McKesson House Polish Pottery

Pottery made by artisans in Boleslawiec, Poland, offers a rare combination of beauty and durability. Heather, my oldest daughter and business partner, describes the pottery as "bake and take" - bake a casserole or dessert in one of the dishes, take it to a party, and watch what happens! When others see the striking and elegant patterns for the first time, compliments simply dominate the conversation!

The striking designs and colors, however, are only part of the appeal. How many times have you heard someone say, "These are my good dishes - I'd be afraid to use them every day!" With Polish stoneware, every day use is the only way to go! Bake in it, take it to parties and picnics, put it on the table for your family. This pottery is so well-made that now folks can say, "These are my good dishes - and I'm not afraid to use them!"

In our shop, we love to hear the testimonies of our customers. Happy people come into our shop regularly, telling us of their latest adventure in using the pottery, and often comparing Polish stoneware with other dishes and bakeware that they used before becoming hooked on Polish pottery!

But probably the best testimony on the durability of Polish pottery comes from within my own family. All six of my children, Heather, Anne, Tom, Tiffany, Lauren, and John, are grown and out in the big world, and they all use the pottery. Heather has three young boys (highly active, busy boys to boot)! She owns and uses only Polish pottery in her home. Hmmm. . . Heather and husband, Jeff. . . plus three boys, times three meals a day, plus snacks...one might be tempted to say that Heather's pottery is put to hard use - and very few pieces have ever been broken!

Lauren reported that she dropped a Polish pottery dinner plate on top of her set of canisters (not Polish pottery) and yes, you guessed it - the plate emerged just fine, but the canisters were in smithereens! Lauren likes to take the dishes to picnics and parties, and her potato salad looks yummy in a Polish pottery bowl!

Anne, who often helps in the shop, loves to describe how easy it is to clean the baked-on mess of something that's been in the oven too long! One afternoon at the shop, I walked in and discovered Anne and a customer standing and laughing at the kitchen sink. During lunch that day, Anne had overbaked a macaroni and cheese casserole, and the dish was a brown, crusty mess! Rather than just tell the new customer how easy the stoneware is to clean, Anne walked with her back to the kitchen and showed her - with that messy casserole dish! Needless to say, we got a new customer that day, and Anne got a pat on the back for innovative salesmanship!

Tiffany uses only Polish pottery in her apartment. She likes to show it off to her friends, classmates, and co-workers. Tom also uses the pottery as his everyday dishes, and he and his wife, Nora, sometimes can be found in the shop commenting on the latest "cool" patterns! Tom is also very handy to have around when heavy boxes of pottery arrive!

While it would be foolish to claim that Polish pottery is indestructible, it is accurate to describe it as extremely durable. Fired at very high temperatures, the pottery is safe to use in the oven, microwave, dishwasher, and even the freezer! Two words of caution, however - never place a frozen casserole directly into a pre-heated oven; the hot/cold contrast is too great for stoneware, and do not use the pottery for direct stove-top cooking. Other than that, there are no restrictions to using this pottery. Scratch-resistant, abrasive- resistant, and chip-resistant, the pottery cleans up like a dream, with even baked-on casseroles easy to remove!

The main color used in the creation of Polish stoneware is a rich cobalt blue. Shades of green, earthy reds, sunny yellows, and beautiful mauve tones complement the patterns. With this pottery gaining in popularity and appeal over time, artists have put their talents to work and created over one thousand designs, with stunning results.

Some people find a pattern they love and decorate their homes with a beautiful presentation of one design. Most, however, discover the joys of "mix-and-match" collecting, for amazingly, all of the patterns and colors somehow blend together in a fun, functional mix! The secret to "mixing it all up" and having it work well, is in the basic cobalt blue and the light, sweet-cream background color of the clay. Whatever your taste and design preference, the pottery is meant to be enjoyed - and to be used for a lifetime!

-Sally Thomas and Heather Jenkins