ZSOLNAY

Porcelain Manufacture Jsc.

More than Art

„It’s More than Manufacture
It’s Art Academy
It’s ZSOLNAY”
Bachar Najari
(Factory owner)

Warsaw
Berlin
Kiev

Prague
Paris

Munich Vienna
Budapest
Geneva Pécs
Zagreb
Milan Venice

Rome
History
The Zsolnay brand has stood for tradition, individuality, artistic value, and constant
renewal for over 160 years. Throughout its long history, it always managed to create
something new and of fundamental importance to the current era. It has played
a pioneering role both technologically and with regard to artistic techniques, and
managed to attract the most renowned contemporary scientists, artists, and architects.
The story of Zsolnay Porcelain Manufacture Jsc. started in Pécs, in the year 1853. It was
then that Miklós Zsolnay turned the hard tile manufactory of Lukafa into Zsolnay
Hard Tile Manufactory. After the company was incorporated, Zsolnay transferred
the company to his son, Ignác, in 1854, and had the original articles of incorporation
amended. The workshop that Ignác Zsolnay led for 10 years had rudimentary equipment,
and was designed to utilise manual power. It employed impoverished potters
(around 8 to 10 of them) who had produced their wares for the local market, and
were unable to compete with mass-produced goods. The company made stoneware
dishes, architectural ceramics, and water pipes.
The workshop was struggling with lack of capital, development, and automation,
and it had all but failed in the face of stiff competition on the market. It was saved
from being sold off at an auction by Ignác’s brother, Vilmos Zsolnay, who took over
the company in 1865, after spending a year as a silent partner. After that, the workshop
developed into a world-famous factory. In the mid-1870s, the company had between
15 and 20 labourers. The main driving forces behind its development were foreign
experts and the Zsolnay family.
Both Vilmos and his children, Teréz, Júlia, and Miklós took an active part in improving
the quality of the products, expanding their range, and establishing and maintaining
customer relationships. Experimentation and development became continuous,
and the workshop became so much a part of the family’s life that they even built
their own homes on the premises. Thanks to their relentless efforts and the perfect
technique and beauty of ivory glazing and high-fired decoration, the company soon
caught up with the best in contemporary ceramics industry, and became the first factory
to produce artistic ceramics in Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
The Hungarian and Persian style decorations designed by Teréz and Júlia Zsolnay in
1874 remained the most characteristic patterns used by Zsolnay until the end of the 1880s,
and they boosted the reputation of Hungarian ceramics both within and without the country.
Miklós Zsolnay took over the management of the company after his father’s death in
March 1900. He was a highly skilled and well-educated businessman who spoke several
languages, and he redefined production in the factory to ensure maximum utilisation
and to guarantee the maximum possible profit. Thanks to the new business
he attracted, the Zsolnay factory managed to solidify its position on the domestic
and international markets thanks to the addition of lucrative architectural ceramics
and industrial porcelain products to range of the decorative pieces, which were less
profitable.
Although 1,400 new patterns were developed between 1900 and 1902, along with
several new forms of glazing, Miklós’s period of management was characterised by
the predominance of industrial production. By 1910, the production of artistic and
decorative objects received a lot less attention. To satisfy the demands of contemporary
infrastructural developments, the factory focussed on the production of architectural
ceramics, stoves, pipes, and insulation.
