Pottery

Pottery for everyday use

The production of pottery in the canton of Berne has been of great economic importance since the 17th century; the pottery from Langnau, for instance, was well-known far and wide. Heimberg and the Simmental were also centres for the production of pottery. “What I make here in Ballenberg is pottery for everyday use”, explains Kaspar Würgler. These are pieces that were produced in simple workshops and put on the table on weekdays. The more refined Sunday crockery, mostly made from stoneware or porcelain, came from the factories. Würgler uses an electric wheel. In the museum he points out the foot-driven wheel used by his father who was also a potter. Würgler, who completed an apprenticeship as a potter, says he learned a lot from his father. An apprenticeship alone is not enough. “During the four years as an apprentice you learn just enough to know how to turn a wheel. Then the real learning process starts”.

All the various stages of production are to be seen at Ballenberg, from the turning on the wheel, to the pre-firing (bisque firing), to the glaze firing, to the engobe decoration. The potteryware can be purchased directly in the pottery workshop.