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Post by grammyk on Feb 16, 2009 3:17:01 GMT 1
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 16, 2009 16:22:17 GMT 1
Thank you grammyk. It is an excellent thread! Why is it called stoneware if it looks like made of clay or china? But it is beautiful handmade art with folk motifs, indeed. Costs 181 per piece.
The History of Polish Pottery and Ceramika Artystyczna
Ceramika Artystyczna
* Boleslawiec (Bowl-e-swa-vee-etz) is located on the Bobr River on the German and Czech border.
* This region of the world has been a potter's community dating to the 7th century.
* "Ceramika Artystyczna-Artistic Ceramics" opened its production in 1950 in the former factory "Paul und Sohn" (1893-1945). The variety of production forms include numerous museum copies and traditional shapes. Stamped pottery decorations with the famous "eye of the peacock's tail" motif have been produced since the beginning of the 19th century and are recognized among the finest examples of European pottery. Village craftsmen and peasants of lower Silesia, inspired by the peacock's feather motif, have added incredible strength and beauty to these objects, which have long been admired for their quality and decorative appeal. Each piece is hand painted and initialed/signed by skilled artisans.
(read more about Ceramika Artystyczna in our Factory News section)
* A selection of original pieces can be viewed in a museum in Boleslawiec.
* Ceramika Artystyczna, in Boleslawiec, has won numerous international awards for excellence in quality and design competing with 157 countries in the world. I share with you some of these awards:www.polishstoneware.com/about_polish_pottery/sec_polish_pottery_history/This is incredible what these guys do. There are hundreds of patterns and forms. You`d better look at their site. The site of Bolesławiec Company www.ceramicboleslawiec.com.pl/index.php?lang_id=2And here are tips and helpful info on Polish pottery.
About Our Polish Pottery
What To Expect • What Makes It Special • How Is It Made • About Painting and Stamping • Hints
Also see our Pottery FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What To Expect From Our Polish Pottery
We receive containers monthly from Poland. The decorations vary in each container. Most products are available from our standard stock.
Close inspection of each piece is mandatory before it leaves our facility in Connecticut to ensure the superior quality you expect.
There will always be slight variations in decoration and color, and no two pieces are exactly alike. This is truly what make this an artform and a collectible.
Working closely with the factory to develop new shapes and complementary decorations, we are able to maintain the integrity of the original product. Therefore what you purchase from us is an authentic reproduction of an original design.
The Zanger Company offers hundreds of shapes in hundres of decorations. The combination of color palettes and shapes create an eclectic environment in your home, so representative of old world Europe. The decorations offer repetitive patterns which complement one another. A beautiful table is presented as a result of this mix and match technique.
What makes Polish pottery special?
* Dishwasher, microwave and oven-safe
* Highest quality stoneware exported from Poland
* Lead and Cadmium free paints and glazes
* High density, highly durable stoneware. Resists chips and breakage
* High-fired (2000º F) ceramic retains heat and cold for extended periods
* Individually handmade and hand painted
* Every piece is artist initialed (signature pieces are artist signed)
How is it made?
* Clay is extracted from a natural resource in Poland
* Bowls and plates are hand thrown; all other pieces are cast from molds
* Stamped with hand carved natural sea sponges extracted from the Mediterranean Sea
* Stamping complemented by hand painting
* Stamp and paint colors are mixed and created on site
* Pieces are high-fired at 2000º F
* Lead and Cadmium free paints and glazes
More about Painting and Stamping
* The "eyespot" pattern, a reoccuring theme throughout these decorations, was inspired by the peacock feather
* Old world stamping techniques are still used at the factory
* Before the acceptance of using sea sponges for stamping, stamps were originally carved from potatoes
Pottery Hints
Stoneware serves as a wonderful unit for storage. Fruit and other food groups remain fresher for extended periods when stored in our pottery.
When using in the oven, our pottery provides an even heat distribution for cooking and baking. In addition, foods retain moisture when prepared in our pottery. |
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Post by jeanne on Feb 16, 2009 17:11:11 GMT 1
I have some pieces of the Boleslawiec stoneware. I have one large and one small bowl, and a pie plate that I use to store bananas in. They are all in the Peacock eye pattern. I also have a small creamer and sugar bowl with a fir tree and snowflake pattern. I enjoy the beauty and quality very much!
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Post by grammyk on Feb 16, 2009 20:42:22 GMT 1
Bo,
Thanks for your interest in the stoneware. I wasn't sure anyone would be.
I think my plate is just beautiful. And it was such a surprise. My SIL and I don't normally exchange gifts, but she saw this and said she had to get it for me as she knows how much I like learning about my roots from Poland.
The picture I posted is from the website. Mine is slightly different but as they all are a "one of a kind", hand decorated, numbered and signed by the artist.
