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Our American Heritage |
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Our American Heritage |
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A Store with a Unique Focus on Quality Hand Crafted Products from America and Old World Europe |
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Polish Stoneware |
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Ceramika Artystyczna |
Karol Wojtyla
Special Remembrance Glass Ornaments - Hand Made in Poland
John Paul II - Ar21 - 4.5"w $ 49.50
Saint Stanislaus - EST005 - 4.35"w $ 49.50 Sold Out
John Paul II "Watching Over"- CR07 - 5.25"w $ 84.50
Truly a Good Humble Man
Boleslawiec (Bunzlauer) Stoneware Polish Wedding Traditions
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Pottery for Sale Bunzlauer stoneware started as local folk art hundreds of years ago in the German province of Silesia. The name Bunzlauer comes from the name of the then German town of Bunzlau which is now part of Poland and is now the Polish city of Boleslawiec. The city is located on the Bobr River in southwestern Poland near the German and Czech border. 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. The wares were sold in the local markets. At the end of the 19th century with increasing urbanization, industrialization and competition from other forms of pottery the potters of Bunzlauer introduced new lines of pottery intended for use in the parlor and dining rooms of the city dwellers and began to experiment with colored glazes, sponging techniques and decorations. The government founded the "Keramische Fachschule" (Ceramic Technical Training School) in 1898 to foster development of the art.
Bunzlauer pottery experienced a renaissance in the early 1900's that introduced the "Jugendstil" movement which was the German equivalent of Art Nouveau. The famous "Pfauenauge" or "Peacock's Eye" became the universally recognized trademark decoration of the spongeware now produced in the area. During the 1920's Bunzlauer potters began a trend towards more colors following the Art Deco movement. After World War II the Silesia region was annexed to Poland and the majority of the German population was expelled. The area was rebuilt after the war and the pottery factories reopened.
Today the center of this traditional ceramic art is still centered around the village of Boleslawiec (pronounced "Bowl-slaw-ick"). 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.
Authenticity
Our American Heritage only sells stoneware from the Ceramika Artystyczna authorized USA distributor
The Zanger Company - The #1 CA Authorized Distributor for almost 20 years.
Our goal is to offer only the finest quality pottery from Boleslawiec, we have chosen to try to offer mostly Signature pieces, including the rare U4 level pieces that are the finest examples of Polish Stoneware made today. The pottery Our American Heritage offers from Ceramika Artystyczna is absolutely only FIRST- QUALITY pieces. Your assurance of this is the white factory stickers on the bottom of each and every piece that we sell denotes that your selection is Factory Certified First Quality and comes from the USA authorized distributor.
While all the ceramic factories in the Boleslawiec area produce beautiful pieces, the master ceramic artists employed by Ceramika Artystyczna produce exquisite designs and extraordinarily high quality pottery especially the "Unikat" or "Signature" pieces.
Ceramika Artystyczna has won numerous awards for artistic design and quality. There is a difference in pottery: this particular pottery is made of whiter, denser clay and incorporates more intricate designs and shapes. The quality of Ceramika Artystyczna's glazing is unsurpassed. All pieces have the artist's initials or are signed by the artists. The coffee pot with Castle mark on the bottom of each piece (or the former mark of the Castle with "B" on top) represents pottery from Ceramika Artystyczna.
Interestingly, most of Ceramika Artystyczna's workers are women, including the president. Many are graduates of the Wroclaw Academy of Fine Arts. The factory is a cooperative - all the profits are shared by the employees. Original pieces can be viewed in the Boleslawiec museum.
Click on the names below to see a picture of the artist & a quote about their work
as shown on Ceramika Artystyczna's website
Teresa Andrukiewicz Agnieszka Benasiewicz Halina Bis Weronika Buldanczyk Wirginia Cebrowska Maria Ciszewska Jacek Chyla Agnieszka Damian Krystyna Dacyszyn Barbara Fidelus Krystyna Deptula Maryla Iwicka Anna Fryc B. Hakieza Edward Janeczko Ewa Karbownik Gabriela Kasztelan Danuta Knapik Honorata Kedzierska Lucyna Lenkiewicz Malgorzata Kur Teresa Liana Irena Maczka Malgorzata Listwan Malgorzata Mierzwa Barbara Makiela Teresa Nakonieczna Jolanta Okraska Kinga Nizialeick Anna Pasierbiewicz Janina Palka Danuta Skiba Anna Rycerz Zofia Spychalska Karolina Sliwinska Zofia Supernak Aneta Uber Ewa Tubaj Bronislaw Wolanin - Artistic Manager Mariusz Ochocki - Form Designer Today's Market
There are four main workshops or collectives that make Boleslawiec Stoneware. They are Wiza, WR Ceramika, Zaklady Ceramika and Ceramika Artystyczna. Of these Ceramika Artystyczna or "CA" as it is commonly known is famous for making the best quality pieces and they have the greatest number of patterns and styles.
