Handmade Pottery

A bit of history concerning Polish Pottery and why it's so popular today in America. 

The pottery from the Boleslawiec (pronounced "Bowl-slaw-ick") Region of Poland is among the most famous in the world. In this region that lies in Southern Poland, near the German border, there are many ceramics factories producing wonderful products.  This region has a history of pottery making since the 7th century.  Early pieces from the 1700's & 1800's were storage pieces made by farmers that had a chocolate colored glaze similar to pieces produced in America's south during the same period.  Competetion from other Potters drove the Boleslawiec Potters to experiment with new sponging techniques, colored glazes and handpainted decorations in order to differentiate and create a unique identity for their handmade pottery.  It was such an important business to the local economy that the government founded the "Keramische Fachschule" (Ceramic Technical Training School) in 1898 to foster development of the art.

Today the center of this traditional ceramic art is still centered around the village of Boleslawiec .  Where skilled Polish artists still individually handcraft and hand decorate each piece using small sponges and stamp each pattern and color individually.  Certified Master artists not only train apprentice artists but produce "Unikat" (Unique) or "Signature" (Artist signed) pieces.  These "Unikat" pieces have colors and/or designs that are individual to each artist and due to the time involved in making each piece the supply is very limited.  Since all pieces are hand crafted each vary in design, pattern and color.  Ceramika Artystyczna was founded in 1950 and has been making award winning stoneware for over 50 years.