Founder of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.

In the person of Vince Stingl we revere the founder of the Manufactory.

Documented research shows that Vince Stingl, who was born in Sopron, mastered the ins and outs of porcelain making in Vienna. From 1814 on he worked as a card and tableware painter in Pápa and five years later became technological manager of the earthenware factory of Tata.

Vince Stingl arrived in Herend in 1825. One may well ask why Stingl conducted his experiments in Herend. The answer is quite simple. This part of the Bakony Hills is rich in wood, which meant a steady supply of wood for stoking the kilns, while the watermills on the streams could function as paste mills. A region rich in traditional craftsmanship, including pottery, provided ample workforce, and the land rich in minerals (clay) allowed the manufacture of earthenware. All that had to be imported from lands afar was the raw material needed for manufacturing quality porcelain. Stingl?s meagre capital was soon exhausted by his experiments of modest results.
The lack of capital, repeated loans, the high cost of transport and discontinued supplies resulted in constant problems. Beside the bishop of Veszprém and other private persons, in 1839 a new man emerged among his creditors: it was Mór Fischer, who was soon to become co-stockholder. Descended from a family of industrialists and tradesmen, Fischer had previously tried his hand at horse-trading, earthenware manufacturing and money-lending.

The relatively well-off entrepreneur with friends in high places took over the manufactory on 28th July 1840. Stingl stayed on at Herend no more than a year following his failures. First he moved to Pápa, where he buried his wife in 1841. In 1847, he was appointed caretaker of the earthenware factory in Városlőd of Count Domokos Zichy, bishop of Veszprém. Városlőd is a village next to Herend. After 1847 there was no mention ever of the name of Vince Stingl in the annals of Hungarian pottery, but Herend is proud of its heritage, traditions and artists, and will for ever remember its founder.

Father of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.

Under his management the Herend Manufactory prospered.

Mór Fischer, having taken over management from Vince Stingl, did all he could in order that the manufactory produce porcelain considered top quality even by international standards.

The objects of personal use manufactured at Herend in the forties of the 19th century still reflected the influence of Neo-Baroque-style Bohemian porcelain. Later this simple form and décor faded, and Fischer launched the production of more sophisticated wares in order to keep abreast of his Viennese and Bohemian rivals. Mór Fischer?s work was first acclaimed at the 1842 Industrial Exhibition. Lajos Kossuth praised the Herend products on display as ?fit for even a prince?s table?. A year later it was a very same Kossuth who presented the gold medal to Fischer.
Not even the 1843 fire, which caused inestimable damage to the manufactory, could diminish the owner?s zeal. On the contrary, crises only brought out the best in him: perseverance, magnanimity and exigency. The owner realized that quality was of utmost importance, and the shift to opulence in form and ornamentation set Herend on a course to world fame. International recognition of the new technical and artistic endeavours came with a series of World Exhibitions starting in 1851. Herend goods received 1st class medals at The Crystal Palace in London. That was also when Queen Victoria ordered a dinner service with a Chinese-style butterfly-and-flower pattern, which is known to the world as the Victoria décor and is to this very day one of the best loved Herend patterns. Orders from distinguished clients and a whole series of gifts underscored aristocratic approval of Herend porcelain: Franz Joseph had his table laid with Herend porcelain, ordered a set for his wife, Queen Elisabeth, for her Gödöllő Mansion, Mór Fischer greeted the German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt with Herend porcelain on his birthday; we could also mention Empress Eugénie of France, Tsar Alexander II of Russia, the Shah of Iran, Count Rudolf Apponyi, Count Pál Esterházy or even the Barons Rothschild. He amassed a great many accolades, the most outstanding of which was probably being made a knight of the Franz Joseph Order, receiving the Officer?s Cross of the French Legion of Honour and being awarded a patent of Hungarian nobility entitling him to use the name Farkasházy.

Mór Fischer Farkasházy retired to Tata in 1876, leaving the management of the manufactory to his sons. His life?s work charted a course that the Herend Porcelain Manufactory follows even in the 21st century.

The sons of Mór Fischer managed the manufactory between 1876 and 1884.