During World War I, the production of decorative objects and architectural ceramics
all but stopped completely. They were replaced by industrial porcelain, especially
electrical insulation, which was used by the army. The global economic crisis and
impoverishment that characterised the period after the war, along with the loss of
raw material resources as a result of the new political and customs borders had a
very adverse effect on the Zsolnay factory. The problems were exacerbated by Miklós
Zsolnay’s illness, which was becoming increasingly more serious.
When Miklós died in 1922, the factory was taken over by his nephews, whom he had
adopted, and who had filled managerial positions for several years by then. The postwar
period was characterised by slow development, a complete reorganisation, and
the systematic introduction of electrical machinery. This coincided with phasing out
of porcelain faience and the launching of the manufacturing of porcelain. The company’s
survival was secured by converting to the production of porcelain, so porcelain
kitchenware was soon added to the range of porcelain insulation products.
In the first few years of government control, the primary focus was on renovating the
buildings damaged in the war and ensuring the continuity of production. During the
first five-year plan, the ‘Zsolnay’ Porcelain Factory Nationalised Company of Pécs, as
it was then known, made mostly industrial porcelain. Thanks to electrification and
industrial development efforts, the production of utility and ornamental dishes was
resumed in 1953, and the first steps towards designing a new kind of pyrogranite
were taken. In 1955, the stove and architectural ceramics businesses were revived.
In 1963, the company lost its independent status, and was merged into the National
Company for Fine Ceramics under the name of Pécs Porcelain Factory.
The history of the factory complex is intertwined not only with those of a city rich
in historical and cultural tradition and of an exceptionally talented family, but also
of the whole of Hungary. The name of the Zsolnay Family and the depiction of the
five towers after which the city was named in the Middle Ages have become known
and recognised all across Europe and around the world during the periods when
industry and commerce were not restrained by borders, social and economic development
were inspired by a desire for progress, and the unobstructed blossoming of culture
and the arts. With it’s amazing history, and importance in art and culture of Hungary,
in 2014 Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactue Jsc. has awarded by the state of Hungary
with the highest price, Zsolnay became a HUNGARICUM!
Eosin
This is Zsolnay’s most unique product, and the
glazing technique used is inimitable. Every object
is unique and irreproducible.
Eosin was developed in the 1890s by Vilmos
Zsolnay, with the help of Lajos Petrik, the Principal
of the Industrial School of Budapest, and
of Vince Wartha, a Professor at the University
of Technology. The name derives from the
Greek “eos” (flush of dawn), in reference to the
pale red colour of the end-product. In addition
to a range of eosin colours, several finishing
techniques were also developed at the Zsolnay
Factory, including hand-painting, etched, and
marbled. Eosin products were first produced in
1893. The technology of making this colourful
and iridescent glazing is a closely guarded secret
to this day.
It is used to create decorative objects and building
ornaments of various sizes. As the birth
of eosin coincided with the emergence of art
nouveau around the turn of the 19th and 20th
centuries, the new forms and decorative motifs
were used to full effect by world-famous artists
such as Sándor Apáti Abt, Lajos Mack, Géza
Nikelszky, and József Rippl-Rónai, who created
some truly astounding works of art using this
technique.
10 11

