Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Shelterrific Says "Show Us Your Collections"



To that I say, "See my lovely Polish pottery!"

Mind you, not all the dishes in that cabinet are Polish pottery, just the blue and white circular patterned ones. The rest are most likely from China.

When John and I first announced we planned to marry (more than two years and one elopement ago), people asked us where we registered, what we wanted, and other such questions. Since we weren't sure about anything except that we were going to elope, I volunteered "Polish pottery," which led to Mom and Dave buying us our dinner dishes and loads of lovely serviceware.

Along the way, we've added a few other items to our daily dish collection such as dessert bowls and salad plates.



Above you can see that we have a platter, octagonal small bowl, spoon rest/ladle (although I wouldn't use it as a ladle), and oval baker in addition to the dishes. We use the Polish pottery every day, and the platters and other serviceware when guests come to visit and dine at our home.

It's really sturdy stuff -- you can bake in it, microwave it, and run it through the dishwasher. I've even dropped bowls from the second shelf in the cabinet onto the counter without any damage to the bowl (or the counter). My favorite aspect of this pottery is that it holds on to heat and moisture very well -- so if we heat the plates before serving the food, it stays hot much longer than usual. Also, when I bake in the Polish pottery, the food stays very moist and tasty.

The pattern we picked is the classic Peacock. However, I've decided that when we purchase more (or are asked for gift suggestions for our anniversary), we'll probably get the Flowering Peacock pattern since it goes so well with it and is so pretty.

There are quite a few different patterns available, but I find that sticking with the classics allows me to find many more of the pieces I'd like, like large vases, etc. I've included a few resources for finding Polish pottery online, but some great places to find pieces include yard sales and the odd pottery store. I found my first two bowls at a Cracker Barrel store in Nashville, Tennessee many years ago. Good hunting to you!

Polish Pottery Resources
Blue Rose Polish Pottery
Polish Pottery House
Polish Pottery on Ebay

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It really is such gorgeous pottery! I love pottery in general, and especially those with distinct history and identity. I have a few pieces that my dad brought over from Europe in the 50's, and just cherish them.

Deb Schiff said...

Thanks, Ricki. Maybe you can showcase them on your blog!

Unknown said...

This looks just like the pottery that my mom has at my home. She will never let us use or even touch it. It is solely for decoration and it is one of her prized possessions. http://www.eves-gift-gallery.com/c-403-polish-pottery.aspx

Deb Schiff said...

Thanks for commenting, Charlie. We use ours all the time. It's a bit heavy, but it's held up pretty well considering that we put the plates into the dish washer.