Vase from the original furnishings of the György Ráth Villa

The sound, ringed foot supports a strongly bulging body with a broad, tube-like neck and a slightly splaying, plain, round top rim. The bulging body is decorated with repeated motifs of stylized waves, representing the creek, on the banks of which there are four, delicately bent, dancing girl figures in long dresses. They are surrounded by lilies and orange trees. This picture of repeated ornaments resembles English graphics and prints. The young designer Géza Nikelszky was probably inspired by the visit of Walter Crane to the Zsolnay factory in the October of 1900. The only known vase designed by Walter Crane in the Zsolnay factory also uses the contrast of complementary colors (Inv.No. JPM 51.6491.1). In this case, steel blue is coupled with yellowish gray, which is given a silvery reflection by the eosin glaze. Probably the lighter motifs were painted over the darker ones. Acid-etching made the silky surface less bright. This vase was exhibited at the 1959 exhibition in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts.