Swiss Folk Art Pottery Wall Plates with Hot Air Balloon Motif

Pair of vintage 1970s, Swiss folk art ceramic wall Plates with 2 different, hand painted Hot Air Balloon motifs, one in a golden yellow and blue colorway and the other in the same golden yellow but with green accents. These lovely traditional Swiss style plates were made in the Heimberg-Steffisberg ceramic producing region near the country's capital of Bern and are attributed to the ceramic firm there under the hand of Hans Schneider. Schneider (1923-2006), a master potter from nearby Sepftigen, where he had an established pottery studio with his wife, purchased the extensive ceramics operation of the Wanzenreid Manufactury in Stiffisberg in 1961. The company's original pottery facility was built in 1820 and taken over by Johann Wanzenreid Jr from his father in 1878 who had expanded the facility to include production of other items such as glass. A private investor purchased the operations in 1912, failing to be able to successfully run the business. Wanzenreid's widow bought the compa