When Mór Fischer, who had made the manufactory prosper, retired, his sons took over the running of the plant. His decision was greatly influenced by the crisis following the stock exchange crash and the subsequent refusals to grant him government loans. The Fischer boys had already gathered some experience of the manufactory working at the side of their father: Leo and Samuel had worked in marketing, Dezső and Zsigmond in the services sector, Géza was an expert in kilns and glazes, Vilmos and Béla in painting. Under Samuel's direction they reorganized the manufactory and changed its profile from hand-painted porcelain objects of art to the production of simple low-cost goods. They took a chance because history and the situation of the economy left them no other choice.

The plan fell through, however. They were made to realise that they must follow in their father?s footsteps. In 1879 there was a national industrial exhibition in Székesfehérvár where Mór Fischer Farkasházy took part as an artist from Tata, Samuel represented the Herend Manufactory as a purveyor of porcelain to the royal court of Hungary, and Mór's second son, Vilmos, appeared as a porcelain painter from Cluj. Samuel won the gold medal, as he did at two World?s Fairs (1876, Philadelphia and 1883, Amsterdam), but his success was mostly due to the porcelain objects manufactured at the time of Mór. Their opposing ambitions were doomed to failure: in vain did they strive to follow in their father?s footsteps and manufacture artistic porcelain, they had little initiative for innovation; in the field of mass production their prices simply could not compete with cheap Bohemian porcelain. No amount of loans or credit could save them from decline so in the end they had no other choice but to put their inheritance, the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, up for sale. There were long negotiations to ensure that Samuel stay on as director and Géza also continue working there, but in the end both had to go. The manufactory was sold to the state in 1884, and the brothers moved to Tata where they took over a plant run by Dezső since the death of their father in 1880. That was another part of their inheritance, which continued producing under the name of "Mór Fischer's Sons Porcelain Works". Herend and the great treasure of Herend styles, forms and décors had become part and parcel of their life from which there was no escape for them.

Father of the Herend revival.

Jenő Farkasházy, following the family tradition, brought renewed prosperity to the Herend Manufactory.

In 1896 the government sold the Herend Porcelain Manufactory to Jenő Farkasházy Fischer, grandson of Mór Fischer. Being a trained ceramist and ceramic historian, Jenő Farkasházy realized that the best way to preserve his grandfather's spiritual legacy was by making luxury porcelain. This decision was reinforced by the fact that Herend had none of the necessary raw materials, only the wood needed for the firing. He also made a point of training future generations and, as a result of his efforts, vocational teaching began in Herend in 1897.

Herend did very well at the 1900 World?s Fair in Paris. While it came up to the expectations its prestige had warranted, the manufactory kept pace with the style trends of the age and produced objects uniquely typical of Herend. At the 1901 World?s Fair in St. Petersburg three factories from Austria-Hungary won prizes: Herend, the Zsolnay Factory from Pécs and the earthenware factory from Apátfalva. Herend won gold.

Jenő Farkasházy, who had donated exhibition pieces worth 900 roubles to sick and poor Russian children, was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus, 3rd class. The 1911 World?s Fair in Turin earned the manufactory yet another gold medal.
Historical and social hardships posed a constant challenge to the entrepreneur, and the First World War dealt a particularly heavy blow to the manufactory. Between 1916 and January 1920 the kilns ground to a complete halt, there was no firing activity at all, only white porcelain painting at the manufactory. In 1923 Farkasházy turned the manufactory into an incorporated company, keeping 50 % of the shares to himself and staying on as artistic managing director. In the following two years a new workers? housing estate was built and further specialists were contracted at Herend. Vocational training also witnessed a revival. Only exports could break the impasse caused by the economic hardships. Yet neither the bad economic situation nor the repeated blows could dampen Farkasházy's pioneering spirit and initiative. He carried on with his artistic plans even at the cost of technical and trade interests. Most of the bibliography he used to that end can still be found in the library of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. In the year of his death, the Herend Manufactory was awarded the gold medal at the Philadelphia World Exposition as the ultimate recognition of Farkasházy's life work. The artist-manufacturer worked all his life to be equal to his grandfather's legacy, and his innovations in the field of forms, décors and glazes left an indelible mark on the profile of the manufactory.

Legendary painter.

It is not uncommon to see a smiling old man, a Herend master of 97 years of age, walk down the streets of Herend, pop into the manufactory or frequent the inauguration of exhibitions at the Herend Porcelain Museum.

