Plate

The surface of the round plate is slightly concave, flat, with a slanted, plain rim. The edge of the concavity and the rim are lined with ultramarine, just like the contours of the motifs that are covered with swelling glaze. The rim is decorated with a continuous row of clouds, the cavity with stylized chrysanthemums. Broad leaves spring from the flower stems, spread like fans, with two large, loose blossoms and a third one bending downwards. The background is dull green the motifs are painted in two different shades of light grayish green. The shape of the plate was designed as part of the dish set No. 431, in 1877. Its décor sketch can be found in the Décor Book 8th of the Zsolnay factory, under No. 5821, with a note „Rippl-Rónai 1898-ból”. The tasksd of the factory painters was often eased by sketching the contours in advance. The contours were stenciled on paus or lead sheets, and by rubbing some powdered carbon over them the pattern was transferred to the surface. With the same paus method, the sketch 5821 was copied into the Décor Book. Since there are several smaller differences in the details of the 1913 drawing and the painted plate, it is certain that the plate was not painted after the sketch model. In Décor Book 5th from 1898 we can find the sketch of the chrysanthemum stem under No. 2730, handmade, without any remarks or inscriptions.