Pair of vases

The short foot holds a pear-shaped body, which ends in a horny top, supported by a protruding, ringed neck. The whole surface of the body is covered with the faceted and carved decoration. The line of circles and small rods are followed with a flowery frieze of regularly repeated elements. The middle of the body shows two almost identical, bearded male figure with moustache, both in an oval, cartouche-like frame. The other, also framed illustration depicts a bird with a ram or a lion. These are raised over the surface with cameo carving the "set-in", flowery background is gilt, following Byzantine models. There is a frieze of birds and rams between the top rim and the ring of the neck. The object combines motifs of Hungarian folkloric woodwork and the oriental, Hungarian trend of historicism. Pieces with identical shape and technique but with different decoration are published by Dr. Vince Wartha (see Wartha 1897 p. 189, the photos of the objects on the two sides).