István Freund, known to all as Uncle Steffi, is a Herend man through and through. He was born on 9th June 1909. His father was a painter as Herend as well but died young, leaving three children to be brought up by their mother. On 10th May 1923, István Freund started as an apprentice at Jenő Farkasházy?s Herend Porcelain Factory. He is known to be the only living person to have met the legendary manufacturer in person. After four years of training, Freund became a trainee painter in August 1927 and then an assistant painter. In those days painters did not specialise in figurines, ornaments or tableware yet but they all painted what was put before them on the day. Thus they were more skilled and had better overall competence. Apart from being a painter and an instructor, Freund held several positions: modeller, clerk and quality controller as well. As a painter, he worked only on the special products marked SP, which are often unique masterpieces manufactured in a limited edition series ? a true challenge for even the best masters. For decades he made good use of his expertise and talent as a painter training youngsters in their vocational school.
He still came to the manufactory working part-time as a pensioner until 1993, teaching Herend painters. That means he spent no less than 70 years within the walls of the manufactory. Very few people can say that about themselves. István Freund?s endless patience, great knowledge and humanity have made him a role model for countless trainees and colleagues.
He celebrated his 80th birthday at his workbench as a retired painter. In a photograph taken at the centenary of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory he is seen to be showing a painting of his to Miklós Horthy. In the fifties he worked together with Mrs. Mátyás Rákosi at Herend and knew Margit Kovács, the world-famous ceramic artist, very well.

In his free time István Freund paints, makes wicker baskets and woodcarvings, and studies English.

Everybody's Uncle Steffi is a true embodiment of centuries of knowledge. He is the living memory of arts and crafts traditions.

Overcoming hardships.

Under Gyula Gulden Herend underwent a change of concept and a process of modernization.

Gyula Gulden and his father owned a significant part of the company shares. Gyula Gulden played a decisive role in the development of the manufactory, as fundamental changes were introduced in production in the early thirties. In 1929, sculptor Ede Telcs became senior art adviser and Emil Fischer was taken on as technical adviser.

Although figurines had been sporadically produced under Mór Fischer too, the real breakthrough came during this time, as a whole series of figurines was born under the management of Ede Telcs. Some of these were small reproductions of famous sculptures, others brand new creations. In the thirties the manufactory was making 150 bird and 200 other animal figures.

This period is hallmarked by well-known figurines such as Matyó Madonna and Lúdas Matyi by Elek Lux, Mrs. Déry by Miklós Liget, Tom Thumb by Ede Telcs, Sultan Suleiman and Hungarian Nobleman by Jenő Bory. That was also the time of Herend's fine nudes and a series of sports-related figurines. There were also busts of famous men, including Bach, Haydn and Liszt. The artistic reputation of the manufactory went from strength to strength. Herend won a Grand Prix again at the 1935 World?s Fair in Brussels, where King Leopold of Belgium purchased the famous pheasant-patterned service. Edward, Prince of Wales, later Duke of Windsor, became another regular customer. After a Hungarian applied arts exhibition in Tallinn, the President of Estonia bought Herend porcelain for his new residence.
At the 1937 World?s Fair in Paris, 1500 pieces of Herend porcelain were on show. Governor Miklós Horthy sent a wedding present of 25 Herend figurines to Julianna, heir to the Dutch throne. Success at the 1939 World?s Fair in New York opened up a new market, which remains to this day. Herend returned from the 7th Milan Triennial in 1940 with the Diploma of Honour.

The Second World War cut Herend off from most of its export markets. However, Gyula Gulden accepted the post of consul in Portugal, thus ensuring an export route for Herend porcelain to several countries, the main markets at the time being Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy and Belgium.
After the war Gyula Gulden left Hungary. News reached the workers in the manufactory during the 1956 Revolution that Gyula Gulden, former director of the manufactory, had died in the United States. Looking back objectively, it is safe to say that under his management the manufactory prospered despite the general circumstances and the world war. This was in no small measure due to his initiative and leadership.

The father of Herend's animal figures.

The designer from Transylvania and his animal figures.

János Tóth is tied to the place by a thousand strands, having spent the best part of his life there. There he founded a family and familiarised himself with porcelain, which was to become his destiny.

