Neshan Balian and Mr. Karakashian senior
in 1922, it was called Palestine Pottery. When the Balians and Karakashians
separated, my father changed the name from ‘Palestine’ to ‘Palestinian’. We
did not change the name when the Jordanians came in 1967 to Jordanian
pottery and did not change it to Israeli Pottery when the Israelis came. At
the end of the day, we are Palestinians of Armenian roots so we have to
respect the community that opened their arms and took us in during the
Genocide. That was the Palestinian Arab community. That is also why we have
two websites where we do most of our work now. One is the
and the other is the
website. We are proud of both of our heritages.
– How can somebody recognize the Balian pottery? Do you have any sign on
your products?
We have distinctive inscriptions behind all of our pottery. The name
‘Jerusalem’ is written in English and – given space considerations – either
the letter ‘B’ (in Armenian) or a full ‘Balian’ (in Armenian) is written
under each piece.
– Is there any Balian ceramic piece of art used in a world-known monument,
apart from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem?
I can mention a beautiful meditation center in Holland, a church in Lyon-
France, “Zahran Palace” in Jordan and hundreds of other installations in
hotels, palaces, residential villas, swimming pools, fountains etc.
– What is remarkable in Armenian pottery (color, form, design.etc)?
I think the question should be what is remarkable about “The Armenian
Pottery of Jerusalem” rather than Armenian pottery. Armenian pottery is an
identity of Jerusalem rather than that of Armenia or anywhere else. Sure my
grandfather came from Kutahya and that 70% of the artists there were of
Armenian roots but the whole industry was known as Turkish or Kutahya
Pottery. It is only in Jerusalem that this art truly took its own identity
and this was true the hard work of such people as the Ohanessian,
Karakashian and least but not last the Balian family. I know you are going
to think I am being biased over here, but what truly gave Armenian Pottery
its true identity was the unique artistic influence of my mother Marie
Balian. She gave new life to the designs which my grandfather and Mr.
Karakashian Sr. were reproducing from the Kutahya influence. With her French
Beaux art training and talent she introduced gazelles, birds and the animals
which were never an important part of the Kutahya repertoire. Her loose and
free floral curves and patterns is what started attracting Israeli artists
and journalists to the factory, and slowly some of them started realizing
that this really is a unique form of art very different form anything else
and with its own identity. Once articles started being written, books about
us being printed and museums exhibitions opening then the “Armenian Ceramics
of Jerusalem” term was coined. Once the fame started, then a lot of young
people around the Armenian convent started to take advantage of this fame by
setting up small studios and using the Armenian Ceramics name. Some were
talented and evolved their different styles but most just copied our work.
– What are your future plans and goals?
There are two choices you can make; either stay small as a two person studio
as most others or expand to become a much larger operation. I have chosen
the latter and have studios in Amman, Jordan and yes Beirut, Lebanon. We are
soon going to open in Dubai and a new one in Armenia proper. We are second
to none in terms of technical and artistic knowledge and I am applying both
to come up with new products and ideas to make our work fresh and appealing
to a wider range of an audience. We sell mostly to the United States through
our unique websites. We are slowly moving to the Gulf countries to take
advantage of the huge markets there.
Photos and full article at:
Id=734shs67

GOVERNMENT OWES 186 M DRAMS TO AIRLINE WORKERS
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
The former state airline workers did not get their salaries between
October 2003 and March 2004. The government owes salary debts to
343 workers, 39 died without getting their salary. “Why, are they
waiting until we die too?” they stated at the Union of Journalists
on October 19.
The former pilots have appealed to the government and the president of
Armenia for several times but the government put a soft pillow under
their heads and promised to solve the problem. “The government paid our
salary and we worked for the government, let them pay our salaries,”
complain the former pilots and add, “We will go all the way until they
pay the money.” And the size of the debt to each worker is different,
from 8 thousand to 4 million drams. The former pilots say they want
to get their money as soon as possible because they are afraid of
losing their last hope, which is 200 million dollars from the sale
of the property of the state airlines. The money, which appears to
be unattainable for them, is with the manager, who is waiting for
the decree of the government of Armenia to pay the salaries. And
before that blessed day they are going to publish a book entitled
“Aviagenocide”. And for the time being they are likely to go to the
Constitutional Court.