643516543283901 643516543283911
40x14cm 40x14cm
403530670084461
52x27cm

403510457003081 643516543283921
34,5x16cm 40x14cm
12 13

403518764070491
643518764085151
34x15cm
34x15cm

403518764073761
34x15cm 643518764085151
34x15cm
14 15

403530928370961
36x22,5cm

643510730084841
34x17xcm

403510717084781
22,5x17cm
403511172071251
21x18cm
16 17

403510071363641
48,5x20

643515684186151
93x59cm

303510071223261
48,5x20cm

633515684177571 643510071385731
93x59cm 48,5x20cm
18 19

403781102072871
15,5x35,2x23,5cm

40351383506691
31x25cm

403716072075171
16,5x37cm
403510644867001
29x41cm
20 21

643900250075651
38x3cm

303909970171621
40x3cm

643519761084421
32,5x8,5cm

403514101368801
17,5x24cm
22 23

403417037074221 643710733085461
28,5x36cm 25x30cm
24 25

501573901010070 Sample 03 Sample 04

501573901030070
15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm
15,8x15,8cm

501573901020070 Sample 01 Sample 05 Sample 06

15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm

501574100000070 Sample02 Sample 07 Sample 08

20x20cm 15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm 15,8x15,8cm
26 27

Porcelain
The decoratice porcelain objects and wonderful
tableware are easily recognised by their ivory
colour. They are made using a unique and plastic
decoration technique, burnt at a very high
temperature.
Vilmos Zsolnay was inspired by the fine material
of Chinese porcelain and the richness of
the colours of their glazing. He was committed
to refining the base materials, and spent years
searching for new substances and experimenting
with innumerable kinds of glazing. He
developed a new, softer glazing, and a novel
decoration process to match it. The rich colours
of the motifs used to decorate the body of the
objects, originally made of porcelain and faience
and covered with a soft porcelain coating,
are unique in the whole world. This new glazing
technique is also characterised by a plasticity
to its decorative motifs, achieved as a result
of the colouring mixed into the porcelain glazing.
While these items were originally made
of porcelain-faience, a material that combined
the best features of porcelain and faience, they
are now made exclusively out of porcelain. The
easily recognisable ivory glazing and the decoration technique, however, have
remained unchanged. For the development of the porcelain glazing technology,
Vilmos Zsolnay has been awarded the french Legion of Honour
28 29

303510531278741
24x15cm

633510797007141
31x11,5

633510531102911
21,5x13cm

303511741078821
28x11cm
30 31

633510783086471
55x32cm

633510871684361
633510883010131 65x32cm
49x23cm
633510071308451
45x18cm

633511170007621
24x14cm
32 33

303281275079401
18x19cm

633512081086241
38x20cm

633512081085841
38x20cm

633512081085851
38x20cm

303281275079351
18x19cm
34 35

633281631082331
15x15cm

303512783079211
31x16cm

633511027012241
31x16cm

633281631082331 303512710000001
15x15cm 14x20cm
36 37

633511027012241
72x55cm

633511027085531 633510637084731 303513374079371

72x55cm 100x36cm 83x32cm
38 39

303511502016791 633510705086171
40x17,5cm 58x44cm

303510190071941
32x19cm 633510761085751
44x26cm
40 41

633510646084151
115x55cm
303510871530001
49x20,5cm

303510871530001
49x20,5cm
633510646086161
115x55cm
42 43

633780718086041
28x39cm

303530928366871
37x24cm

303530928366871
37x24cm

303530928366871
37x24cm 303784660067411
24x29cm
44 45

403781103072871
15,5x35,2x23,5cm

303781103084381
15,5x35,2x23,5cm
633511073012671
48x35cm
46 47

633511181012681 633510455014701
32x17cm 37x26cm
 48 49

633510871685641
65x29cm
633510871585641 633909970285641
633909970184761 633530672084771
49,5x23cm 5x64cm
3x40,5cm 51x28cm
 50 51

633909970173331
3,5x40,5cm

303909970167051
4x40,5cm

633909970278831
5,5x64cm

633904246083371
4x46cm

303909970173581
3,5x40cm
52 53

Porcelain
Tableware
Spring
54 55

9100/178

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019100001781

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219100001781
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319100001781
Cake service: 7 piece / 302449100001781
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 302459100001781
Salad service: 7piece / 302419100001781
Summer
56 57

9100/183

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019100001831

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219100001831
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319100001831
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 302459100001831
Salad service: 7 piece / 302419100001831
Autumn
58 59

9100/176

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019100001831

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219100001761
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319100001761
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 302319100001761
Salad service: 7 piece / 302419100001761
Sissy
60 61

9100/144

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019170001441

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219100001441
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319100001441
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 302459170001441
Salad service: 7 piece / 302419170001441
Distance
62 63

9100/3274

Dinner service: 25 piece / 202019100032741

Mocha service: 9 piece / 202219100032741
Tea service: 9 piece / 202319100032741
Cake service: 7 piece / 202449100032741
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 202459100032741
Salad service: 7 piece / 202419100032741
Olive
64 65

9100/3290

Dinner service: 25 piece / 202019100032901

Mocha service: 9 piece / 202219100032901
Tea service: 9 piece / 202319100032901
Cake service: 7 piece / 202449100032901
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 202459100032901
Salad service: 7 piece / 202419100032901
Phoenix
66 67

9100/7005

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019170070051

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219100070051
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319100070051
Butterfly
68 69

