Pottery
Technique
Our pottery is made on so called turn-table (slow wheel), and its sides are modelled by hand. When starting a new project, the potter forms the clay bottom on the wheel and then sticks a strip of clay to it, beginning to form a side wall. By adding further strips and shaping them the potter gets the desired shape and size. The vessel is then smoothed with bone and wooden tools and with a wet potter's hand while turning the wheel.
We often place a thin layer of sand under the bottom of a vessel so it's easier to remove it from the wheel.
The other technique we use is modelling on a fast wheel. The vessels are shaped from a piece of clay by hand pressure and wetting while turning quite fast on a turn-table. We employ this technique for producing late medieval pottery.
Tiles are pressed in clay moulds.
Not all our pottery is glazed; vessels can be waterproofed with beeswax if need be, which is a historical way to do it - a lot of pottery found in Poland was not glazed, in Early Middle Ages and also later times.
Lack of glaze does not affect the quality of our pottery, it is waterproof and can hold liquids for many days. Of course it absorbs moisture, and so it is recommended to dry your cup or pitcher after use and only then to pack it in the box or chest awaiting your next adventure.
Historical background
First of the techniques described above was used by potters in Poland from about 10th century until 2nd half of 14th century. It started to disappear about 1450 with popularization of the fast-turning potter's wheel and making vessels from one piece of clay.
In former periods (Bronze Age, Roman influence period) vessels were made on the slow wheel as well, smaller ones were formed by hand from one piece of clay. They were made very meticulously and smoothed with a smooth tool (i.e. polished piece of bone or horn). These ages are a true kingdom of pottery, an abundance of shapes, designs and decorations. Middle Ages look really modest in comparison.
Cooking pots
In early and late Middle Ages cooking pots were simple, most often scarcely decorated and had relatively thick sides. Their characteristic S-shape and medium sizes made them easy to use. They were lifted and moved with a fork, lifting them by their narrowing neck.
Regardless of historic period clay used for cooking pots has to contain proper amount of very thin granite rubble, making it more resistant to sudden changes of temperature.
Firing
We fire our pottery in a wood kiln. Our kiln has two chambers: in the upper one we place dried pottery to fire, in the lower one wood burns to get proper temperature.
Using wood fueled kiln allows us to fire without letting air in (reduction firing). Closing the air shaft initiates a chemical reaction which changes the colouring of pottery from red to blacks and greys. It is also possible to get partially reduced clay, which gives fired vessels a mottled red-gray colours.
Information and ordering Joanna "Heidi" Hajduk-Dziewientkowska and Krzysztof "Helfi" Dziewientkowski tel. +48608174654 email: lepiglina@tlen.pl.
