14. May 2008.

A uniquely special joint exhibition is to be opened on May 23, 2008 at the Dome Museum in Pécs displaying the works of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory and the Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactory.

An extraordinary exhibition is to be held in Pécs. Two porcelain manufactories, each with a long history of production, are to put on display their most beautiful products within the framework of a joint exhibition. Examples of Hungarian craftsmanship collected in one place – to be admired by exhibition-goers.

To create value by using the technology of a manufactory is a privilege. To produce luxury articles and objects that decorate the interior of affluent homes is high art. Anything between the initial moments and the finishing touch of these porcelain items includes manual work both at Herend and at the Zsolnay in Pécs.

These two traditional enterprises continue to cherish their own traditions and to preserve the memory of their past by producing elegant, beautiful and fascinating porcelain items each and every day. The manufacturers are in possession of an age-old secret, the magic of porcelain-making. The craftsmen's raw material mad of kaolin, feldspar and quartz is skilfully turned into plates, cups, vases and various figures. The firing process solidifies the material, and subsequently the porcelain painters give these objects a perfect finish by using the finest brushes and pens to achieve a level of artful worthiness. An infinite number of forms, a plethora of ornaments, a team of designers and continuous product development are all key elements of recognition for both manufactories and their traditions that stem from the 19th century, time of their foundation. We can say with confidence: this is nothing less than part of the Hungarian Heritage.

A settlement just off the Bakony mountain, that obtained small town status only in 2001 – and a Mediterranean type of city in the Mecsek mountain, the latter scheduled to be Europe's Cultural Capital in 2010. Two enterprises manufacturing porcelain objects, which – although they have each had their own way since their early days and met the peaks of their fame and success at different times – never failed to stand up in unity for quality, perfection and the respect for porcelain, a material which is though fragile, but also with life to it. Following the discovery of the secret of porcelain in Europe, there was an abundance of porcelain manufactories in the heart of Europe, but only those survived into the 21st century, which could achieve something really unique and of lasting value.
The exhibition, to be held in Pécs, is an exemplary initiative by these two manufactories, one that also carries a very important message. Iconic companies that manufacture the same products might – and will – become even stronger by demonstrating a mutual effort in their strive for quality.

This exhibition is unique and unprecedented in two senses. To see the products of both the Zsolnay and the Herend manufactories at the same time has so far been possible only at world exhibitions. These were occasions where the two of them surprised no one by being the winners. Now it is possible to see the joint and special selection of excellence of these two renowned companies. But this exhibition is also special, because the underlying message is the need to achieve something together, an example well worth following – ideas like that do not grow on trees these days. The outcome of this is value, not only in a physical but also in a spiritual sense. Herend, Zsolnay, Victoria pattern, Rothschild pattern, eosin, pyrogranite – these are names known almost everywhere in the world. Between May 23th and June 11th the porcelain manufactories that these notions are associated with will be celebrating the glory of porcelain. As usual, an opportunity for the public to see these exceptional items is something of an event. To see them together is all the more so: an introduction of the most beautiful, most exceptional works of grandiose artistic achievement. An exhibition conceived as dual mastery.

Porcelain is an eternal material. Beauty is often ephemeral. Beauty is burned into porcelain to create beauty of lasting value. And friends of porcelain will be rewarded with the lasting memory and beauty of this exhibition.
The encounter of the royal elegance of Herend Porcelain and the uncompromising technological innovations of Zsolnay Porcelain are a perfect guarantee for an unforgettable experience of phenomenal beauty, on display for all visitors of the exhibition in Pécs as part of the Hungarian Heritage.

The joint exhibition will be open until June 11th, 2008. The opening hours are between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and between 1.00 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday.