A Brief History of Polish Pottery

The oldest pieces of known pottery from Boleslawiec date from the early part of the 16th century. That was before the technique of decorating under the glazing was developed. Some existing examples are pitchers with a rich brown glaze with lids fashioned from tin that are attached to the ear of the pitcher. Another technique was to create a brown glaze and then attach sticks of white clay to make designs on the surfaces.

During the baroque period, the technique of decorating underneath the final glaze was developed. This allowed complex patterns such as the peacock plume, plant and religious motifs to be added. Originally cut potatoes were used to create special punches or stamps to create the repeating patterns. Sea sponges were employed in later years to create the punching techniques. Finally the decorated piece would be coated with a clear and strong stone glaze.

During the second half of the 19th century white clay was introduced by master potter A. G. Altman as a base for the pottery pieces rather than for decoration only. The completely new look of colorful patterns on the white background of what we now know as polish pottery emerged.

During World War II, all of the pottery workshops in Boleslawiec were destroyed. Following the war two large manufacturers emerged: Ceramika Artystyczna, which is now an employee owned cooperative venture, and Zaklady Ceramiczne. Since then several smaller private workshops have been introduced and are producing Polish Pottery along classic patterns and many new patterns as well.

About the Artists
The "Unikat" (Polish for unique) and "Signature" artists of the various stoneware workshops are the most skilled and most imaginative. Each artist's sensitivity shapes the forms, and the joy they feel for life allows that creativity to be translated into beautiful decorations. The artisan's concepts continue to evolve in both form and in palette. No two pieces are exactly alike which is what makes Boleslawiec stoneware so unique.