Listed below are answers to the questions we are most frequently asked in our store.
What is Polish Pottery?
Polish pottery is hand painted stoneware made of Polish white clay. Polish pottery was historically produced by farmers that used stamps cut from potatoes to create designs mimicking the peacock feather's cobalt blue color or "eyespot" pattern. To this day, most Polish pottery manfacuturers remain true to tradition, featuring cobalt blue as the primary color in most designs.
Where does it come from?
All of our pottery inventory comes from the best factories in Boleslawiec, Poland, including Ceramika Artystyczna ("Artistic Ceramics") artist's cooperative, which has produced award-winning pottery since 1950. We also feature stoneware from the Manufaktura, Zaklady, WR Unikat and Ceramika Milena (formerly "Millennium") factories.
How is it made?
Using a combination of stamps hand-cut from sea sponges and freehand painting, modern pottery artists apply lead-free and cadmium-free paints and glazes to create their timeless designs. The stoneware is then fired at extremely high temperatures, giving it its distictive shine and durability.
What are Traditional patterns?
Traditional patterns utilize historical patterns which date back to the early 1800s. They commonly feature the peacock feather or “eyespot” pattern, and use greens, blues, and earthtones. Each traditional piece is generally initialed by the artist, however pieces are not limited in production.
What is "Unikat" or "Signature" pottery?
"Unikat" (meaning "unique") patterns are exclusive patterns to the factory which creates the design. "Signature" patterns are signed by the individual artist who creates the design. A Unikat piece may not necessarily also be signed by the artist, and a number of artists at the factory may be permitted to use the pattern. Whether a Unikat piece is signed or not depends on the number of classifications that the factory utilizes.
Is it safe to use every day?
Although the pieces are often viewed as individual works of art, all of our Polish pottery is highly durable. It is oven-, microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe. However, we caution that you allow your pottery to adjust to room temperature when switching between extreme temperatures.
How do I know if I have "real" Polish pottery?
All Boleslawiec pottery will have a factory stamp on the bottom, and should say "Made In Poland". We guarantee that all of the pottery we sell is first quality, and factories will affix a "GAT 1" or "first quality" sticker to finished pieces (although, admittedly they sometimes come off in transit).
Be very careful when purchasing "Polish" pottery on Ebay or in a discount store, as some of these pieces are not first quality and may even be produced in China!