Pendant (Crocus)

The hand-shaped ceramic decoration is fixed on a sliver plate, covered with polychrome glaze. It shapes violet-coloured crocus buds (Crocus variegatus), enclosing an ivory-coloured female face with long hair. The top part of the pendant is equipped with a silver shank, while the bottom is enriched with pendent bead, covered with eozin glaze. The reverse is engraved with the inscription “1905 nov 5.én Józsi”, referring to the owner (The pendant was ordered by Dr. József Alföldi for her fiancée, Irma Angyal). Jewellery production was started in the Zsolnay factory on the initiative of Pál Horti and Samu Hibján. Several of these pieces were introduced at the 1902 Christmas exhibition of the Society for Applied Arts. This pendant, the drawing of which is listed in the ’’Jewellery” pattern book of the Zsolnay factory (see JPM Archives Inv.No. 1432- 81) under No. 12, was also among them, costing 6.50 koronás. Another “Carrara marmor” version of this object, resembling Carrara marble, was also produced for P. Horti and S. Hibján. The silvergilt mounts of these copies were made by J. Kubinyi.