Uzupio str. 9/ Paupio g. 2-20, Vilnius Mob. tel.: +370 659 99040 Fax.: +370 682 13617 E-mail: info@pottery.lt www.pottery.lt
Labour hours
II-V 11.00 – 19.00 VI 11.00 – 17.00 VII 11.00 – 16.00
Founders
Dainius Strazdas (painter, ceramicist, renovator of ovens) Elena Aleksejeva (paintress ceramicist) Donatas Simukonis (painter, ceramicist) Andrius Alekna
Demonstration of craft
This craft is demonstrated on Tuesdays, on Wednesdays and on Fridays at 16.00 – 18.00. Professional ceramicist, renovator expert Dainius Strazdas demonstrates various technologies of throwing and modelling of ceramic dishes.
Educational programme
Courses for adults
Courses for adults proceed on Saturdays at 17.00 – 18.30. During these courses participants are familiarized with a history of pottery, they try various kinds of clay, traditional methods of formation, mass preparation and puging, also techniques of throwing, modelling and decoration. Throwing lessons proceed using old reconstructed throwing tools of potter of X, XV and XVI centuries. Articles made during occupations are burnt and returned to their authors.
Courses for children
Thematic modelling for children proceed on Thursdays at 16.00 – 17.30. children are teached to throw on foot tool of potter and potter's wheel, to model a cup, teapot, bag, hedgehog, dog and so on.
History and presentation of activity
The first ceramics emerged in Lithuanian territory before 7 thousand year. These articles of ceramics were dishes with pointy bottom made from clay, which is plenty of organic additives. They were burnt in open fireplace. Later grinded granite was begun to mix it up into clay and dishes become more rigid. From IX – X century manual tool of potter (potter's wheel) was used for making of dishes in Lithuanian territory.
Early ceramics in Vilnius did not differ from surrounding ceramics, but in XIV century, when Vilnius became a capital, making of ceramics began to change gradually: first local glaze emerged in XVI – XV century, foot throwing tool and special oven of potter were used in the joint of XV – XVI centuries. Vilnius can glory reasonably in its gains of making of tiles – collection of gothic and renaissance tiles is the biggest in Europe, tiles are articles of high artistical level.
Constant and alterable exhibitions are demonstrated in workshop-gallery; here you can be familiarized with the first modelled ceramics in Lithuanian territory (culture of Narva, V millenium – middle of II millenium before our era), household ceramics of the Middle Ages of Vilnius – pots, pans, stewpots, special attention is given to tiles, reconstruction of tile ovens. There are presented the heritage of Uzupis pottery centre, which operated continuously approximately one and a half of hundred year (from the middle of XVI century till XVIII century) in our workshop. Also you can see popular yeast ceramics.
Potter workshop in Vilnius performs the researches and reconstructions of archaeological ovens, throws and models analogues of old ceramics, performs various commissions. Come to us and we will tell and show you everything, you can try it yourselves.