He was born in 1915, in Erzsébetváros (Dumbraveni) on the banks of the Kis-Küküllő in Transylvania, in a magnificent land where man and nature are as one. The children in his family set store by pencil stubs or scraps of paper.
Everyone drew and painted. Perhaps the first to notice his talent was the painter he became apprenticed to, who had him mix the "finest grey". He went off painting with his elder brother, restoring churches, carving wood, and planning the future.
In 1941, he was sent to Herend, with the declared intention of using his experience later at the Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) porcelain factory.

Herend people came to appreciate him, while he found the Bakony Hills a substitute for his native mountains. Porcelain was unknown to him as a material and an art form, as his ambitions had focused on large open-air sculptures and great blocks of marble or stone.

The challenge, as it became, was enormous - just the consolation and opportunity he needed. He learnt every stage of porcelain making for his own satisfaction, his industry and willpower taking him up the ladder, step by step. Meanwhile he won the support of older masters and learnt from them secrets of the trade.
His first successes came with figures of Toldi and the Horse-herd (Who's the Lad of Hortobágy?), which earned him praise and a livelihood.

Later, he would spend hours and days at the zoo, in front of a cage, observing every movement of a favoured subject, or have a lizard or an eagle at home as a guest.

He managed to train a dog to cohabit with a dove and a cat with a rabbit. Ladybirds, songbirds, horses, tree frogs or lizards all have their beauty and charm. People and animals seem to understand each other, because János Tóth, Herend's most successful animal sculptor, saw them not only with his eyes and shaped them not only with his hands, but put his heart into each figure as he brought them to life.

"Uncle Berci"

A retired master known to everyone in porcelain city as Uncle Berci, and that has always been the case.

This title was bestowed upon him in those days not out of respect for his age but rather in recognition of his professional expertise, humanity and helpfulness towards young and old alike.

He was born in 1929 in Vaslőd, a village near Herend. He went to Herend in 1943 and, passing a 10-day probation period, became an apprentice. His teacher, János Bachstädt, apparently saw his talent for painting.

He spent eight hours a day in the painting studio and three afternoons a week he had formal lessons in school. The painters' training classes today still the set the same drawing tasks that he struggled with back then. The practical training was ample and varied. After the basics, they started to learn painting the Victoria pattern, then came the simpler floral patterns, followed by Rothschild and various fruit patterns. After four years of training, he and eight others passed their master?s examination in 1947.

There was a family atmosphere at the factory in those days. There were about 300 people working there in all. About 70 of them were porcelain painters. The factory had to close for three months during the Second World War, but production soon started again after the war.

He caught the eye of his superiors in 1960 and became a foreman. Even then, quality was becoming an increasingly important factor, so quality control during the production process was his most important task. He took the first steps towards setting up the paint laboratory. After modifying the technology of firing painted décors, he was given the job of supervising the development of special patterns.
He was given the Outstanding Worker title on several occasions and once even received a state award. He was already retired when he received the manufactory?s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2001 the Jubilee Prize, commemorating the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the manufactory. He still keeps in touch with the life of the manufactory and cares about what goes on there. He is one of the masters who is still revered by younger, still active colleagues and a man who can look back on a career and life lived in the Herend traditions.

Designer of one of the most successful series of Herend figures in recent decades. Kossuth Prize winner ceramist, former rector (chancellor) of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts.

In 1957, he graduated at the Faculty of Porcelain of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts as Miklós Borsos’ apprentice. Since 1958 he has taught at this university. From 1959 to 1962, he was artistic advisor at the Hollóháza Porcelain Manufactory. In 1969, he played a decisive role in realizing the 1st Ceramics Symposium at Siklós.

Since 1990 he has been a university professor. He participated in the establishment of the Master Course Institute of Janus Pannonius University, where he has been professor since 1991.

From 1993 to 1999, he was rector (chancellor) of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts.

From 1996 he was artistic advisor at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.
Member of the Kecskemét Group, the first international ceramic artist group (1980), founding member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts (1991) and the TERRA group (1991).

He worked for decades as a member of the Herend Studio.

He learned porcelain painting at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. In 1969, he obtained his vocational certificate at the Derkovits Gyula Porcelain Institute. From 1977, he continued studying at the Faculty of Porcelain of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts.

In 1982, he graduated with special honours. His master was Imre Schrammel. After graduating he was designer of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory: he created articles of daily use (Snowball pot set), ornaments, dishes, figures and wall murals.

