Platter with a bust of Władysław IV

Maiolica is a type of colourful ceramics that started to be produced in Poland only around 1880 in the factory in Ćmielów. Stanisław Thiele, invited to Nieborów, gave all his talent to the factory, both as a well-educated craftsman and an organiser. When the founder and owner of the Nieborów estates withdrew from the project, Thiele tried to continue by himself.

A few centuries earlier, in 1548, the word maiolica was coined from the name of the island of Majorca, where ceramics for export were stored. These types of ceramic vessels had surfaces covered with a thick layer of opaque tin-lead glaze, painted in expressive patterns with ceramic paints made based on metal oxides. Such prepared vessels were fired at 1200 ˚C, thanks to which the colours gained characteristic distinctness and durability.

The colour of the Nieborów majolica vessels, like those made in Europe for centuries, was created by using metal oxides: red – iron, blue – cobalt, green – copper, yellow – antimony, violet, and black – manganese. The rich colours of the objects were combined with decorative forms. Small elements were manufactured forming tableware and magnificent amphoras, decorative vases, chandeliers, and tiles for cookers. One such decorative vessels is a magnificent platter with an image of King Władysław IV Vasa. The portrait of the monarch in Spanish costume refers to the prince's image painted by Rubens when he was a guest at the court in Brussels during his journeys across Europe.

When Władysław ascended the throne, prints popularising the figure of the monarch were created using Rubens' composition. They were created with apparent changes, presenting the monarch's visage in a mirror image in relation to the painting original. The signature identifying the figure as King Władysław IV was also modified. The portrait of the king was transformed and used to popularise the ruler's likeness during his reign. Many generations later, the painter of the Nieborów ceramics drew on the old graphical representations of Władysław IV Vasa to create a design of a decorative platter.

Magdalena Norkowska