What is Polish Pottery?
Polish
Pottery, also known as "Bunzlauer" stoneware, dates back to the 16th
Century. The pottery form began as a folkart, made by farmers who
used the native white clay from the local Bobr river basin. Original
designs were hand stamped using potatoes, and were inspired by the eye of
the peacock feather. As the years passed, and the form developed, artists
began to use sea sponges from the Baltic Sea to hand stamp the
pottery. This technique continues to this day, and is one
characteristic that sets Polish Pottery apart from other forms.
The exceptional colors are chosen according
to Polish custom and include a unique, vibrant mix of cobalt blues, cuprous
greens, and ferrous, reddish browns that encourage liberal mixing and matching
with other patterns.
While there are over seven factories that now make Polish Pottery in the small town of Boleslawiec, Poland, we choose to carry pottery from the Zaklady Cermiczne factory. This factory is
one of the oldest Polish Pottery factories in the country, and has won
many awards, as well as the hearts of many collectors. It employs
talented artists who hand-stamp each piece using sea sponges from the
Baltic Sea. Each and every piece of pottery is handpainted, and signed
with the artist’s initials or full signature.
No two pieces of Polish Pottery are
alike, and variations/minor flaws are celebrated as evidence of the
hand-painted nature of each piece!
Every piece we sell is 1st Quality, which means
that it is the highest quality Polish Pottery that is produced. This
signifies that the painting is of very fine quality, and that it is
safe to use in the microwave, oven, dishwasher, and freezer. Be sure to steer clear of lower
quality pieces that some competitors may sell.
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Does Polish Pottery contain Lead or Cadmium?
All Polish
Pottery is absolutely lead and cadmium free! It is 100% safe to eat off of, bake in, microwave, etc! So you get to enjoy not only the vibrant colors, but the confidence of knowing that your pottery is safe for your guests and families!
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What does UNIKAT, ART or SIGNATURE mean?
All three of these terms, UNIKAT, ART and SIGNATURE, are virtually
interchangeable. They signify that beyond a piece being 1st Quality in
construction and painting, the piece contains more hand-painted detail
than others. It is an honor for an artist to be allowed to paint an ART
pattern, as it is required they have much more training, experience and
skill. The word ART comes from a factory code to set apart the highest
detailed Signature pattern. The word UNIKAT means “unique” in Polish,
and all ART pieces are stamped with this word on bottom. And of course,
each ART piece is signed on the bottom with the artist’s full
signature, which is why it is also known as a SIGNATURE piece. The
signing of the artist’s full signature on the bottom is a distinction
from the other patterns, which simply have the artist’s initials. On
our website, our ART patterns are labeled both as DU, and ART patterns.
For example, when selecting a Polish Pottery product, a code of
GU596-DU1 signifies that you are looking at a teapot (596), in the
Midnight Sun (DU1) pattern, just as a GU596-ART104 pattern would
signify a teapot (596) in a Daisy (ART104) pattern. Pieces coded as ART
are more detailed than the DU patterns, although they both bear
artist’s signature and the UNIKAT stamp. They are priced accordingly.
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Why does Polish Pottery vary in price, even within a specific shape?
The prices vary depending on the detail of the hand-painted work.
There are four different price levels within the Zaklady Cermiczne
pottery we carry. You can learn which patterns are which in each level
by looking at the pattern code. For example, when selecting a Polish
Pottery product, a code of GU596-56 signifies that you are looking at a
teapot (596), in the Peacock (56) pattern, just as a GU814-ART104
pattern would signify a Salad Plate (814) in a Daisy (ART104) pattern.
The pattern level is always the second part of the product code, coming
just after the dash. The first, and least-expensive level is the
“Classic” level, and has numbers without any letters attached (i.e. 41,
56, 111). The “Upper Classic” is the next level up, and always has an
“A” attached to the end of the pattern code (166A, 205A, 224A). The
third level is the “Subtle” level, labeled as DU (DU1, DU8, DU60) which
is a signed Unikat level and the highest level is the “Signature
Series,” which is labeled with the word ART before the pattern number
(ART104, ART126, ART129). As you move up the levels, the detail and
work gets noticeably more complicated, which is why the prices go up as
well. Please see “What are UNIKAT, ART, or SIGNATURE pieces” for an
explanation of the significance of Signed pieces.
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What are the names of the Polish Pottery patterns, and who decides them?
The companies that produce Polish Pottery do not actually give names
to patterns, and instead give them numerical titles. American retailers
have given the patterns names in order to make selling and ordering
simpler. It is much easier for a customer to tell us "I am interested
in the Peacock pattern," than to say "I am interested in pattern 56."
But because every retail names their pottery differently, there are
various names for each pattern. Listed below are some patterns that are
known by other names:
-
Mosquito = Nature, Old Poland
-
Americana = Stars and Stripes
-
Forget Me Not = Flowering Peacock
-
Midnight Sun = Renaissance, Sunshine
-
Grapes = Blueberry
-
Alaska Jade = Jade Swirl
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The pottery is so beautiful...but is it functional?
All our wares are
oven, microwave,
dishwasher, and freezer safe
because the artists carefully select
their clays and bake them at the searing temperature of 1,230 degrees Celsius
(2,246 degrees Fahrenheit). Furthermore, the artisans coat all
colored patterns with a transparent, protective glaze in order to prevent rubbing,
wearing, and food from sticking. This extra coating also creates a scratch and chip resistant finish.
So, for goodness sakes-JUST USE IT!! The only precautions we would take are to avoid extreme temperature changes (quick temperature changes can be rough on your pottery...i.e. placing a cold dish in a pre-heated oven), and avoid soaking your pottery (
water could enter small crevasses
and increase the likelihood of cracking when heated)
. You will find
that it is not necessary to soak your pottery. It cleans up 100% better
than any other bakeware we’ve owned, and soaking just isn't necessary. Simply wet it for a minute or two, and wipe away the
leftovers! (As a side-note, I had a customer in my retail store this
past summer who was encouraging his wife to buy some more Polish
Pottery to add to her collection. HE loves it as much as SHE does,
because he claims that HE is the dishwasher, and he would prefer to
clean up Polish Pottery more than anything else!)
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