Vase

The round, short foot supports an egg-shaped vase, with a plain, standing, outwardly bend top rim stemming from the shoulders. The object is decorated with virtuosity the beauty of the pinkish Chinese porcelain glaze, effective in the scattered, cloudy spots, was a novelty in Europe at that time. The almost perfected high-fired glaze technique (or Scharffeuer Email as it was called) provided the necessary tools for the detailed drawing and shaded painting of the Renaissance.

An image of a horse march decorates the surface. The painting was modelled on the engraving about the march of Emperor Maximilian I (see Alwin Schutz: Der Weisskunig. Nach den Dictaten und eigenhändigen Aufzeichnungen Kaiser Maximilianus I. Zusammgestelt von Max Treitsauerwein von Ehrentreitz. In: Jaharbuch der Kunsthistorische Sammlungen des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses, Wien, 1888).

The polychrome painting runs along the whole surface, showing three armoured knights on horseback, with all arms and ornaments, wreathed horses and flags with coat of arms. There is a city wall with bastions in the background. The top rim is decorated with 14 escutcheons. The design can be identified as drawing No. 909 in the Decor Book II. Despite of the number 841 pressed in paste on the foot, the real façon number of the vase was 869 in Façon Book II. The referring date in Teréz Zsolnay's notebook is October, 1882. A similar design with two knights can be seen on a signed, coloured design of Kelemen Kaldeway (JPM A. 61 .452.33).

A plate with analogous decoration is now in the Janus Pannonius Museum of Pécs, decor Number 9081/2). The historical authenticity of the illustration, coupled with the unique technique and the excellent production rise the value of the object.