Background:
I spent my last three years of high school living in Germany since my dad was in the Air Force. My last Christmas, I knew I would be going to college in the fall, and I told my mom I would like some pieces of polish pottery to take with me. So for Christmas that year she surprised me with a gift certificate for polish pottery AND a road-trip to Poland to pick the pieces out on site! Swoon. That was definitely one of my favorite Christmas presents ever.
I didn't use most of my pieces at college until I no longer had roommates because I knew they would get broken. In fact, the one piece I took with me (my favorite mug) did get broken. Because my sweet roommate was doing her dishes and decided to wash mine, too. She was so upset! I was as well, but I could hardly be upset with her for trying to be a good roommate.
Now to this past week. I was cooking dinner, and Lincoln (almost 18 months) was getting into the cupboards and pulling out pots and pans and such. Whatever keeps him happy. I even saw him open the cupboard where some of my pottery is, but I assumed in my distraction that he'd go for the drawer in there with the spoons and such. No dice. He pulled out my pottery baking dish (which had another glass baking dish stacked inside). His poor arms didn't stand a chance to hold them up once they were out. They crashed to the floor, and the pottery cracked before I realized my mistake.
Just one of those things, right? At first I thought I could maybe glue it back together, but I would be pretty scared to bake something in a dish that was glued. I'm pretty sure glue isn't made to hold so well at 425°F. It's sat on the counter since (like salt in a wound) while I've debated the pros and cons of trying to glue it back together, and I finally decided I'm better off trying to replace it. I checked ebay, but nothing seemed to fit my picky bill. I'm open to new designs, but I tend to prefer the simpler styles. So I thought I'd share my woe and see if anyone has some ideas for me.
To recap, here's my dish looking very similar to how it's looked these last mumble-mumble years (if you ignore the slight crack lines):
And here's the bitter truth:
If you made it this far, blessings on your heads. And I sound (way) more melodramatic than I really feel, so don't worry that I'm crying into my soup at night. But I would love some links if anyone knows somewhere stateside where I could get something similar. Thanks. ;)
You are right, the simpler patterns are harder to find. There are, however, lots and lots of options for shipping, which is half the fun!
ReplyDeleteI sell first quality Ceramika Artystyczna on my website at www.grumpsnorthampton.com, and a search on a reputable search engine will find you many more. If you prefer to go local, try this:
I'm not familiar with Alabama geography, but did find one dealer in Madison:
Krystyna's Polish Pottery, 134 Leabrook Cir, Madison, AL 35758. Don't know the store at all, so can't give a specific recommendation.
All else fails or you just want to keep this dish, you could try a home repair - the cracks will show and the pottery certainloy won't be as strong, but you may enjoy some further use. Use a polyvinyl acetate (from a hardwarde store) and brush it on the rough edges of the cracked pieces. Hold together for 30 - 60 seconds. Scrape away any excess with an X-acto knife. Let dry overnight if possible; placing it in a trayful of dried beans will help hold the pieces together as it dries. A caution: this may leave a shiny residue, so be careful in application and try to wipe off any overspill right away. PVA is approved as non-toxic by the FDA and reported to withstand substantial temperatures. Certainly no guarantees, but it may get you a little while more from a fave dish.
Best of luck,
Thank you for contacting us about this item.
ReplyDeleteFortunately they are still made in Poland.
Take care!