Zsolnay Art Tile Collection

Circa 1878-1915

The Marriage of Ceramics to Architecture & Furniture


The Drawing Room Antiques

152 Spring Street

Newport, RI 02840 USA

drawrm@hotmail.com


#269. A pair of Austrian Secession style tables in the Wiener Werkstatte style copying designs by Josef Hoffman. Inset with Zsolnay tiles (unmarked) made of eosin glazed pyrogranite originally used in the Turin Exhibition of 1911. Installed in the Water Court which was one of the most mystical rooms ever created for an international exhibition. The entire Hungarian Exhibition building was designed to reflect Hungary's' ancient past as well as its relationship to the early 20th century. Extremely sever in design yet very contemporary. These tiles were used in a low light level room such as the Water Court because of the ability of the metallic eosin glaze and decoration to reflect any indirect light. These large panels (app.20" square) set in series created an exciting and illuminating contrast to other design elements. Excellent photo documentation about this exhibition is pictured in a book titled: "Panorama: Architecture and Applied Arts in Hungary 1896-1916" which was a companion guide to an exhibition that took place in Kyoto (Sept.5-October 22, 1995) at the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art and in Tokyo (Jan.5-Feb.12,1996) at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. Tiles from the same exhibition (Turin/1911) were exhibited in the Japanese Museums. We brought these tiles back from Hungary 30 + years ago and had the tables custom made specifically for the tiles. The wood is chalked ebonized oak. Size of each table is 24" x 24" x 30" tall. Condition: edge flakes to the tiles and a corner chip to one of the glass tops. Price: $10,000.00 the pair.


Item zt72. A Zsolnay pottery tile. From the Rudolph Schmutz collection - purchased from him in 1997. Size: 5.5" square. Factory mark on the backside. Framed in an oak frame that is 18" square. Price: $1,500.00.


Item zt57. A Zsolnay pottery tile. From the Rudolph Schmutz collection - purchased from him in 1997. Size: 5.5" square. Notations on the back with formula numbers. Factory # "D 4764" Framed in a chalked oak frame that is 18" square. Price: $1,500.00.


#181. A collection of 12 Zsolnay tiles (unmarked) made of eosin glazed pyrogranite originally used in the Turin Exhibition of 1911. Installed in the Water Court which was one of the most mystical rooms ever created for an international exhibition. The entire Hungarian Exhibition building was designed to reflect Hungary's' ancient past as well as its relationship to the early 20th century. Extremely severe in design yet very contemporary. These tiles were used in a low light level room such as the Water Court because of the ability of the metallic eosin glaze and decoration to reflect any indirect light. Excellent photo documentation about this exhibition is pictured in a book titled: "Panorama: Architecture and Applied Arts in Hungary 1896-1916" which was a companion guide to an exhibition that took place in Kyoto (Sept.5-October 22, 1995) at the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art and in Tokyo (Jan.5-Feb.12,1996) at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. Tiles from the same exhibition (Turin/1911) were exhibited in the Japanese Museums. We brought these tiles back from Hungary many years ago and had the table custom made specifically for the tile and consists of 12 Zsolnay tiles; each size is app. 4" x 4" and the table is 16.5" x 12.5" and is 20" tall. The top is a single piece of 3/4" glass. The base is cast and wrought iron. Condition of the tiles: minor edge flakes and surface rubbing. Price: $3,000.00.


Tile 1. Impressed Zsolnay Pecs on the reverse. Organic designs are common for Zsolnay tiles and this one with its beautiful red flower and Eosin highlighted leaves is a fine example. The leaf appears to be an Elephant Ear leaf. Circa 1885-1914. The size is app. 6" x 6". Purchased from Rudolf Schmutz in his apartment in Vienna Austria. Price: $2,000.00.


Tile #8. Zsolnay Art Nouveau Tile. Size: 6" square. Factory mark on the back side: "Zsolnay V. Pecs" and in pencil "2571" Condition: multiple front edge 'flea bites' and a scratch on the lower right quadrant. We purchased this tile from Rudolf Schmutz from his apartment in Vienna Austria many years ago. Pictured in Waltraud Neuwirth's book Blühender Jugendstil Book 1 on page 30. The photo in the book is brighter than the tile. It must have been enhanced for the publication. Price: $1,500.000.


