In Pictures

Growing the traditional art of Palestinian ceramics

The Hebron Glass and Ceramics Factory says business today is good, thanks to both tourists and exports.

The Natsheh family opened a glass factory in the old city of Hebron more than 200 years ago. In 1962, they expanded and added a ceramics factory, which was temporarily closed after the first Intifada, but reopened 10 years ago. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

1 Sep 2015

Hebron, occupied West Bank – Traditional Palestinian ceramics are produced at the Hebron Glass and Ceramics Factory, run by the Natsheh family since 1962.

The business began with three family members, and today, it employs 16 people. The production methods remain true to tradition, with a few modern updates, such as computerised pattern-making and a motor-driven pottery wheel. Customers can request special patterns or choose from hundreds of designs for hand-painted plates, vases, tiles, cups and trays.

“Fifty to 60 people know how to make these ceramics today. It is a good business, due to both tourists and exports,” Khalid al-Natsheh told Al Jazeera.

The process involves moulding each item from clay, leaving it to dry for two days, and then putting it in an electric oven for 24 hours to set. At a shop on the edge of town, the items are painted and glazed, then put back into an electric oven to set. Busloads of tourists sporadically stop outside the shop door to buy the ceramics and to photograph the Natsheh family in action.

The factory began exporting ceramics during the second Intifada, as there were no tourists, and the family had to seek new ways to sell their wares. Today, 80 percent of the factory’s products are exported to the United States, Europe, and Australia, with the rest sold locally.

The production methods remain true to tradition, but with a few modern updates, such as the use of a computer for pattern-making. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]

Mahmoud al-Natsheh, 27, has been working at the ceramics factory for 10 years. Here, he prepares lamps designed for the holy month of Ramadan. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]

Fahed Abu Zeineh has worked at the Natshehs' factory for 15 years. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

Abdul Jawad al-Natsheh retired a long time ago, but he still visits the factory to drink tea and watch his son and other relatives continue the family business. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

The factory creates a wide range of colourful, hand-painted items. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

Only a few dozen people know how to make these traditional ceramics today, according to the factory's owners. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

A framed portrait of Mohamed al-Natsheh, who founded the business, hangs in the Hebron Glass and Ceramics Factory's shop. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

Customers can request special patterns, and there are also hundreds of designs from which they can choose. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

One of the typical patterns available. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

The items are moulded and baked in the factory and then transported to another shop on the edge of Hebron, where they are painted and sold. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

Mahmoud al-Natsheh makes plates on a motor-driven wheel, one of the few modern updates to an otherwise traditional production method. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

Eighty percent of the factory's products are sent for export to the United States, Europe, and Australia. The rest are sold to tourists and local customers. [Celia Peterson/Al Jazeera]

Youssef al-Natsheh, 14, works at the factory during the summer holidays to lend a hand to his cousins. [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera]