Modra ceramics is a designation of products made of baked clay in the town of Modra, Slovakia. Its history dates back to the 14th century. The original production of ceramics was closely related to winemaking and viticulture. The use of glazes in Spain and Italy in the 15th to 17th centuries and the designation of the products as 'majolica' were also transferred to Modra. In the 17th century, the first guilds began to emerge in Modra and Haban (Hutterite) potters settled there. The greatest development was recorded in the 18th century.
Hutterite faience or Hutterite ceramics is the collective name for the production of majolica (faience) in the territories of the present-day states of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Russia, created in the environment and tradition of the Hutterite national and religious minority settled there between the 15th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The Habans immigrated to Slovakia in the 16th century and settled in its western part. Here they also influenced the development of the production of domestic ceramics. They contributed to the improvement of its quality through the innovation of adding a lead-zinc white opaque glaze and their traditional painted designs. The colours yellow, green, purple and blue were characteristic of this type of pottery, with black accentuating the contours. Typically, the colour red was omitted. Red was not used at all, for religious and philosophical reasons.
In the last third of the 17th century, after the journey of the Hutterites to Holland, an innovation in patterns is visible. They began to paint white and blue majolica, which imitated Chinese porcelain. They adopted the features of Dutch Delft faience, Chinese landscapes, architecture, birds and plants. Motifs from Turkish faience, such as tulips, carnations, lilies of the valley and berries, also appear in their work during this period. These foreign designs persisted throughout the 18th century.
From the second half of the 18th century onwards, the influence of the Slovak environment is noticeable. Agricultural motifs, scenes from the stories of saints and patrons began to be used. The process of the discolouration of Haban majolica began.