From 1985, he was designer of the Manufactory’s Studio, participated in the making of Herend’s new professional image. In 1995, he participated in the Herend Figure Program at Siklós. Member of the Art Fund, later MAOE (1982) and the Hungarian Designer Guild (1994).

Herend Studio New Trends II.

A retired artist who continues to be an active designer and a member of the board of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.

László Horváth was born in 1941 and has spent over 35 years in the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. He studied under the distinguished artist Imre Schrammel and has worked as a designer for the Herend Porcelain Manufactory since 1965. Until 1978, he dealt mainly with tableware design, but later branched out into porcelain sculpture and painting unique ornaments. His specialty is the lithophane technique, which he revived at Herend in 1965 and later developed for architectural purposes. This technique is based on the knowledge that porcelains of varying thickness have different degrees of translucency. Using this quality, quite fantastic, almost photograph-like representations are made possible. Together with other designers, he has been a member of the Herend Studio since its inception, a member of the Arts Foundation since 1965 and of the Hungarian Association of Fine and Applied Artists since 1974. In addition, he belongs to the Veszprém Artists'Guild and the TERRA Ceramists Group. Of Herend and his work there, he says: "I am here because this is what I know and love, the whimsical, enigmatic, beautiful material that is porcelain".

The manufactory was a different place in those days. Everybody knew everybody else and paid more heed to one another. At night, the flames shot up several metres high from the chimneys of the wood-fired kilns. Thirty-five years of successes and failures, prizes, commendations and certificates. These were never very important to me, just a moment of gratification and confirmation of a job well done. The real point is to do my job as best I can, to make pieces that are a source of joy for me and for others alike.

His innovative designs have won him many prizes and, similarly to works by Ákos Tamás, his works can also be seen in Herend, for example on the façade of the manufactory or in the windows of the entrance hall. Yet another parallel with his artist colleague is the entrance hall of the Veszprém County Hospital in front of which stands another work of art designed by his fellow artist Ákos Tamás.

A man of vision.

Miklós Melocco's special visions appeared on Herend porcelain a few years ago.

Miklós Melocco was born in 1935, studied under János Kmetty and Pál Pátzay, and graduated from the Hungarian College of Applied Arts. Since 1990, he has been titular university professor of the Hungarian College of Applied Arts, since 1992 a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts and since 1995 a member of the presidium.

He has designed things for Herend and, according to an interview he granted to Herend Herald, cherishes fond memories in connection with Herend. In his words:
"Manufactory, yes, it implies hand craftsmanship, that's the core. You must go there once. When I was there, I just gaped, because I'd never seen a workshop like that before. As clean as a chemist's shop and meticulously accurate work going on everywhere. It's a strange feeling going to Herend. It?s as if you weren't in Hungary, I must say with a kind of patriotic melancholy. You can see it has a future before it, not just a past and a great name. It's amazing what they can do! A few years ago, the Herend management decided it was time devise something new to go along with their well-known ornaments and little sculptures - the Hussar Examining His Sword, Mrs. Déry and so on. They invited a few of us to put forward ideas and designs. So we oafish sculptors went down to see what Herend was capable of producing. To see, in our conceited way, whether Herend could make what we thought up for them. Well, the visit reassured us, or rather, it gave us something else to worry about, because whatever we did, they were going to produce it. Well, sometimes constraints make ideas come more easily. For one thing it gives you plenty to complain about, and for another you know what you have to stick to. In this case, there weren't any constraints. You could do whatever you liked, and they'd make it for you. I designed a tea service and two table decorations and they accepted them. I have good memories of the work and a relationship to this day.
The Munkácsy and Kossuth Prize winner sculptor has more links with Herend than just fond memories, of course. Namely that Miklós Melocco, winner of the Hungarian Heritage Award, has designed works of art for the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, a Hungarian Heritage Award winner itself.

Creator of a modern pattern.

The creator of the modern yet traditional Babos pattern was born in 1961 in the town of Nagykanizsa.

