Barbotine

Barbotine is a pictorial technique in which craftsmen model and paint three-dimensional, seemingly sculpted floral, fruit, and plant motifs directly on the surface of porcelain or faience. The effect is achieved by applying a thick ceramic paste, similar to liquid dough, with a brush or spatula. After drying, the elements are painted with bright colors, enlivening the composition.

Barbotine was especially popular at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries in France and Germany: vases, dishes, and jugs were decorated not just with painted, but with literally "growing" objects.

Interestingly, each master created unique reliefs: in antique markets, one can still find antique barbotine where the flowers sometimes look slightly comical, but are always memorable.

This technique allows one to literally "sculpt" landscapes on tableware, turning an ordinary object into a work of decorative art.