Vase

The vase is shaped of two joined truncated cones. The straight, round foot and the top rim are lined with broad border motifs. At the top, an Oriental cloud motif is repeated four times. The bottom border is decorated with a wavy geometrical pattern. There is an alley of poplar trees leading to the distance from the bushy shore. The setting sun appears behind the hills; there are clouds in the sky. All this is reflected in the water, bright but washed-out. The rich scale of dark purple, goldenbrown, violet, green and mother-of-pearl lend emotions to the line drawing. The picture on the vase, although simpler and beautifully coloured, is the same that was published in the magazine Ver Sacrum Vol. I, 1898, book XI, as an illustration to a poem. The designer reinterpreted the 8th drawing in the series of Adolf Böhm ”Zehn Gedichte von Arno Holtz”, using all the rich potential of Zsolnay technology. The atmosphere of the symbolist picture on the vase matches well the text of Arno Holtz: "Am stillen See /sitz' ich und starre / in ein gespiegeltes Paradies.” The drawing No.7332 in the Zsolnay factory Façonbook shows not only the silhouette of the vase but also the indented contours. Remark: "geformt 53 cm hoch (Abt mintája) terv. 1904 szept.2.".