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Vase

(Hungarian, 1876–1963)
(Hungary (Pécs), active 1855–present)
about 1900
Medium/TechniqueEarthenware with lustre glazes
DimensionsOverall: 34.9 x 19.4cm (13 3/4 x 7 5/8in.)
Credit LineEuropean Decorative Arts Curator's Fund
Accession number1990.173
On View
On view
ClassificationsCeramics
Collections
Description
During the 1890s, the Zsolnay factory introduced new iridescent luster glazes called “eosin,” possibly in reference to Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn. This vase combines several different colored luster glazes, from the shimmery green of the dragon to the deep blue, known as “Labrador,” on the body. Mack, one of the factory’s chief modelers around the turn of the century, conceived the vase’s relief decoration—a fire-breathing dragon rising from a cloud, with webbed wings and bony tail—so that it would be striking from every angle. The Zsolnay factory still actively produces eosin objects today.
ProvenanceBy 1990, with Historical Design Collection, Inc., New York, NY; 1990, sold by Historical Design to the MFA. (Accession date: March 28, 1990)
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