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Clay and Soul – The Story of a Blue Pottery Artist in Jaipur

In the heart of Jaipur, where the air is thick with history and the streets shimmer with color, Meera Sharma molds more than clay — she molds tradition. As a second-generation Blue Pottery artisan, Meera is one of the few women carrying forward this delicate and beautiful Rajasthani art form.
🏺 What Is Blue Pottery?
Blue Pottery, distinct for its vibrant blue and turquoise hues, is a non-clay ceramic art form that originated from Persia and found its home in Jaipur in the 19th century. Unlike traditional pottery, it is made using quartz, powdered glass, Multani mitti (Fuller’s Earth), borax, gum, and water.
The end result? Smooth, glossy ceramics adorned with floral patterns, arabesques, and Mughal motifs — each piece a celebration of geometry and imagination.
👩🎨 Meet Meera – An Artist with a Mission
Meera learned the craft from her mother, who was among the first women in her community to work with Blue Pottery. “My hands learned from watching hers,” Meera says. “She taught me that each piece should carry not just color, but character.”
Now in her early 30s, Meera runs a small workshop in Sanganer, just outside Jaipur, where she trains young girls from nearby villages. Her mission is twofold: preserve the fading tradition and empower rural women through art.
🔵 The Process – A Dance of Patience and Precision
Creating a single piece of Blue Pottery is a multi-day, multi-step process:
- Mixing the dough – The ingredients are combined into a smooth, pliable mix.
- Moulding – The mixture is shaped using handmade molds for plates, tiles, vases, or bowls.
- Drying and Carving – The dried pieces are hand-smoothed and etched with light designs.
- Painting – Using fine squirrel-hair brushes, the iconic blue, green, yellow, and white patterns are painted by hand.
- Glazing and Firing – The pieces are glazed and fired at low temperatures (around 800°C), giving them their signature sheen.
“It’s like raising a child,” Meera laughs. “You have to love it through every stage — even when it’s fragile and flawed.”
💫 Tradition Meets Innovation
While traditional motifs like lotuses, vines, and Persian-inspired florals remain popular, Meera has also introduced modern geometric designs and minimalist patterns. Her work now finds its way into urban homes, boutique hotels, and international craft fairs.
“My mother painted peacocks,” Meera smiles. “I now paint galaxies and waves too. Art must evolve — but never forget its roots.”
👩🏫 Teaching the Next Generation
In 2018, Meera founded a small artisan collective, Neel Mitti, which offers Blue Pottery training to underprivileged women. What started with four girls now has over 30 women artisans.
“We’re not just making ceramics,” Meera explains. “We’re rebuilding confidence. These women now earn, save, and dream bigger.”
With orders coming in from across India and abroad, Neel Mitti is proof that handmade art can uplift entire communities.
🌍 Sustainability and Revival
Blue Pottery is inherently eco-friendly — made without any plastic or industrial machinery. Meera sources local ingredients and uses natural colors whenever possible.
She also collaborates with sustainable design brands that integrate Blue Pottery into home décor, tableware, and garden art, expanding its reach while staying mindful of the planet.
“Every dish, every tile is a step towards reviving an art and respecting the Earth,” she says.
🧡 Why Buy Handmade Blue Pottery
When you choose Blue Pottery crafted by artisans like Meera:
- You’re preserving a rare art form.
- You’re supporting artisan livelihoods and women’s empowerment.
- You’re bringing home a story molded with love, not just a product.
🌟 Final Thoughts
In every bowl Meera shapes, in every tile she paints, lives a whisper of the past — and a vision for the future. With her hands covered in glaze and her heart full of purpose, she proves that beauty isn’t just created — it’s nurtured.
Her story is a reminder: True art lives in the hands that dare to hold tradition close, while shaping something new.
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