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Post by grammyk on Feb 16, 2009 20:45:02 GMT 1
I have some pieces of the Boleslawiec stoneware. I have one large and one small bowl, and a pie plate that I use to store bananas in. They are all in the Peacock eye pattern. I also have a small creamer and sugar bowl with a fir tree and snowflake pattern. I enjoy the beauty and quality very much! They are just beautiful aren't they? I will now have to order other pieces.........$$$$$$$$$ (no wonder I'm always broke! LOL!) |
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 16, 2009 21:50:09 GMT 1
Bo, Thanks for your interest in the stoneware. I wasn't sure anyone would be. We are people of culture and artistic taste. Repeat question - why stoneware? |
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Post by grammyk on Feb 16, 2009 23:23:21 GMT 1
Bo, Thanks for your interest in the stoneware. I wasn't sure anyone would be. We are people of culture and artistic taste. Repeat question - why stoneware? I had to look it up......... From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Stoneware; a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware of fine texture made primarily from non-refractory fire clay. Description Stoneware's maturation temperature ranges from about 1200 °C to 1315 °C. In essence, it is man-made stone. One widely recognized definition is from the Combined Nomenclature of the European Communities, which states: "Stoneware, which, though dense, impermeable and hard enough to resist scratching by a steel point, differs from porcelain because it is more opaque, and normally only partially vitrified. It may be vitreous or semi-vitreous. It is usually coloured grey or brownish because of impurities in the clay used for its manufacture, and is normally glazed." In contrast, earthenware is fired at lower temperatures and is not impervious to liquids. Porcelain, which some consider to be a type of stoneware, is distinguished as being whiter than stoneware and always vitreous. Kaolin, or China Clay, has a lower content of impurities than many other clays. It is also fired to a vitreous state, transforming the constituent silica into glass. Some porcelain bodies are translucent after firing. Firing a piece of pottery to too high a temperature will result in warping or melting. Vitreous clay bodies can be made at different temperatures ranges, but they are typically fired in the stoneware/porcelain range. Fired stoneware absorbs up to 5% water, porcelain 0%, and earthenware up to 10%. Earthenware, when moist, is typically not freeze resistant. Clay refers to group of minerals that generally exhibit plasticity when mixed with water, and which chemically primarily consist of alumina and silica. Potters refer to combinations of clays mixed with other materials as clay bodies. Different kinds of clay bodies are created by mixing additives, such as feldspar, grog, quartz, flint, many other minerals are used and these can include spodumene, wollastonite to modify clays. Clay bodies can thereby be formulated to fire at a range of temperatures. Darker clays often contain iron and other metal oxide impurities. The clay used for porcelain and white stoneware clay bodies contain very little of these impurities. Usage Glaze may be applied to stoneware pottery before a second firing at a different temperature, or a glaze may be applied before a single, raw firing. American Stoneware became the dominant houseware of nineteenth century America. |
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Post by jeanne on Feb 17, 2009 2:43:44 GMT 1
I have some pieces of the Boleslawiec stoneware. I have one large and one small bowl, and a pie plate that I use to store bananas in. They are all in the Peacock eye pattern. I also have a small creamer and sugar bowl with a fir tree and snowflake pattern. I enjoy the beauty and quality very much! They are just beautiful aren't they? I will now have to order other pieces.........$$$$$$$$$ (no wonder I'm always broke! LOL!) I get mine at the Christmas Tree Shop which is a chain here in New England. They sell a lot of junk, but also some quality items such as the Boleslawiec stoneware. Their prices are very reasonable compared to others I have seen... I really am not a "shopper" and I try not to buy anything I don't need, but I am just drawn to this pottery and can't resist! ;D |
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gigi
Kindergarten kid
Posts: 1,470
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Post by gigi on Feb 17, 2009 23:40:06 GMT 1
These are really beautiful pieces. Cobalt blue is one of my favorite colors for dinnerware, serving pieces, glassware, etc. Here is a site where you can see more patterns: www.polishpotteryonline.com/patterns1.html |
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Post by valpomike on Mar 5, 2009 20:34:21 GMT 1
We have a full service for ten, that we use each day, and love it. We also have many others. I hope some day to leave this all to my children, after I pass.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Mar 5, 2009 22:27:11 GMT 1
We have a full service for ten, that we use each day, and love it. We also have many others. I hope some day to leave this all to my children, after I pass. Mike Don`t think about passing. Enjoy life and be good to all people. |
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Post by Bonobo on Oct 11, 2018 21:59:29 GMT 1
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Post by jeanne on Oct 15, 2018 23:48:24 GMT 1
I really, really like this Polish pottery. I like how most of it is in shades of blue (my favorite). I have a real weakness for it and when I see a nice piece, I am sorely tempted to buy it. Alas, I live in a small house with limited cabinet space, so I have been pretty self-controlled up to this point. Occasionally, one of my daughters will buy me a piece, and of course, I can't refuse a gift!  |
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Post by Bonobo on Oct 17, 2018 22:19:01 GMT 1
I really, really like this Polish pottery. I like how most of it is in shades of blue (my favorite). Judging from multiple photos, it seems blue is the favourite colour for pottery manufacturers. I wonder if there are any historical factors behind it, like the availability of blue in old times. |
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Post by jeanne on Oct 18, 2018 17:12:04 GMT 1
I really, really like this Polish pottery. I like how most of it is in shades of blue (my favorite). Judging from multiple photos, it seems blue is the favourite colour for pottery manufacturers. I wonder if there are any historical factors behind it, like the availability of blue in old times. Hmmm...that is an interesting question... It started me thinking about other blue china, most especially the old and traditional Blue Willow pattern china, which is totally blue on white. Is this pattern common in Poland? It's a very common one in the U.S. |
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Post by Bonobo on Oct 18, 2018 20:42:41 GMT 1
most especially the old and traditional Blue Willow pattern china, which is totally blue on white. Is this pattern common in Poland? It's a very common one in the U.S. The pattern of the willow? Popular in Poland? Hmm, I have no idea, I have to check it in free time.... |
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