The creative spirit of the Bulgarian has found expression in almost everything it touches. Skillful Bulgarian hands have always created magic, whether they grasp a piece of wood, raw clay, or a woolen thread that will turn into colorful embroidery.
In the past, people used local raw materials and materials for their products. What they created was driven by the needs of everyday life. During the Renaissance, the development and popularization of folk crafts in the Bulgarian lands began, but the focus on natural materials remained. New decorative styles appeared and craft guilds were formed. At this time, the first art schools also emerged - Debar, Bansko, Kalofer, Samokov and Troyan.
The Renaissance and the emergence of art schools
During the Bulgarian Renaissance, the first art schools and Renaissance craft centers were established in Bulgaria. The works of folk crafts reflect not only the aesthetic views of the then society, but also the practical needs of everyday life. The connection between the various crafts and the way of life is close and each work carries its own uniqueness, with some of them being vividly expressed works of art. Crafts such as pottery in Busintsi and Troyanas well as carpet weaving and weaving in Chiprovtsi and Kotel, are among the most significant. The main aspiration is to improve the skills of working with natural materials and to achieve harmony between different styles and techniques. This beginning lays the foundations of innovative approaches, called "secrets" of the craft, which are passed down from generation to generation, from master to journeyman.
Pottery – a sacred craft
Pottery is one of the oldest crafts in the Bulgarian lands and is considered sacred. Mastering it requires not only hard work and diligence, but also a “gift from God.” At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, pottery developed in Troyan, Gabrovo, Berkovitsa, Razlog, Aytos and other places. Despite the mutual influence between the different regions, each of them retains its own specific forms and manner of decoration.
Ceramic works
Ceramic vessels in Bulgaria often follow the shapes of copper vessels. In addition to household vessels, potters also create objects for church utensils such as baptismal fonts and censers. Some works are undecorated, but others, such as pitchers and bowls, are true works of art. The most popular in our country is Trojan pottery. It is known for its “wet” pattern and the unique sgraffito technique. Characteristic motifs include floral elements, birds and geometric friezes. Pottery and woodcarving are the main crafts in the Troyan region today. This craft was inherited from the Thracians, Romans and Slavs and continues to develop over the centuries.
Bulgarian traditional crafts are impressively resistant to the forces of time. Or at least as long as there are living craftsmen to pass on their skills through the generations.
That's how our idea was born - to transform Golyama Zhelyazna in a craft centerLet's preserve and preserve this ancient knowledge and rebuild the relationship between master and apprentice.
Colorful Factory will be a home of creativity and will bring together under its roof craftsmen and workshops in woodcarving, sculpture, furniture restoration and recycling, icon painting, weaving, felting, embroidery, making folk costumes, ceramics, and pottery.
And yes, we will talk about all these crafts in more detail very soon.
