17th century production
so-called Haban Faience, Classical Haban Faience (1685-1730)
The production of faience was inspired by older Renaissance motives as well as younger elements of Delft patterns. Various stylized floral patterns as well as geometric and architectural patterns were used from ornaments. In addition to the usual floral motives, there are also new decorative elements (cloves, tulips, lilies of the valley, cyprus), influenced by the direct contact of the Sobotište anabaptists with the Turks. Popular color of the glaze was in addition to white and bright yellow.In particular, jugs of various shapes and sizes, shaped oval bowls, square cups with ears, smaller containers, shell bowls, oval deep bowls with legs and openings on the bottom have been preserved. Furthermore, there were plates, four hexagonal kettles and containers using white, purple, green and yellow glaze.
18th century production
so-called Slovak-Haban ceramics (1730-1780)
Ceramic creation of the descendants of anabaptists has undergone significant changes since the 18th century. By the change of the economic basis caused by the end of joint management, the anabaptists craftsmen were increasingly dependent on the customer from the folk segment – craftsmen and peasants. Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs began to appear more and more due to domestic folk production. The animal motives were mainly deer, fox, crayfish, fish. Figural motives included the figures of a plowman, a driver with a harness or a reeve. A large number of craft jugs were produced, decorated with the symbols of the craft and the names of the owners with the dates of their production. Ceramic production focused mainly on jugs and various types of hollow ceramics. Instead of a wide-necked pitcher intended for fast wine consumption, the so-called crate pitcher with closed top also known as „ owl“. Similarly, the shape of the lip jug (jug with spout) has expanded, replacing jugs with a tin cap. We consider the period since the second half of the 18th century to be a fading of the tradition of the anabaptists. Although the influence of the nearby Holíč manufactory (1736-1827) founded by F. Lotrinský in this area was relatively direct and strong, the Sobotište masters adhered to traditional patterns.
19th century production
The period of Slovak folk faience (end of 18th century – 19th century) posthaban faience
Ceramic production gradually broke away from the tradition of anabaptists. It complied with the innovations and requirements of customers, while previously bound to produce ceramics according to pre-approved traditional designs. Strong competition of West Slovak production as well as the departure of several craftsmen caused a gradual decline in ceramic production in Sobotište and most workshops disappeared during the first half of the 19th century. This period is characterized by the production of a large number of craft jugs with handicraft symbols. The shape began to apply the neck (evolved from a closed pitcher of an „owl“), which decorated mainly plant décor, several basic geometric elements (line, dot, wavy line, ring), or a combination thereof. The wide-rim plate shapes were gradually shortened to the narrow-rim-wide-bottom type. Architectural motives were various fictitious pagodas of green or blue color, later also motives of home architectures. Herbal motives were applied mainly through flowers (tulips, roses, cloves) and in fruits (pomegranates, pears). They were characterized by symmetrical composition, large-area, Renaissance morphology and contouring. Of the zoomorphic motives, these were mainly birds in simplified form (complemented by flowers) and deer in yellow color (shown in jump or with the left front leg raised).
