Decor

Polish Pottery Beyond the Table

Boleslawiec potters have always made more than dishes. The same white stoneware, sponge stamps, and cobalt glazes that go into a dinner plate go into a vase for the windowsill, a cross for the hallway, or an ornament for the tree, and because the decoration is fired under a clear glaze at about 1,250°C (2,280°F), a decorative piece keeps its color in direct sun and washes clean of dust with a damp cloth. Every piece here is hand-stamped and hand-painted, so no two are exactly alike.

Vases

Vases come in sizes from a bud vase for a single stem to tall floor vases [confirm range]. They are glazed inside as well as out, so they hold water without seeping, and the weight of the stoneware keeps a tall arrangement stable. A vase in the same pattern as the dinnerware is the most common first decorative piece customers add.

Christmas ornaments and seasonal figures

Christmas ornaments are hand-painted stoneware balls, bells, and shapes with a hanging loop, and they come boxed, which makes them the easiest Polish pottery gift to mail. They are heavier than glass, so hang them on a sturdy branch. Statuettes include snowmen and angels for the mantel or a holiday table; many customers add one each year. Both come in the holiday patterns, Holly Berries 242 and Winter Night 243a, as well as the everyday ones.

Wall crosses

Crosses are flat stoneware with a hole for hanging, painted front and edge. They are a traditional gift for a christening, first communion, confirmation, or wedding in Poland and among Polish-American families, and they hang in kitchens as often as in bedrooms.

Cheese ladies

The cheese lady is a piece with no equivalent outside Poland: a hollow figurine of a woman in a full skirt that lifts off to reveal a wedge of cheese or a block of butter underneath, keeping it covered on the sideboard. Today most people buy them as a collectible, but they still work as intended and make a talking point at a cheese board.

Choosing a pattern

Decorative pieces come in the same three families as the dinnerware. Traditional patterns such as Peacock 56 and Nature 41 are the classic cobalt-on-cream designs. Signature "a" patterns such as Floral Peacock 166a and Blue Diamond Dream 217a add extra colors, and the holiday patterns Holly Berries 242 and Winter Night 243a are the most popular for ornaments and statuettes. Unikat designs such as Floral Butterfly Unikat 149ar are the artist series, signed by the decorator, and on a vase they show the full painting. The pattern number is shared across every shape, so a vase in 166a matches plates, bowls, and mugs in 166a.

Care

Wipe with a damp cloth or wash by hand; vases and cheese ladies are dishwasher safe if you prefer. Ornaments and crosses should be hand-washed to protect the hanging loop or cord. Keep decorative pieces out of the oven and microwave; they aren't made for heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Polish pottery cheese lady?

A hollow stoneware figurine of a woman in a full skirt that sits over a wedge of cheese or block of butter to keep it covered. It's a traditional Polish sideboard piece, now mostly collected as decor.

Are the vases watertight?

Yes. Vases are glazed inside and out, so they hold water without seeping or staining.

Are the Christmas ornaments fragile?

They are stoneware, so they are sturdier than glass and survive being dropped on carpet, though they will chip on a hard floor. They are heavier than glass ornaments, so hang them on a firm branch.

Do decorative pieces match the dinnerware?

Yes. The same pattern number is used across every shape, so a vase or ornament in 217a matches dinner plates, bowls, and mugs in 217a.

Do the pieces come gift-boxed?

Ornaments come boxed. Other pieces ship in protective packaging; if you need gift wrapping, leave a note at checkout [confirm your policy].