Most workshops have class levels for the pieces - "CA" has the following
1. Standard or Traditional
2. "I" or Enhanced Traditional (more colors & detail)
3. Unikat (Unique) U2 or Signature Level 2
(Similar to an Enhanced piece but produced by a Master Artist and Signed)
4. Unikat U3 or Signature Level 3 - More Detailed Colors & Craftsmanship than U2
5. Unikat U4 - Museum Quality Signature Pieces - Rare - "The Best there is"
Note: "Our American Heritage" sells only Certified 1st Quality pieces from the "CA" Authorized USA Factory Distributor - The Zanger Company - NO Seconds imported from Europe by individuals
If it doesn't have the "CA" factory 1st quality sticker it's a second, commonly sold at the factory stores. We Sell the Standard, Enhanced and Signature Levels 3 & 4 pottery but concentrate on Signature Pieces
Pottery Care
If you are new to the joys of using beautiful handmade high-fired stoneware, allow us to provide a little helpful information.
One of the first things you'll discover using Ceramika Artystyczna Boleslawiec stoneware is the way the clays hold and distribute the heat for evenly browned crusts and casseroles that cook uniformly. If you're accustomed to Bakeware that has hotspots, you'll be delighted with Ceramika Artystyczna stoneware.
Ceramika Artystyczna glazes have been all state certified to be 100% lead free, so you don't need to give health issues a second thought. Also, the glaze quality and the high temperatures at which the pottery is fired result in surfaces with very low porosity, so foods can't stick and clean up is a snap. No need to soak baked-on cheeses and sauces. All pieces, even the most beautiful Signature pieces clean up in your dishwasher.
Ceramika Artystyczna stoneware may be used with confidence in your oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher.
Very hot and very cold temperatures are handled nicely by this stoneware, but sharp temperature swings are not. As with any high quality clay-based stoneware pieces, rapid changes in temperature will deliver "shocks" and will not allow for the natural expansion and contraction required by the clay. Do not, for example, pour cold liquids into hot bowls or take a casserole dish out of the freezer and put it directly into a hot oven. Likewise, use over direct heat, i.e. range burners and open flames, is not recommended. We recommend starting your baking in a cold or warm (300o) oven, wait a couple of minutes to allow the stoneware to heat and then cook as normal at whatever temp your recipe calls for. Since the stoneware retains even heat it will continue cooking the food after removal from your oven. "Our American Heritage" recommends using the same cooking times as in your recipes and check for doneness at the times indicated.
DO NOT PLACE A HOT DISH ON A TILE, STONE or METAL COUNTER TOP - use a Hot PAD
Likewise with any fine stoneware or glassware do not allow them to bang together in a dishwasher or sink. Please use a rinse agent when cleaning in your dishwasher such as "Jet Dry", your dishes and glassware will sparkle. We also recommend Cascade Liquid Dishwasher detergent.
We do not recommend extended microwave cooking with any stoneware. Cooking times over 6 to 10 minutes at high power in today's high powered ovens (1000 watts & more) should be handled by Pyrex glass cooking vessels. Microwave ovens by their nature create hotspots and continued long periods of high power microwave cooking may lead to grazing under the glaze where the oven heats unevenly . We have seen this occur very infrequently in pieces used for several years in microwave ovens on a continual basis.
While all clay based products are breakable, Ceramika Artystyczna stoneware is incredibly tough because of the way it is made. First, the clay that is mixed to their own carefully developed specifications, then a thick durable clear glaze is used to seal the pieces, and finally the stoneware is fired at very high temperatures so the clay particles fuse together into strong, highly chip-resistant pieces. Enjoy a lifetime of use and beauty.
Click on Above image to go to Polish Heritage Website
in Philadelphia, PA
Click on Pictures Above to Visit
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