Wire art
The roots of slovakian wire art reach to 17th century. The wire art was extended mostly in areas of Trencin, Velke Rovne, Dlhe Pole, Kolarovce.
Mostly men have worked in Sliezko in wire factories. Here they have learned the wire techniques and then they tough it their women and children.
The firs wire artists were simple tinkers, which were beginning with repairs of miscellanous ceramic pots, jugs, mugs, bowls� Eventually they braided
the new ceramic pots, to prevent their damages. Gradually the tinkers worked out to production of different wire utilities for households - wire sieve,
wire bowls, wire baskets, wire napkin holders, wire mousetraps (some of them were similar to fish traps, just smaller - the wire oval net with a taper
entrance, the fish, witch sail in to the wire net can not sail out). But the tinkers made the mouse traps also on other principles like lathes and so on�
But these were not their only wire products, eventually they became the real wire artists of the real wire art.
Wire art work
Between the tinkers wire art belong wire holders for candles, the wire art works like lustres, wire vases, figures of people and animals and other wire art works.
The tinkers were wandering craftsmen, which often went looking for the job to Russia, China or America. The wire mastery of our slovakian wire artists then have
learned the Polish tinkers. The wire mastery of Slovakian wire artist has gradually evolved.
The wire was their basic material, which the wire artists used. Into their rig belonged also awl, tongs, tin - plate, hammer, scissors, anvil, mandrel, punch,
chisel, goose quill, blowlamp, acid.
By the repairs of pots, the tinkers snaked, braided or through single cracks or by the awl made holes passed through the wire, which ends firmly tightened.
For joining of the damaged bits of pots they used also iron clips, they made alternate handles to pots. Before the wiring of the bits of the damaged pot, were
usually stuck together with glue, or bread sodden in slobbers. The pot was wired right if the water did not leak out through the joined parts.
The patterns of
wire braiding were different, however each required a great skill and calm hand of wire men to know play with the rude wire like with the stitch. To prevent the
hands exudation, the tinker nuzzled palms in a dust or sand.
The wire art improves
The tinkers in stages improved their wire art work - they braided also porcelain ware or pipes by the cooper stainless wire. By this wiring they used more art elements.
The wandering tinkers were becoming settlers in particular towns, where the work has brought them. Here they founded manufactories or workshops where the produced miscellanous
wire ware but also did the jobs of plumbers and fitters.
Not just this evolution and the wire art skills of wire art men, but also consistent declining of demand for wire repairs and wire ware, because of a rapid development of industry,
materials, and that means lower costs for production industrially, led to decadence of this handcraft, which begin after the first world war. Today we hardly meet a wandering tinker.
Henceforth however live people, who strives to preserve the tradition of the wire art and their work present at many markets, actions of artisans, museums�
Very interesting and singular exposition of the wire art you find in the oldest museum of wire art, which is situated in Povazske museum in Zilina at Budatins castle.
They have prepared for the year 2004 more actions which are devoted to the wire art, also the 4th trienale of representative show of contemporary wire creation
"Wire Metamorphoses 04".
Source: Gulej Karol: The world of wire men, Matica Slovenska 1992
View the Jozef Zoller's wire collection,the finest wire artist.
All the wire ware is nickled, and is safe for health. It is safe to put fruit into wire bowls and the
wire can contact water.