Tile # 3. 4" square. Unmarked and circa 1900-1914. A beautiful and vibrant green Eosin decorated flower against a purple metallic glaze. Pictured in Waltraud Neuwirth's book Blühender Jugendstil Book 1 on page 30. This decor was first used by the Zsolnay Factory at The Hungarian House of Venice, 1909 in the decoration of the Hungarian Pavilion for the Venice Biennial. It was designed by Géza Nikelszky. Normal glaze wear. Purchased from Rudold Schmutz in his apartment in Vienna Austria. Price: $750.00.


Tile #4. A small tile : 4 " square with a wonderful glaze and decoration. Bright red flowers against a green eosin background. Between 1900 and 1914. Unmarked and in very fine condition. Purchased from Rudolf Schmutz in his apartment in Vienna Austria. Price: $1,000.00.


Tile # 5. Broad olive green leaves contrast against a green, blue and gold eosin background. 6" square. Turn of the Century. Pictured in Waltraud Neuwirth's book Blühender Jugendstil Book 1 on page 14. Unmarked and minor surface wear. Circa 1900-1914. Purchased from Rudolf Schmutz in his apartment in Vienna Austria. Price: $2,500.00.


Tile # 6. In the world of tiles this is truly a masterpiece. A reflection in water of foliage and a spider web. Blue and gold eosin glaze. Size: 6 " square. Strongly Japanesque-Aesthetic in feeling. Unmarked; scratch and normal wear. Circa 1890-1914. Price: $1,500.00.


Tile #8. This is the largest Zsolnay pictorial tile we have ever seen, 25¾" X 19¾" and believe it to be the only one in existence. Although there is one sizable corner over painted and a 14" crack, this piece remains a unique museum example. Circa 1900-1914 showing a late use of the Japanesque Aesthetic with Ringtail pheasants and dogwood possibly designed by artist Lajos Mack who specialized in exotic birds among other things. New chalked and blackened oak Secession style frame now holds this tile. Note: The dark repair line was greatly overpainted and that overpainting has been removed to reveal a very thin and much less noticeable glaze crack; also the contemporary wire frame has been removed. The signature scratched of Ronai on the back of the tile was discovered when the wire was removed. Price: $8,250.00.


# 9. Impressed Zsolnay Pecs, 5 steeple and T.J.M. date this 5 piece Magyar-Isnik decor. Was made as a mirror or window frame and dates 1878-1900. Sizable edge chipping to one piece and minor chips to the other four. Obviously 3 pieces are missing to complete the frame. Two corner tiles and three rectangular tiles. The corner tiles are 3.5" x 3.5" and the rectangular tiles are 3.25" x 11.5". {caln}


Tile # 9 A Signed (on the reverse "Zsolnay Pecs" ceramic tile. Circa 1880-85. Size: 6" x 6". Aesthetic / Japanesque design. Hand painted. Probably by one of the daughters. Condition: very good: small edge flaking on the backside. Price: $300.00.


Tile # 10. A Zsolnay signed (factory mark on the back: "Zsolnay Pecs"). 6" square. Turn of the Century. Majolica glaze depicting high style Art Nouveau decorations. Price: $250.00.


Tile # 11. A Zsolnay tile. Signed (on the reverse "Zsolnay Pecs" ceramic tile. Circa 1900. Size: 6.75" diameter. Marbled red glaze with ochre streaks and veining. Condition: without issue. Price: $425.00.


