The logo of the Gzhel Association, a Russian manufacturer of artistic porcelain, takes the form of a heraldic composition featuring a double-headed eagle. Its outstretched wings are drawn in rows of feathers, crowns sit above the heads, and its talons hold a scepter and an orb. In the center is an oval bearing the name Gzhel in decorative handwritten Cyrillic lettering. The flourishes follow the oval’s outline. The main version is blue, while the additional white version is intended for dark backgrounds. Products also carry an abbreviated trademark: an oval with the name but without the eagle, allowing small items to be marked. The enterprise takes its name from Gzhel, a historic ceramics district in the Moscow region.
The Gzhel Association is a Russian enterprise in the village of Turygino in the Moscow region, producing hand-painted porcelain tableware, sculpture and interior objects. The production association was established in 1972 by bringing together several local enterprises, while the history of its Turygino production site goes back to the Forward, Ceramics! cooperative, founded in 1929. In the postwar period, artist Natalia Bessarabova and art historian Alexander Saltykov helped revive cobalt underglaze painting. This combination of blue decoration and white porcelain became the basis of many of the enterprise’s collections. The production facilities are open for tours, during which visitors can see how pieces are made and painted.