WILL ARA ABRAHAMYAN BACK VAZGEN MANUKYAN?
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
During his recent visit to Yerevan the president of the Union of
Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan announced that in 2003 he backed
a number of political forces running for parliament. And since Ara
Abrahamyan also announced that he would back a political force in 2007,
and recently he has been often seen with the leader of the National
Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan, we tried to find out during the
October 19 news conference if Ara Abrahamyan backed him in 2003 and
if he is likely to support him in 2007.
“For me, Ara Abrahamyan is first of all the brother of my close
friend. He is Gagik Abrahamyan’s brother. Gagik Abrahamyan’s family
and my family became close at the time of the first parliament. In
this sense, we have always been close, but you could have judged by
the results if there was backing or not. As for 2007, I do not know
what plans Ara Abrahamyan has,” says Vazgen Manukyan. The impression is
that Ara Abrahamyan does not pursue political aims but national aims,
therefore Vazgen Manukyan finds it difficult to say something definite.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 20, 2006
AGBU Breathes New Life Into Gyumri School for Children With Special
Needs
On September 1, 2006, Gyumri Boarding School #3 for students with
special needs, in the northern Armenian province of Shirak, welcomed
this year’s student body to its newly renovated and refurbished
building. Funded by AGBU London and with the contribution of volunteers
from AGBU France, this is the first time this school, which has been
operating for 15 years and enrolls 132 children, has been renovated.
AGBU London provided funds in excess of $10,000 for this comprehensive
renovation project, paying for construction materials and hiring
contractors to complete some of the more specialized tasks. The Chapter
specifically sponsored the construction of new lavatory facilities,
replaced dormitory mattresses and beddings, and installed new flooring
throughout the institution. AGBU France Summer Camp volunteers,
who visited Armenia this past August, participated in the renovation
effort by painting school walls and bringing a much-needed touch of
color and vitality to the facility.
This project is a continuation of AGBU’s commitment to the
reconstruction and expansion of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city,
which was nearly obliterated in the devastating 1988 earthquake. As
part of the organization’s dedication to resuscitating the rich
cultural, educational, and artistic life of the city, AGBU has also
constructed the Gyumri Art Academy, which houses the local campuses of
the Armenian Movie and Theater State Institute, the Music Conservatory,
and the Academy of Fine Arts. In the past, AGBU’s support also made
possible the reconstruction of Gyumri Secondary School #7 destroyed
by the earthquake, and the playground of Lord Byron School. Now,
the organization’s generosity has revived Gyumri Boarding School #3,
and promises an exciting start to the new academic year that began
this month.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City
with an annual budget of $34 million, AGBU preserves and promotes
the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and
humanitarian programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians in
375 countries.

ARMENIA IS FACING LOSS OF INDEPENDENCE
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
The leader of the Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia Hovanes
Hovanisyan stated October 19 at the Pastark Club that the Republic
of Armenia is facing the loss of independence, reports the news
agency ARKA.
According to Hovanisyan, if the election in 2007 is illegal, “Armenia
will become subject of Russia.”
“The country’s reputation was damaged, and it cannot bring their
political claims to the world,” said Hovanisyan. He stated that his
political party will run in the election and will do everything to
guarantee compliant elections.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NOBODY WORRIES ABOUT GAS PIPELINE
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
President Robert Kocharyan conducted the October 19 meeting of the
NKR government and did not give any explanation to the members of
government and the other high-ranking officials on the fate of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, said the minister of trade and economic
development Karen Chishmarityan. By the way, the media have reported
recently that the 40-km section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline was
sold to the Russians secretly from the public. According to Karen
Chishmarityan, none of the high-ranking officials inquired about the
fate of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.
In today’s meeting the government approved the priority of innovative
activities. It was decided to declare development of infrastructures
for innovative activities, the search for alternative sources of
energy, development of hi-tech and the use of sustainable technologies.
Karen Chishmarityan did not point to numbers, but he said recently the
Armenal factory and several other industries have been modernized. He
did not know how much the companies spent on innovations, who get
subsidy for gas, but he said something was done in the cement factory
of Hrazdan.

