HOW THE POTTERY IS MADE

High quality clay from the natural resources around Boleslawiec is mixed with water and has to be cleaned, to avoid speckles during the process of firing. Before the liquid mass is poured into the moulds for the different shapes, some other natural material is added to it. Manufaktura Smolenski & Zwierz uses special moulds that allow the liquid clay to be distributed perfectly in the mould. This avoids shrinkage when fired.

Every dry piece is then prepared for the first firing by smoothing the surfaces by hand with a sponge, and on pieces like mugs, teapots, and jugs, handles are applied.
The first firing is done at a temperature of 800° Celsius. The almost white dishes have to be cooled down to room temperatures and are then decorated.

after the first firing

In the studios of “Manufaktura,“ 45 ceramic painters are picking the colour liquid with a cut out sponge and press them on to the dishes.

painting of a utensil holder

The application of some patterns such as master designs or even limited editions make it necessary to combine the sponge stamp technique with painting of flowery motives using paint brush. This takes a lot more time and skill than the decoration of normal designs, and that is the reason why there are 3 different price groups: normal (traditional) patterns, Unikat patterns and master designs. Apart from these categories, there are some adorable designs, which are only applied on limited editions made on demand.

The normal patterns carry the symbol of Manufaktura (a bottle) and the mark “hand painted in Poland.” In addition to that, you will find on the bottom of items, designed as a Unikat or master design, the signature of the artist and the mark “Unikat.” That means that this particular pattern is only painted by the artist who signs the item.

Every piece is then coated by dipping it into the liquid glaze mass. The basic material for this glaze is feldspar (a crystalline mineral), with no toxic material such as lead or cadmium is added to it. The kilns are fed again to fire.

mugs are dipped into the liquid glaze mass

The result is extremely durable stoneware, highly decorative and resistant to chipping and scratching. It is ovenproof and can be put into the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher. If you avoid sudden and extreme temperature changes, you will enjoy your pottery for a long time without any problems.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Mainly stoneware including products such as roof tiles, sewage pipes and sanitary ceramics, but also textile and steel industry as well as the excavation and processing of sandstones enabled the village to expand. In 1945, 60% of the town was destroyed. The German residents had to leave the province of Lower Silesia, and Polish people from other places in Poland and Yugoslavia settled. In the 1950s, chemical industry and a factory for vials and ampoules were established. Finally, yet importantly, the pottery craft tradition was restarted.

Clay from around Boleslawiec can be fired at a temperature of up to 1450° Celsius. Pots in different sizes, fired at such high temperatures were set on open fires to prepare meals. Brown glazed stoneware in best quality has been the characteristic feature of Boleslawiec pottery.

In the middle of the 18th century, it became the fashion to decorate the brown dishes with white plates, made out of a particular sort of clay which fires to white. Ornaments showing religious scenes, heraldic and floral motifs were applied on the surfaces of the items. The oldest example, of such a pot dated from 1749, can be found in the Ceramics Museum of Boleslawiec.

A remarkable achievement of the local potters was the making of a giant pot that was 2.5 m tall and 3.24 m wide in diameter. The crockery manufactured in Boleslawiec became famous all over Europe and has been delivered to royal courts as well.

In 1897, a school of ceramics was established. It had a very important influence on the process of manufacturing as well as on designs. It was also at the end of the 19th century as a new way of decorating appeared in the pottery workshops. Stamped on motifs were applied after the first firing on the dry white dishes by using cut out sponges. Patterns like the “eye of the peacock’s tail” or “Silesian blue” became popular very quickly because of the good quality combined with its fascinating design effects.

After WW II, due to the efforts and the great experience of a professor from Krakow and the support of the Wroclaw Academy of Fine Arts, the ceramic industry could be restarted.

In the these days, you may find in the Boleslawiec pottery shops more than 1500 different shapes in 3000 patterns, still decorated in the traditional stamp method and, in some cases, also by using paint brushes. About 18 potteries are working in and around Boleslawiec, among them also very small ones with just two potters.

The Factory of Stoneware Dishes (Fabryka Naczyn Kamionkowych) Manufaktura Smolenski & Zwierz was established in 1993. It developed very quickly and is now one of the leading manufacturers of this characteristic sponge stamped pottery.

For further information we recommend the book “Boleslawiec – Town of Ceramics”, written by Katarzyna Zak, published by Moniatowicz Foto Studio in 2004, e-mail f64@wp.pl.

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