Vase - with stag beetle

Born in 1878, Gusztáv Jancsurák was one of the leading coppersmiths of the Art Nouveau period. Better known than his own designs are his executions of designs by famous artists e.g. Pál Horti (1865–1907) whose drawings as well as patinating technique were surely used by Gusztáv Jancsurák. Little is known of him, although he regularly participated in the Christmas exhibitions of the Society of Decorative Arts and even won a medal awarded by the minister of trade. This small vase adorned with oak leaves and stag-beetles in relief came into the Museum of Applied Arts as part of a set of objects originating from the descendants of Jancsurák living in the countryside. The typical ornamental motif of the technically virtuosic, finely embossed piece made after Pál Horti’s design returns on several other objects: a similar but smaller vase, a cigarette holder and a round little table. The small table was on display at the furniture exhibition of Hungarian Art Nouveau curated by Zsolt Somogyi in theMuseum of Applied Arts in 2009.