English 
Slovenian COOPERATION WITH THE MUNICIPALITY OF NOVO MESTO - MANUFACTURE OF PROTOCOL PRODUCTS
All of Polona Zajc's protocol products in pottery, presented in this series, were created according to the conceptual design of the painter and sculptor Jožica Škof. The first project is called Novo mesto- mesto Situl. In this project, the main role is played by a cup - a situla. The second project consists of a pottery depicting Julija Primic, the muse of France Prešeren, and a pottery depicting the writer Janez Trdina. The slogan of the third project is The Year of Amber in Novo mesto.
MAKING PROTOCOL PRODUCTS: NOVO MESTO - MESTO SITUL
The project, in which the figuration of the Novo mesto Situla plays the main role, is based on the slogan of the Novo mesto municipality - the town of Situl. The situla cup was created with the idea of recreating a beautiful archaeological object, intended for the project of making protocol products.
The situla is a metal bucket dating from the Iron Age in the Hallstatt period. Archaeologists have also found several examples in the area of Novo mesto, including 9 examples with the characteristic figuration of the Novo mesto situla. It is because of these wonderful archaeological finds that Novo mesto is called Novo mesto - the city of Situla. And recreating the figuration of the situlas of Novo mesto is the main idea behind the project for the production of protocol products.
The cup-situla with the figuration of the Novo mesto situla is a modern, useful object, which with its patina appearance is reminiscent of the old water buckets - situlas. It also represents the slogan of the municipality of Novo mesto - the city of Situla.
The cup-situla was created as part of pottery art design in Zajc Polona's workshop in Mengeš. The basic idea was to transfer the horses and other symbols representing the figuration of the Novo mesto situla onto a cup. The shape of the handle is designed to resemble the twisted wire handle in the shape of a duck's head on the original. The situla cup is sprayed with a combination of two glazes to give it a patinated appearance, while at the same time emphasising the figuration of the Novomeška situla. After firing at a high temperature, a beautiful cup with the figuration of the Novomeška situla was created.
Two more samples of ceramic vessels were produced as part of the project on the production of protocol products on the theme of Novo mesto - the city of Situl.
- Cup and saucer and candle holder (a cup and saucer was chosen for the protocol project).
foto: Peter Žunič Fabjančič, arhiv MONM
foto: Špela Černigoj
foto: Špela Černigoj
PRODUCTION OF PROTOCOL PRODUCTS: POTTERY DEPICTING THE MUSE OF FRANCE PREŠEREN, JULIA PRIMIC
In the following year, Polona Zajc's protocol products were based on the theme of France Prešeren's muse, Julija. He dedicated one of his most famous poems, Sonetni venec (1834), to her. Later, she moved with her husband to Novo mesto, where she and her family spent a third of her life and where she is buried. The pottery bottle Julija Primic is called Julija's Drops.
As part of her Potteray art in clay, Polona Zajc also made a coffee cup called the Julija cup, where the main character is again the muse of France Prešeren, Julija Primic.
Both the bottle and the cup are made of white clay. The bottle is a stylised image of a female silhouette, with a shape on the top taken from Langus's most famous portrait, with the characteristic blue scarf.
The cup bears a stylised portrait of Langus with a blue scarf, depicting Julija Primic, the muse of France Prešeren. The gold glaze with a combination of soft blue gives it a festive touch.
foto: Peter Žunič Fabjančič, arhiv MONM
foto: Peter Žunič Fabjančič, arhiv MONM
MAKING PROTOCOL PRODUCTS: A POTTERY BOTTLE REPRESENTING THE WRITER JANEZ TRDINA
Within the framework of the project for the production of protocolary products, a pottery art design by Polona Zajc was created, on which the writer Janez Trdina is represented. Janez Trdina.
The writer Janez Trdina lived in Novo mesto after his retirement. He travelled through Dolenjska and Bela krajina, recording the life, work, beliefs and customs of the local people. This is how his many literary works came into being. Hence the idea of naming the pottery bottle, Trdin's good thought, which illustrates the work and life of a Slovenian writer.
The Janez Trdina pottery bottleis made of dark brown clay and represents the shape of a male figure. The writer Janez Trdina is depicted on the belly of the pottery, as a stylised profile portrait.
foto: Peter Žunič Fabjančič, arhiv MONM
MAKING PROTOCOL PRODUCTS: THE MUNICIPALITY OF NOVO MESTO HAS NAMED 2017 THE YEAR OF AMBER IN NOVO MESTO
The Amber Berry is one of the many archaeological finds in the area of Novo mesto. Hence the idea for the Year of Amber in Novo mesto project.
Amber is the petrified resin of coniferous trees. The largest and most important deposits lie in the Baltic Sea area. Part of the amber route connecting the shores of the Baltic with the Mediterranean Sea also passed through Dolenjska in prehistoric times, to Novo mesto and further south, which at that time was one of the European centres and the seat of the princes, a multitude of amber products have been preserved, the most important of which is the amber strawberry, which was the trigger for the Year of Amber in Novo mesto project.
The idea for the Year of Amber in Novo mesto was based on the shape and colour of the amber berry, which was found at archaeological sites in Novo mesto and is a characteristic iridescent yellow-red-brown colour with an incised pattern. The amber strawberry appeared as amber jewellery, but also in glass and iron.
Several examples of pottery vessels depicting the amber strawberry were produced on the theme of the Year of Amber in Novo mesto.
As part of the Year of Amber in Novo mesto project, the vessels, made by Polona Zajc in the style of pottery art clay design, were purchased by the Dolenjska Museum and are included in its souvenir sales programme, as well as being used as a conceptual design for the production of protocol products.
foto: domači arhiv
