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A factory founded in 1851 by Miklos ZSOLNAY at Pécs,
the main town in the South-West of Hungary. Her elder son Ignac was the manager
from 1853 to 1865, then the younger son Vilmos (1840-1900) took over to make of
it the factory as we know it to-day. In 1914 it was the largest ceramics-factory
in the Austro-Hungarian empire. The production was huge : from the decorated
artifact, to the widely-manufactured utilitarian between 1851 and 1872. The
conspicuous presence of Vilmos ZSOLNAY at the Universal Exhibition in Vienna in
1874 marked the beginning of the most creative period, which culminated between
1897 and 1914. Helped by his daughters Julia, initiated to japanism and Therez
from 1870, he left behind him a whole team of technicians, artists, modellers,
chemists and fellow-workers, under the management of his son Miklos (1857-1922),
top-ranking and ready to face the precepts of growing Art Nouveau, even although
he did not always share its tastes. We owe him a famous eosin red, created with
the chemist VINSCE WARTHA (1844-1914) who also took part in the preparation of
the varied techniques of lustre. From 1900 the production of iridescent ceramics
gets important. The most beautiful pieces then can indisputably compete with
those of the best specialists in the field.
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