The Zsolnay ceramics factory (1852-persent; Pecs, Hungary) is the manufacturer of some of the most beautiful and innovative artistic products of fine china and ceramics. Opened originally by Ignac Zsolnay in 1852, the factory gained international acclaim and developed into the largest ceramics manufacturing complex of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after Ignac's brother, Vilmos took over the company. Vilmos, regarded by his contemporaries as the greatest Hungarian potter, revolutionized production by employing skilled workers from abroad, training village potters on site, and producing the factory's own raw materials.


Zsolnay products range from such items as industrial porcelain, terra cotta for the construction industry, and tableware, to richly decorated vessels, jugs, flower pots, figurines, and even ceramics necklaces. It gained a worldwide reputation for its pioneering use of special glazes and ornamentation techniques, including the iridescent glaze Eosine and a frost-proof material, Pyrogranite, employed in the ornamentation of buildings' exteriors. (See the Ornamented Palace, Kecskemet.)



The Zsolnay products are characterized by their extraordinary richness of color and imaginative design; and the styles of decoration used here range from those inspired by ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Hungarian folk ceramics, to those applying elements of the Persian and Turkish ceramic arts. The hand-painted Zsolnay ware are works of art in their own, but the “sense of accomplishment” for owning some of their products is heightened by single- or small production items, which would become treasured gems of a posh living-room anywhere in the world.


This coming June 23, 2007, between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm, Zsolnay opens its gates for visitors to take a guided tour of the factory, attend a workshop held by the hand-painters, and then try their artistic skills in producing a Zsolnay piece themselves.


Naturally, the factory’s store will also be open for shoppers.


Zsolnay Open House

Location:

Zsolnay Porcelain Manufacture CC.
Pecs, Hungary
Zsolnay V. Str. 37

Date: Saturday, June 23, 2007
Time: 09.00 - 13.00




Vase pictures: Klugex Inc., U.S. importer of Hungarian porcelain and art products; authorized distributor for the Zsolnay and Hollohaza porcelain factories.




Links of interest:

Zsolnay Tile Museum and Zsolnay Store of Newport, Rhode Island

Art Nouveau and Japonist Ceramic Masterworks, Jason Jacques Inc., New York, NY