History of Boleslawiec pottery

Boleslawiec pottery has been made for centuries from natural stoneware clays, deposits of which are found in the vicinity of Boleslawiec, in the basins of the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers. Archaeological discoveries confirm information provided by historical sources, showing that the first ceramic vessels were made in the city as early as the Middle Ages. The oldest Boleslawiec pottery examined so far, most likely operating from the 16th to mid-17th centuries, was located on Piaskowa Street in Boleslawiec. As archaeological research has proven, it produced utility vessels of various forms (pots, jugs, bowls, flasks, plates, bowls, pans, dishes and apothecary jars), as well as stove tiles, figurines, piggy banks and technical ceramics (retorts). Objects, were covered with glazes of various types and colors, some had rich artistic decoration of high artistic value.

Back in the Middle Ages, Boleslawiec potters united to form a guild, which for the first several hundred years limited to 5 the number of workshops active in the city. The guild made every effort to ensure that the level of pottery produced was as high as possible. The restriction on the number of potters in the city was lifted under pressure from the Prussian government in 1762. By then Boleslawiec was already one of Europe’s important pottery centers.

In the first half of the 18th century, the city began producing wheel-turned jugs with spherical, smooth or ribbed bellies, covered – characteristic of Boleslawiec stoneware – with brown earthenware glaze. The vessels received tin fittings, on which dates and monograms were engraved. From the second half of the 18th century and from the 19th century come jugs decorated with artistic overlays with biblical and heraldic themes, animal and plant motifs.

In 1753, the Great Pot was built in Boleslawiec by Johann Gottlieb Joppe. The gigantic vessel, more than 2 meters high and with a capacity of almost 2,000 liters, was considered the largest in the world. The pot became a symbol of Boleslawiec, and its image was used on postcards, miniature likenesses were created, and it even became the subject of a theater play.

Manufacturing process

The production process of ceramic dishes at Zakłady Ceramiczne “BOLESŁAWIEC” Sp. z o.o. is extremely complex. Dishes are made exclusively from natural clays, which are fired to a cream color. The raw materials from which the dishes are made come mainly from the vicinity of Boleslawiec and are suitable for the production of stoneware fired at temperatures above 1200 degrees Celsius.

Vessel Forming
Vessels in Zakłady Ceramiczne “BOLESŁAWIEC” Sp. z o.o. are made by two methods: by casting from the pouring mass or by forming individual shapes from the plastic mass using manual or mechanical turners. Obtaining the shapes of the vessels is the first stage of the production process. After that, they are cleaned of unnecessary fragments of the mass, and ears and additional elements are glued to cups and mugs, teapots and other products. The raw semi-finished product prepared in this way undergoes a drying process involving partial evaporation of water

Pre-firing
After drying, the dishes are fired for the first time at 800 degrees C. This process yields a biscuit semi-finished product. During the initial firing, the water evaporates completely, the product shrinks slightly, and its head becomes hard and acquires a light pink color. After picking according to demand and dusting, the biscuit goes to the decorating department.

Painting dishes
The dishes after the first firing are covered by hand with intricate designs, using underglaze paints. Some dishes are decorated with stamps, made of sponge or rubber, creating patterns of circles, dots, fish scales, peacock eyes, triangles, or clover leaves in various tones of cobalt, green and brown. Others are decorated with original painting decorations, using floral, holiday or occasional motifs in a rich color palette of more than 30 colors and shades. The base of colors used is constantly expanded. When implementing new decorations, Zakłady Ceramiczne “BOLESŁAWIEC” Sp. z o.o. strives to follow trends in global design and meet customer expectations. Most decorative motifs refer to tradition. Our Company’s offer also includes proposals for those with a taste for colorful, more modern forms of decoration, including hand-painted dishes with floral decoration.

Glazing
A decoration made with underglaze paints is covered and protected by a thin coating – glaze. It is applied to the product by immersing the vessel in a glaze bath filled with a liquid suspension of glaze, or by spraying it onto the surface with a spray gun. The glaze applied to the vessel completely covers the decoration before the final firing.

Final firing
The decorated and glaze-covered wares are passed for firing in specially designed kilns, where the temperature exceeds 1200 degrees C, and the total firing time is about fifteen hours. During the final firing process, the vessels become resistant to damage, and at the last stage of the process, the glaze with which the vessels are covered transforms into a thin, transparent coating, showing the decoration and not causing damage.

Intended use of products
Thanks to the use of high quality raw materials and materials in the production process, products manufactured by Zakłady Ceramiczne “BOLESŁAWIEC” Sp. z o.o. do not contain harmful substances, so they are safe for use and contact with food. They can be used in microwave ovens and safely washed in dishwashers.

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