CONSTANTINE IS MY FRIEND BUT MY GREATEST FRIEND IS TRUTH
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
I have known Constantine Zatulin since 1990 and we are close, but I
disagree with his point, stated the leader of the National Democratic
Union Vazgen Manukyan October 19 at the Pakagits Club, when the news
reporters asked him to comment on Zatulin’s statement that in the
Russian-Georgian conflict Armenia must support Russia.
“I think this is absurd. After all, we have lived in this territory
with the Georgians for thousands of years, we are neighbors, there
were great disputes, I dislike a lot of things about the Georgian
policies, but we are neighbors. Besides, we do not have sea, we
have four neighbors, Azerbaijan has blocked all the ways, Turkey
has blocked all the ways, the Iranian road is endangered, because if
America pursues an embargo and other actions, we may lose this way
too, and we are offered to make our relations with Georgia tense,
which will lead to the blockade of this way too and displacement of
the Armenians from Javakheti,” says Vazgen Manukyan.
Vazgen Manukyan declined to express his opinion on Igor Muradyan’s
statement on Javakheti that Armenia and the West have made an
arrangement to prevent every movement in Javakheti that might raise
the issues of this region. He says he highly respects Igor Muradyan,
but they are different, he is a political figure, and Igor Muradyan
is a political scientist. “In other words, Igor Muradyan can say
things which a political figure may think about or not but cannot
express. But most probably what he said is not supported by any
argument. Meanwhile, a political figure does not have the right to
say things which are not supported by arguments, whereas a political
scientist has the right to,” says Vazgen Manukyan.

EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE ON A-320 PLANE CRASHED IN MAY, ARMENIAN AIRLINES
FORMER PILOT DECLARES
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The A-320 plane carrying out
Yerevan-Sochi flight, crashed in May, was not uncontrollable and
the real reason of its crash was an explosion. Vladimir Poghosian,
former pilot of Armenian Airlines, declared at the October 19 press
conference. In his words, the heads of flight organization, including
Zvartnots airport’s and Armavia’s flight security departments, are to
blame for the plane crash. In V.Poghosian’s words, before getting on
the plane an argument broke out between two criminal groups, but “they
were premitted to get on the plane where this argument continued.” In
his words, “four citizens of Russia rang up and said that shots are
fired on the plane.”
As V.Poghosian said, there were traces of shots on the corpses of the
victims. He expressed bewilderment in connection with the fact that
the Armenian side did not express willingness to examine the victims’
corpses. Meanwhile, V.Poghosian refused to mention the facts his
statements are based on.

OSCE CONCERNED THAT ARMENIA MAY BECOME A “THIRD” CATEGORY COUNTRY IN
TERMS OF TRAFFICKING LEVEL
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. “We are concerned that Armenia is
on the verge of passing from the “second” to the “third” category of
countries in terms of the level of trafficking. Ambassador July Finly,
the US delegation’s representative to the OSCE, stated this at the
OSCE-organized October 19 seminar on fight against trafficking.
According to her, this circumstance shows that the RA government’s
activities related to the fight against trafficking are unsatisfactory:
“International assistance cannot solve all problems of trafficking,
and the Armenian government must take an active part in this fight,”
July Finly said. She expressed a hope that Armenia in cooperation with
international organizations will be able to deal with these problems.
Valery Mkrtumian, Chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Fight
against Trafficking, assured that the fight against trafficking is in
the center of the Armenian government’s attention. He said that there
has been success in such issues as informing the population about
the problem, Armenia’s joining the international documents in this
sphere and the development of the respective legislation. At the same
time, according to him, an efficient fight against trafficking in all
directions, particularly in identifying and punishment of criminals,
has not been conducted yet.
Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin said
that the RA government plans to work out a national program on fight
against trafficking in 2007-2009: “OSCE’s assistance for Armenia in
the country’s fight against trafficking is one of our priorities and
we will continue providing necessary help to the Armenian government,”
V. Pryakhin stated.

IN VAZGEN MANUKIAN’S WORDS, RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN’S STATEMENT IS ABSURD
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Each of the sides in Armenian-Russian
relations pursues its interests and no one is indebted to another. RA
MP Vazgen Manukian, Chairman of the National Democratic Union, said
at the October 19 press conference. He disagreed to RF State Duma
Deputy Konstantin Zatulin’s statement on clarification of the Armenian
side’s position towards the Russian-Georgian conflict qualifying it as
“absurd.”
In V.Manukian’s words, Armenians lived side by side with Georgians
for thousands of years and are obliged to be neighbors. Besides,
two out of four neighbors of Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, closed
all roads. And the road passing through the territory of Iran can be
endangered if U.S. consistently continues its policy of intolerance
towards this country. And under these conditions Armenia is suggested
aggravating its relations with Georgia, which will result in closure
of this last road.
NDU Chairman is not for Armenia’s membership to NATO, either. In
V.Manukian’s words, NATO cannot provide Armenia’s security, as in
the issue of Cyprus it did not protect a member of this organization,
Greece, from infringements of another member, Turkey. He highlighted
the necessity of preserving balanced relations with Russia, Iran,
Turkey and Europe.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress