Hrnčiari and Džbánkari

Ceramic production in the Bratislava Region

Ceramics have a long history in Western Slovakia. A distinctionis made between hrnčiari- potters who work in earthenware,and džbánkari- the white potters who produce faience items.The faience technique came to the area in the 16th centurywith the Anabaptists. Their descendants, the Haban, had work-shops in Sobotište, Velké Leváre, Dechtice and Dobrá Voda.In the 18th century džbánkari started workshops in Modra.In the 19th century the Slovak faience pottery were seen asimportant folk art objects, but already other materials werereplacing clay for pots and dishes. The end of the socialistregime was also the end of government support for traditionalcraft workshops, which further weakened the branch.

Potters'guilds are known in Slovakia from 1475. AroundBratislava we know of such guilds from the 17th century. Theywere dissolved in Austria- Hungary in 1872, and the number ofworkshops decreased rapidly. The most important organizationthat contributes to supporting ceramic artists in Slovakia todayis ÚĽUV, The Centre For Folk Art Production, founded in 1945.ÚĽUV not only sells items for the artists, but also commissionstraditional pottery, and provides materials, tools and patterns ifneeded. In 1994 a new Guild of Slovak Ceramic workers( cechslovenských keramikov) was founded.

Attempts to teach ceramic craftwork in Modra started in 1883.Between 1925 and 1994 there was a teaching workshop inModra associated with schools in Modra, Bratislava or Pezinokat various times. From 1994 to 2008 the workshop and theschool were in Pezinok. Recently there have been no studentsthere. It is still possible to learn Ceramic design at the Schoolof Applied Arts in Bratislava. However this is a move awayfrom the traditional craftwork.

Modern ceramics in the Bratislava Region

We did research on potters who mainly work on the potter'swheel, and also glaze and/ or paint the pieces themselves.15 selected potters and artists were invited to participate in theexhibit. The pieces shown demonstrate both the individualityof the specific workshop and the variety of work being done inceramics in Western Slovakia.

All but one of the artists are graduates of the Modra teachingworkshop. Half of them still work in the faience traditionsthey learned there. Thus most of them consider themselvesdžbánkari. Others call themselves hrnčiari and produceearthenware. Only two call themselves keramikári, ceramicworkers, thus distancing themselves from traditional potters.The three exhibitors who live west of the Little Carpathianshave active contacts to Austria, and sell at Austrian markets.The others mostly sell at folk art or souvenir shops, at festivalsin open air museums or in galleries all over Slovakia.

Most of the clay used is imported from The Czech Republic.Several of the potters mix various clays to get the results theywant. They also mix their own glazes.

Other Ceramic workshops in Western SlovakiaMária Hanusková and her husband Oskar Hanusek worktogether on sculptural pieces. She creates the figures, and hemakes the bases and settings for them. Zlatica Dureje andRenata Hermysová both run workshops and design the piecesthat are produced there by their employees or family members.Karol Alföldi and Juraj Hanulík work full time outside theirpersonal workshops, and therefore have little time for their ownpieces. Klára Matiašovská, Daniela Jakubcová, and Igor Mesíkpaint ceramics that are produced in other workshops.

The well known faience workshop Slovenská Ľudová Majolikain Modra has only 22 employees today. The large halls thathoused over 300 workers in the 1980s have been sold off, thusguaranteeing that the workshop can survive the next 10 years.

MarthaJeanne Barton.

Zeitgenössische Töpfer im Burgenland und in der Region Bratislava

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