9335/026

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019335000261

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219335000261
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319335000261
Cake service: 7 piece / 302449335000261
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 302459335000261
Salad service: 7 piece / 302419335000261
Cornflower
70 71

9335/059

Dinner service: 25 piece / 302019335000591

Mocha service: 9 piece / 302219335000591
Tea service: 9 piece / 302319335000591
Cake service: 7 piece / 302449335000591
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 302459335000591
Salad service: 7 piece / 302419335000591
Baroque 1.
72 73

9335/6026

Dinner service: 25 piece / 102019335060261

Mocha service: 9 piece / 102219335060261
Tea service: 9 piece / 102319335060261
Cake service: 7 piece / 102449335060261
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 102459335060261
Salad service: 7 piece / 102419335060261
Pompadour I.
74 75

9335/6100

Dinner service: 25 piece / 202019335061001

Mocha service: 9 piece / 202219335061001
Tea service: 9 piece / 202319335061001
Cake service: 7 piece / 202449335061001
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 202459335061001
Salad service: 7 piece / 202419335061001
Pompadour III.
76 77

9335/6074

Dinner service: 25 piece / 202019335060741

Mocha service: 9 piece / 202219335060741
Tea service: 9 piece / 202319335060741
Cake service: 7 piece / 202449335060741
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 202459335060741
Salad service: 7 piece / 202419335060741
Baroque 2.
78 79

9335/9257

Dinner service: 25 piece / 102019335092571

Mocha service: 9 piece / 102219335092571
Tea service: 9 piece / 102319335092571
Cake service: 7 piece / 102449335092571
Sandwich service: 7 piece / 102459335092571
Salad service: 7 piece / 102419335092571
 80 81

Pirogranite
A lot of buildings erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, typically built in the art
nouveau style, were decorated using Zsolnay ceramics products. To this day, they bear silent
witness to the durability of pirogranite. Pyrogranite’ refers to a range of ceramics developed by
the Zsolnay company in the early 1880s. The name is a combinationof ‘pyro’, which refers to
the high temperature at which the products are burnt, and ‘granite’, which signifies durability.
This porous material resists acids and sub-zero temperatures, which means that it can endure
damp, cold, and the polluted city air. As a result, it is ideal for decorating buildings, roof tiling,
and making ornamental objects to be displayed indoors or outdoors, or stoves and fireplaces.
82 83

504568401010530
93x59cm
504568402000530
93x59cm

504568401010530
93x59cm
504568402000530
93x59cm
504568401010050
93x59cm
504568402000550
93x59cm
84 85

504565600009130
107x45cm
504569000009140
119x43cm
504565600009130 504569000009130
107x45cm 119x43cm

504569000009130
504565605000050 119x43cm
107x45cm
86 87

504547400009140
504595600001130 127x43cm
130x70cm
504547400009130
127x43cm
504595600001130
504547400000050
130x70cm
504549301800520
127x43cm
88 89

503599700000020
98x130cm

504599701000040
41x38cm
90 91

504547300009130
128x40cm

504545700000340
504547300000140
128x40cm
504545700000350
504547300000050
504545709000050 128x40cm
128x40cm
Interior design
92 93

Ceramic Wallpanel
94 95

Angkor Temple Complex, Cambodia

Material: Interrior glazed ceramics
Production: Manufactural
 Oman
96 97
Desert sand, Oman
Material: Interrior glazed ceramics
Production: Manufactural
 Valetta
98 99
Fort Castrum Maris, Malta
Material: Interrior glazed ceramics
Production: Manufactural
 Wyoming
100 101

Devil’s Tower / Basalt hill, USA

Material: Interrior glazed ceramics
Production: Manufactural
 Marmalada
102 103
Dolomites, Italy
Material: Interrior glazed ceramics
Production: Manufactural
 Contact:
37th. Zsolnay Vilmos street, Pécs
Hungary, 7630
Tel: +36 (72) 507-600
Fax: +36 (72) 507-604
E-mail: porcelain@zsolnay.hu