Cup and saucer – From the Lotus series ca. 1881 ©Museum of Applied Arts

On display at the Museum of Applied Arts Budapest

The inspiration for the Lotus Set can be traced back to designer Julia Zsolnay’s trip to Paris in 1880, when she noticed a folded-stemmed lotus bud at the Louvre’s Egyptian exhibition and made a quick sketch. On her return home, she designed a decorative vessel in pastel shades, which later expanded into a whole series.

The magnificent ceramics designed by Julia Zsolnay – of which there are many in the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts – represent a kind of transition between utilitarian and decorative objects.