Vintage Dessert Plates Cmielow buying “Diana” (Set of 4) Green Leaves, Blue Dots, Gold Rim Made in Poland Circa 1960’s

Cmielow “Diana” Dessert Plates (Set of 4) Green Leaves, Blue Dots, Gold Rim Made in Poland Circa 1960's

Cmielow is the oldest still operating Polish porcelain factory. Its history starts in 1790, when a few local potters joined their forces and created a workshop. The date 1790 is controversial and some researchers claim that faience production started in Cmielow in the beginning of the 19th century. They claim that the factory establishment was initiated by Chancellor of the Crown Jacek Małachowski who was also the reason for Cmielow's commercial success. In 1810 he gave Cmielow products to several high ranking officials in the Duchy of Warsaw, the Polish state created by Napoleon. Cmielow ceramics from that period imitated Isiah Wedgwood works.

Małachowski died in 1821. The next few years were difficult for the factory because of multiple owners and management changes. The situation stabilized in the 1830's. In the 1840's Gabriel Weiss of Czech nationality started porcelain production in Cmielow. It swiftly gained in quality. New Rococo Revival style patterns were introduced in the 1840's and 1850's. Porcelain gained the highest quality and the company also started porcelain figurines production. The best period in the history buying of Cmielow was in the 1920's and 1930's when the factory designers created real Art Deco masterpieces. One of them was a teapot set "Kula" (sphere) designed by Bogdan Wendorf. After WWII the factory was nationalized. In the 1950's and 1960's Cmielow became a center of modern design. Merged Cmielow and Chodziez factories are now the biggest European thin-walled porcelain producers.