The history and description of PAW pottery
Where does P.A.W. pottery come from?
The little information I have managed to glean was taken from MARKEN LEXIKON PORZELLAN UND KERAMIK REPORT 1885-1935 Vol. 1 published in German by Dieter Zühlsdorft. The pottery appears to have been made in the combined potteries of P.A. WRANITZKY - founded in 1874 and closing in 1933. These were based in what is now known as Vranovská Ves (Czech Republic), near Znojmo (formerly Znaim). This area was formerly part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. At that time it was known as Frainersdorf, South Moravia.
Map of the area in 1871 -
Znojmo is almost due North of Vienna
My husband, David, and I recently visited the area, but seriously hampered by our poor language skills, we were unable to find out any more information, or even to discover where the potteries might have been. There are very few antique shops in the area. We later found out that we had sat in the restaurant of the hotel that now occupies the building which used to be the pottery. The combined P.A.W. potteries were founded 1874 by Paul Wranitzky and remained in operation until 1932. After his death in 1889 they were run by Anna Wranitzky, but after 1919 they were taken over by her son also called Paul. The records show that they produced art pottery, vases, dolls services, cooking pots, etc. In the 1920's South Moravian art pottery and folk art was also included.
The area as it is today
The P.A.W. factory building is still in Vranovská Ves, but it is now used as a hotel, shown below.
Move your mouse over it to see what it used to be like.
PAW Pottery building then and now