She graduated from the College of Applied Arts in 1985. She studied under Imre Schrammel, artistic director of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory for years. She joined the Studio of Young Artists and the Association of Hungarian Artists the same year. She has worked with the Forma Group since 1993 and spent a few years as a designer at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory following 1996. Those years proved to be beneficial for both parties: she as an artist was able to design items for the biggest porcelain manufactory, bringing her dreams to life on porcelain décors.
She first encountered porcelain as a material and as a means of expression when she was an undergraduate. She immediately took to it. This material demands respect, discipline and quality, she advocates, and Herend, totally committed to quality, granted a superb opportunity to test this.

The process of creating a certain object is like writing a sonnet with its strict rules and limitations. In her works functional porcelain and figurines are well separated.
As regards the former, she is particularly intrigued by the transformation and metamorphosis of consumer articles elicited by the dictates of the changing times. She is opposed to fashionable industrial consumer goods that flood the world and strives to create real value in her work. Yet another parallel with Herend.
Her patterns of stylized natural motifs tend to be eccentric and modern, yet carry on the ancient traditions of manufactured porcelain. Her magic lies precisely in this duality.

Retired head painter and unit manager of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. His oeuvre contains numerous décors and unique masterpieces.

From 1965 he was employee of the Manufactory.

From 1974 he worked in the Manufactory’s Art Studio, where he was responsible for designing special décors. He did an excellent job designing numerous décors and introducing standards with qualitative work.

In 1979, he successfully participated in the Manufactory’s first master painting course. In the 1980s, he was responsible for adapting different customer requests (mainly from Japan) and designing new décors. He designed about 25 décors, most of which are still in production.

From April 1988 he was the Manufactory’s head painter. He is a porcelain painter with excellent talent, skills and technological knowledge. He participated also in product development and talent education. In great part due to him the quality of Herend painting has improved constantly.

He represented our Manufactory at painting demonstrations in numerous countries. About his calling to the Manufactory several radio, newspaper and television reports were made with him in Hungary and abroad.

He retired in December 2004 after nearly 40 years of employment. After retiring he participated as vocational teacher in the Manufactory’s master painting course in 2007 and 2008.

Herend Studio New Trends.

Ákos Tamás is a designer and applied artist of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. He was born in Szentgál in 1954. His skills for sculpture already manifested in his childhood. He graduated at the drawing course of the György Thuri Secondary School in Várpalota in 1972, and then at the porcelain faculty of the Hungarian University of Design in Budapest in 1977.

Since then he has been a designer and applied artist of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.

Besides his traditional, classical sculptures and sets, he developed a completely new porcelain style using unique technologies from delicate, pastel-coloured porcelain layers. His unique, membrane-thin, translucent petal bowls, coloured inlaid vases, organic ornaments and lamps quickly became popular mainly in Italy, Greece and Switzerland, and also reached London, Israel, Hong Kong and New Zealand. He aims to arouse the young generation’s interest in Herend porcelain with his genre-defining, modern style works.

Traditional handicraft and the “intelligence of hand” are basic values in all his works.
He already created works in almost every porcelain genre and size, from miniature medals to surreal figurine collages and several-meter-high public sculptures. He took part successfully in many national and international exhibitions. Besides many exhibition awards for excellence, he was recognized with three Design Awards for Excellence, the Special Award of the Minister President of Hungary, the Award of the Japanese Mino International Ceramics Festival, the Diploma of the I Korean Ceramics World Exhibition, the Special Award of the Pécs Ceramics Biennale and the Order of Merit of Veszprém County. He took part in a three-month study tour in Japan with the state scholarship of the Far Eastern country.

His large porcelain sculpture can be seen in front of the Veszprém County Hospital, and he designed the guardian angels at the entrance of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory as well as Ferenc Mádl’s – former President of Hungary – bust in the courtyard of the Manufactory.

He is a member of the Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists, the Association of Hungarian Creative Artists and the Terra Ceramic Sculpture Association.

Many of his works are held in national and international public collections from the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest to Germany, South Korea and Japan.

Herend's youngest artist designer.

Etelka Meixner Herend's youngest artist designer was born in Siófok in 1978, graduated in 2002 from the University of Applied Arts as a student of Imre Schrammel.

She prepared her school-leaving work (modern tea sets and luxury cosmetics packing design/fragrance tubes complete with porcelain caps) in Herend and started to work as a designer in the Manufactory in the same year.

