Viana do Castelo, capital of Alto Minho, charming because of its extraordinary panoramic view, which owns its main conditions of existence and development to the river and sea, has its origin in the charter given by D. João III in 1258. « … in 1258, the Count of Bolonha laid the first foundations of a village which took the old name of the place which in old times was settled at the top of a near mount, where it was buried and forgotten in its ruins.»
The natural attributes of this region gave to the craftsman of Viana notable qualities of artistic expression.
So, in the XVIII century emerged in this land one of the most qualified ceramic centres in Portugal.
«Viana do Castelo» is for the collector and lover of art one of the most respected sign of Portuguese faience. The word «Viana», carefully written, figures in old blue and white coloured tools of pharmacy. In museums and collections, we can find a «V», in bordeaux or yellow, in old plates well decorated, in inkpots, in sinks of blessed water, flower-pots and in many other pieces of use more or less refined. The first factory is dated from 1774.
The ceramic of Viana had always a relevant role in Portugal. Here were made, for the first time, in the past, faiences which, through its decorations, tried to imitate precious porcelains that the Portuguese sailors imported to Europe. With the desire of competing with the porcelain and through a special process of addition of kaolin, emerged a type of faience particularly fine, the «sonant» faience, truly «vibrant».
Even in the first periods of manufacture were made, besides crockery, utensils richly painted for pharmacies, churches and monasteries. The painting of that epoch was, specially, monochromatic: blue or «vinous», this is, a purple red colour. This work prospered, specially with the exportation to Brazil through the harbour of Viana.
The new products of Viana are rigorously, a variance of porcelain and not traditional crockery. It is a kind of crockery resistant and heavy as porcelain which was used in hotels in our grandparents time.
From the different regions of Portugal where, since then, the ceramic industry is centralised, the North as always been distinguished for the quality and artistic value of its faience products. And the District of Viana do Castelo assumes a preponderant place, thanks to the thinnest kaolin proceeding from the abundant barriers of Alvarães, in the municipality of Viana do Castelo. The Faience of Viana hand painted above a lacteal bottom is extremely appreciated by the collectors, for the variety and originality of shapes and decoration, polychrome or monochromatic, with predominance of blue and bordeaux.
"The blue colours start with the most intense shade and dilute themselves in successive waters in the different shades of the ski and waters which reflect them in the river and sea in this region of "Alto Minho".
The Regional Crockery Factory of Viana, in Meadela (Viana do Castelo), has been highly interested in maintaining the tradition of Viana’s faience, always searching the best conditions of production and the constant improvement of the artistic work of the pieces, hand painted by delicate craftsmen of the region, in the line of the traditional motives of Viana’s Faience.
In Viana each piece is hand painted, this is, rigorously hand painted and not one or two strokes over the printed motive.
With a certain personal knowledge, here is created an unique porcelain, the one which is elaborated according to the inspirations which insert themselves in the truly sense of tradition of Portuguese faience and which satisfies the bigger exigencies. Each piece is, and should be, unique. A hand painted plate of the morning will never be equal to one the artist ends in the afternoon, because it is always dependent of his personality, which guaranties to his work his individuality. Each piece – even a simple vase, even a platter - is a truly piece of collection.
A rigorous selection of the materials permits producing pieces without cade and lead, and because the temperature of boiling exceeds the 1415º C, the pieces present themselves with zero degrees of absorption.
Ceramic Arts of Viana can be found on an international database of Ceramic Arts: About.com Ceramics THE starting place for exploring ceramics.