The Zsolnay factory became a leader in industrial ceramics production throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By 1898, 23% of ceramics production within the Monarchy was produced at the Zsolnay Factory in Pecs and within a short period, Zsolnay became the largest producer of ceramics within the Empire. There was nothing that the factory could not produce in ceramics and with the advent of the invention by Zsolnay of frost resistant Pyrogranite, by the end of the 1880's architects through the Empire now had a new construction material with which to implement their Secession designs. The Architectural Ceramics Departments along with electro-porcelain branches of the factory had the highest financial production value for the factory. Ornamental wares produced in the Faience Departments always operated at a loss. Tiles because of their unique application, crossed over into both the Architectural and "Artistic" Faience Departments: usually made of Pyrogranite, yet artistically decorated and glazed by Faience Department artists. Pyrogranite was created by the Zsolnay Factory to act as a moulded stoneware. The Factory started using the name in 1893. To be used mostly for architectural purposes and it had non-freezing properties. It could be made from fine grain or course grain quartz, refractory clay and ground chamotte. It could be produced with either an unglazed or salt glazed surface, could be colored, would accept a majolica glaze, gres {artistic}glazes or eosin decoration. The tiles are usually very dense and were first fired between 1200 to 1300 degrees. After decoration, a second firing {or more} completed the process. The invention of the Eosin glazes by Zsolnay opened yet another door to extraordinary glaze decorations. With these successes the link between the Zsolnay factory and Hungarian architects such as Odon Lechner, Imre Steindl and Bela Lajta was assured. It was the design by Lechner of the Museum of Applied Arts with the Zsolnay factory ornamentation that embodied the spirit of the Millennia festivities in 1896.


" Within the success of the new Magyar style in architecture and design, the Zsolnay Factory in local town Pecs contributed significantly with the production of beautiful ceramic tiles. The ceramic tiles and decorative pottery produced in the Zsolnay Factory, known for their elegant colors and glossy hues, were widely used in not only architectural but also applied arts as a material representing the Hungarian Art Nouveau. In particular, at international exhibitions held in various parts of Europe around 1900, Hungarian pavilions featuring the Zsolnay Factory's ceramics with their outstanding artistic quality as the main exhibits sent a shock wave among the art world." {Sept.1995: 'Panorama: Architecture and Applied Arts in Hungary 1896-1916' Hideo Tomiyama, Director-The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto and Hiroshi Ueki, Director-The National Museum of Modern art, Tokyo}


Tile production at the factory represents one of the finest chapters for the Zsolnay family. The creation of functional art is uniquely brought together in a 6" square of pottery.


"Zsolnay Ceramics Collecting a Culture" with price guide: "This beautifully illustrated guide to Zsolnay ceramics featuring over 400 color photographs covers the three main periods of Zsolnay production, including 1868 to 1897-Folklorism, Historicism &Victorian Eclecticism; 1897 to 1920-Art Nouveau (Secession in Central European terms) and Art Deco (Second Secession); 1920 to the present-Modernism. An entire chapter; fully illustrated is also dedicated to Zsolnay marks to help collectors identity their pieces." This book is 191 pages and is a large format hard cover. The over 400 color photos detail Zsolnay by size, form number, date of production and current market value. Price: $49.95 + shipping.


WHERE TO VIEW ZSOLNAY ARCHITECTURAL TILES IN BUDAPEST:

Geological Institute (Odon Lechner) 1898-1899; The Church in Dezso Szilagyi Square ( Samu Pecz)1893-1896; The Kobanya Church ( Odon Lechner and Otto Tandor) 1896-1897; Matthias Church (Frigyes Schulek); Post Office Savings Bank, The National Archives, University of Technology, Budapest Zoo (cupola of the House of the Pachyderm), The Gellert Bath ( 1917); the new Town Hall of Budapest ( Imre Steindl) 1873; The quadrangles of the Parliament ( Imre Steindl) 1894-1895; College of Music, Electrical Works Museum, ArtGallery (Albert Schickendasnz) 1894-1895; Opera ( Miklos Ybl) 1884. And . . . of course, just walking the streets of Buda and Pest you never know when you will come across a Zsolnay tile or architectural element: As ceramics manufacturer for the Empire, Zsolnay left his mark everywhere.


"Zsolnay: Collecting a Culture"


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If you have an interest in selling Zsolnay or are a collector and wish to know more about a particular Zsolnay item, just email us or give us a call and we would be glad to be of assistance.

If you have a question about any of the items in this gallery please drop us a line or Email us. Email us at: drawrm@hotmail.com. Our gallery The Drawing Room Antiques is located at 152-154 Spring Street, Newport, Rhode Island 02840 and our phone number there is 1-401-841-5060 / cell 1-401-261-3980.