She is behind the creation of several new figures, ornamental items and the renewal of traditional décors. 'Sea life', the main attraction of the Herend exhibition at the 2008 Ambiente Frankfurt Fair is, among others, a design by Etelka Meixner.
The following Herend designs and other, individual design projects were on display at the following exhibitions: 2003 "A long table with Herend table sets embracing a period of 150 years" Venue: the Ernst Museum in Budapest
2006 'Dialogue', a joint exhibition by the Herend and Meissen Porcelain Manufactories. Venue: the National Gallery in Budapest
2006 "The future of Herend, Herend of the future" Venue: Herend Porcelain Museum
2009 "Craft and Design" - Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
2010 Contemporary Porcelain Designers, Hungarian Porcelain Manufactories Hungarian Cultural Institute, Brussels
2012 Herend Design - Museion No.1. Budapest
2012 Magic World of Porcelain - Dezső Laczkó Museum, Veszprém

Web: www.meixneretelka.hu

After leaving school, he enrolled in the Vocational Art School of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory and graduated as a skilled worker in 1978. He is particularly proud of having been one of the youngest porcelain painters to participate in the Manufactory’s 2nd Masters’ Course, which he completed with flying colours. He has designed and painted over 60 décors to date. His themes range from fruit compositions to other SP décors.

At one stage he was on the Supervisory Board of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, and went on to become chief shop floor supervisor as well as head of the professional activity of the special works studio.

He has been the Manufactory’s chief painter since 2004 and has held painting courses in Japan and in Herend’s own Porcelanium. He has also represented the Manufactory at shows abroad. His expertise has won him several awards. He won the 1st prize of the 1988 competition for the best palette-painted fruit décor design; in 1999 he won the IO foundation prize and in 2000 the prize for product development.

His hobby is painting oil canvases with themes embracing bird life, fruit and flower still lifes.

After leaving school, she opted for the arts and enrolled as a painter trainee in the
Herend school in 1968. She graduated as a skilled porcelain painter in 1971.

She started working at the men’s painting studio of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, where she painted fruit décors. She later went on to master drawn patterns such as the Waldstein or the MP Persian miniatures. She was particularly fond of the latter, which also served as the examination piece for her master’s exam.

In recognition of her professional work she appeared on the honours list as an "Young Worker of Excellence”. In 1990 she was appointed supervisor of the skilled workers’ painting studio as well as the special works studios, which she has been managing superbly ever since. Starting from the same year, she has represented the Herend Porcelain Manufactory abroad on a number of occasions.

Painting is her hobby as well as her work. She also enjoys gardening.

She lives in her native town of Úrkút to this very day.

After leaving school, she enrolled in the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelainmaking, from where she graduated with top marks as a skilled porcelain painter in 1970. Since then she has been working at the fruit painting department of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, passing her master’s exam in 1987.

Her expertise won her a “Craft Award” in 2002. Thanks to her many years of experience and commitment to her work, she was appointed shop floor manager of the Flower I. and Fruit painting studio.

In her professional life she plays an active role in product development and passes on her expertise to younger colleagues.

She is a keen hiker and spends her leisure time gardening and doing puzzles.

She and her family live in her native village of Kislőd.

In 1972 he gained admission to the Gyula Derkovics vocational art institute and graduated in 1975 as a qualified porcelain painter. When he started working in the same year in the “men painters’ section”, the young skilled worker was encouraged and helped by the old hands to further polish his craft. He took his school-leaving exam in 1978 in the Imre Bródy Vocational School.

In 1982 he won first prize at a porcelain and ceramics competition with a cobalt coffee set displaying different gilding techniques. In the same year he was transferred to the special orders section, where his professional training continued with the design and manufacture of unique pieces. In 1987 he passed his master’s exam with top grades.

Starting from 1985 he has represented the Manufactory at a number of demo painting sessions abroad. This way porcelain-lovers in Holland, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, Italy and Germany have had a chance to become familiar with the work and unique style of Ferenc Rankl.

When it came to choosing a career, he followed his arts teacher’s advice and applied for the Herend Porcelain Manufactory’s Vocational School. Having graduated in 1972, he was tutored by the Manufactory’s applied artists and learnt practically all the tricks of the porcelain painting craft from them. Since 1987 he has been working as a master painter at the special works studio.

In the course of his professional life he has had several creations of his own, including special commissions, but he regards painting the St. Petersburg Palace as his most outstanding work.

