Polish Pottery Info

• What is Polish Pottery?
• Does Polish Pottery contain Lead or Cadmium?
• What does UNIKAT, ART or SIGNATURE mean?
• Why does Polish Pottery vary in price, even within a specific shape?
• What are the names of the Polish Pottery patterns, and who decides them?
• The pottery is so beautiful...but is it functional?
  

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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