User:Bulakhs/Kosiv painted ceramics

Kosiv painted ceramics is a traditional Hutsul folk craft, one of the varieties of Ukrainian ceramics. Known for its pottery: various utensils, children's toys, souvenirs, stove tiles, and decorative tiles. It has complex manufacturing technology and unique drawings. Traditionally, Kosiv ceramics also include pottery from the village of Pistyn. .

On December 13, 2019, Kosiv painted ceramics were included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

History
The outskirts of Kosiv in the Ivano-Frankivsk region are rich in clay, so pottery has been developing here since ancient times. Hutsul pottery was formed in the XV century, but the most famous was Kosiv ceramics, which got its name from the place of its creation. In many Hutsul villages, pottery was the leading craft, which allowed local artisans to develop quickly and acquire their unique style. This style evolved, forming new types of manufacturing and painting techniques. Hutsul artisans made pots, jugs, bowls, cups—all the necessary household utensils. However, decorative-applied ceramics, as we know them today, developed in the late XVIII—early XIX centuries. These were primarily candlesticks and tiles. Kosiv tile kilns were willingly installed not only in the Hutsul region but also in Romania and Hungary. The oldest Kosiv tiles are kept in the museums of Bucharest and Vienna. Pottery was decorated with glazed drawings of various kinds: stylized images of flowers, trees, animals (horse, deer, bear, birds), various human types (hunter, soldier, postman, musician, etc.), saints (most often St. George and St. Nicholas). Entire household scenes were often painted on the tiles.

Names of potters of the XVIII century remain unknown. And in the first half of the XIX century, well-known masters of pottery were Ivan Baranyuk, Petro Gavrishiv, Petro Koshak, and Oleksa Bakhmatyuk. Their work remains a unique phenomenon in folk art.

After the Soviet authorities destroyed private artisans, the «Hutsul Art» union, established in 1922, found its continuation in the artel named after Taras Shevchenko. Later, the «Hutsulshchyna» factory and art workshops of the Art Fund of the Ukrainian SSR were also formed.

In 1957, Hanna and Mykhailo Rozshchybiuk became the initiators of the organization of ceramics production in the newly created pottery shop of the factory of art products named after Taras Shevchenko.

In 1959, a department of artistic ceramics was opened at the Kosiv School of Applied Arts (now Kosiv Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts of Lviv National Academy of Arts LNAA). Its speciality is based on the best achievements of the artistic heritage of ceramics in Kosiv, Pistyn and Kuty.

Characteristics of technique
The technique of making Hutsul ceramics—«scaffolding» or «engraving»—means painting over dried product covered with white clay. After the first firing in a pottery kiln, the product is painted with green, brown, yellow, and rarely blue paints (white glaze has never been used, only white engobe⁣—before firing). Then the product is covered with a transparent glaze and fired a second time. This technique is unique in the world.

The artisans paint the history of the region on clay. They use only three colours: green, yellow, brown-red, and occasionally add blue specks.

The decoration of ceramics illustrates flora and fauna, compositions with mythological, religious and day-to-day themes, scenes of work and holidays, and traditions and rituals of the Hutsuls. The geometrical ornament freely lays down on the products and emphasizes their volumes. The simplicity of drawing does not interfere with the perception of the plasticity of forms; ornaments and plot-thematic compositions are distinctive. The craftsman carefully draws each element according to his style and colour. Kosiv ceramics are also distinguished by «paint tears»—small paint drips.

Example of creating a plate
First, a clay product is formed. The finished form dries within a day. Then it is covered with white ground and dried again. The ornaments are applied in the scaffolding technique inherent in Kosiv ceramics. Individual elements are filled with brown engobe (a paint based on liquid clay of natural colour or coloured with pigment). Firing is carried out at a temperature of 900-950 °C. Then, the ornaments are painted with yellow and green sub-glazed paints. Some craftsmen sprinkle blue paint in some places, refreshing and giving the product a cool shade. However, this is done carefully to avoid distorting the traditional greenish range. The top of the product is covered with a transparent glaze and placed in a kiln for glazed firing at a temperature of 950-1000 °C.

Modernity
In the 1990s, ceramics as an art survived thanks to the workshop production at the Kosiv regional organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (chairman Ivan Kocherzhuk).

The Department of Decorative and Applied Arts of the Kosiv Institute ensures the continuity of generations of artisans and bearers. It has a special responsibility to maintain the tradition, preserving the traditional technological cycle (pottery wheels, clay, tools and pottery kilns).

Local artisans conducted an information campaign to promote ceramics to justify the application to UNESCO, developed advertising, photo illustrations, films etc..

Exhibitions and festivals are held, the most famous of which is the Malovanyi dzbanyk (Painted Jug).

The  Charitable Foundation «Hutsul Authenticity», the Kosiv Regional Organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the Culture Department of the Kosiv Regional State Administration, the Kosiv Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts LNAA, the Verbovets Village Council, the «Hutsulshchyna» National Park, and other organizations maintain the tradition.

Small business of local potters is developing. The most famous creative workshops of Kosiv: Valentyna Dzhuranyuk, Ulyana Shkromyuk, spouses Roman and Lyudmyla Yakibchuk, spouses Mykhailo and Halyna Trushyk, Yuriy Strypko, Vasyl Strypko, Petro Danchuk, spouses Mykola and M. Skoretskyi, Nadiia Verbivska, Iryna Zayachuk-Seryohina.

In 2012, Kosiv ceramics and some other arts were nominated for the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but only the Petrykivka painting was approved.

On February 12, 2018, the Ministry of Culture approved the National List of elements of the intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine, which includes nine denominations, including the tradition of Kosiv painted ceramics (living heritage – Ivano-Frankivsk region).

On December 13, 2019, Kosiv painted ceramics were included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, confirming this tradition's continuity and active development in the modern world. .