Cup

Thanks to Michał Mezer, the manufactory in Baranówka became one of the three most valued, next to Korze and Tomaszów, and thus rival ceramics factories in Poland. The presented cup with saucer is an example of high-quality porcelain, which was developed by local artists. Therefore, it is not surprising that the characteristic hand-painted flowers, herbs and pacifier ornaments originating in Baranówka soon won the recognition of many merchants, which allowed Polish faience and porcelain to be exported to the East which, in the first half of the 19th century was a receptive market for richly decorated ceramic products. In the initial phase of the factory's activity, products were manufactured which directly referred in form and decoration to those coming from Kórzec. It was due to the fact that a significant number of employees followed Mezer from the manufactory in Korze to the factory in Baranówka that he was establishing. However, the company quickly developed its own design, and decorations were placed on ceramics that included, a wide offer of tableware, from, individual plates, soup tureens, saucepans, baskets, platters, salad bowls, compote bowls and table accessories to breakfast sets for two or six people, constituting a stylistic whole with an original and modern design. However, the most popular were the abovementioned breakfast sets for one or two people and beautifully modelled cups, such as the one from the National Museum in Lublin with a pattern of blue cornflowers woven into a garland of green leaves accompanied by a gold stripe around the rim. The fact that the artist placed the cornflower motif on the cup and saucer was probably connected with its highly delicate structure and intense colour. The flower has an extensive symbolism, which undoubtedly constituted additional information conveyed by the ceramic vessel.