He has been a member of the Ajka Fine Arts Association since 1998. His remarkable artistic talent has been prized twice at the “Ajka Salon” exhibition.

He devotes even his free time to the arts. Nowadays he is particularly keen on oil painting.

He lives in his native town of Ajka.

After leaving school, she graduated as a skilled porcelain painter in 1991 and has been a committed worker at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory since. In 1994 she was appointed tutor at the Manufactory’s painter training workshop. In 2002 she was transferred to production, working in the flower painting section. There she has had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of flower motifs, including the higher-quality palettepainted décors.

Since September 2005 she has been working as a tutor again under the professional guidance of the Manufactory’s chief painter.

In the course of her professional career she has represented Herend at many painting demos both at home and abroad, thus contributing to the prestige of the Manufactory. She is very proud to have been granted the right to sign her name on porcelain in recognition of her work.

Beside her work and housework, she strives to spend as much time as possible with her family.

She lives in Szentgál with her husband and two school-age daughters.

Her artistic talent was discovered at a very early age, so after leaving school she
continued her studies as a porcelain painter trainee. She graduated as a skilled worker in 1987 and has been working at the figurine painting studio of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory since. In the course of her professional career she has had the opportunity to participate in instructing others and designing pieces. She has mainly been involved in the naturalistic portrayal of animal figures and designing fairy tale and Persian-Turkish figures.

Her talent and impeccable work as well as her commitment to the Manufactory were rewarded in 2006 with a “Craft Award”. This recognition is particularly dear to her heart because she was nominated by her fellow-workers.

She likes to spend her free time doing some gardening, sports or listening to music. She also enjoys travelling. For over a year now she has been an active member of a belly dance ensemble.

She lives in Herend with her husband and two sons.

After leaving school, she went to Herend and graduated as a painter in 1981. She entered the Creative Youth competition. Her talent earned her the recognition of “Young Skilled Worker of Excellence”.

She is currently working in the Chinese studio of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, where she has had the opportunity to work on special pieces.

She is especially proud to admit that, counting her traineeship years as well, she has now “belonged” to the Manufactory for thirty years.

Collecting stamps is one of her hobbies. She also likes to spend time doing embroidery and drawing for her own pleasure.

She lives in Felsőörs with her husband and son.

After leaving school, she worked as a bank accountant in Veszprém. The monotony of office work led her to quit, as she longed for challenges and, above all, work that hinged on a visual way of thinking. In 1989 she applied for a porcelain painter’s position at Herend and went on to become one of the Manufactory’s excellent workers.

In 1999 she enrolled in the Herend Fine Arts Studio to refine her artistic skills and her visual way of thinking.

In the course of her work she has worked with others designing new motifs and reviving the already existing museum décors. Her works have been on public display in individual and in group exhibitions alike.

She likes watercolour and pastel techniques above all else. She is particularly interested in landscapes and still lifes, which seem to her the best means of expressing the world of thought.

When it came to choosing a career, she felt the pull of the arts in the hope of facing professional challenges and winning due recognition. She studied at Herend and graduated in 1988 as a skilled painter. In the course of her studies she learnt all the techniques of painting porcelain.

She loves her work and considers her most special items the various SP décors and the platters and vases she has made for the Sultan of Oman. She is also very proud of making newly developed products.

Her talent and attitude to work won her a “Craft Award” in 2007.

Her favourite theme is the English countryside and the Victorian style. She loves antiques and spends her free time reading, broadening her knowledge.

She lives in Herend with her husband and daughter.

He did his secondary education in a school specialising in drawing. Subsequently, he graduated as a skilled porcelain painter in Herend. Early on he worked in the flower painting section of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, painting many different patterns. Between 1989-1999 he worked in the special works studio, where he was able to pick up the tricks of the trade from master painters.

In 1987 he was granted the right to sign his name on porcelain and in 1988 was honoured as an “Young Skilled Worker of Excellence”. The standard of excellence his work carries is reflected in the fact that his creations have been on show in both individual and group exhibitions.

In 2004 he won a competition to enter the Manufactory’s painter training workshop, where he works as a painting tutor to this day.

Outside of work he tries to spend all his free time with his family. In addition, his hobby is painting and drawing.

He lives in Herend with his wife and two children.

After acquiring basic education in Herend and a successful entrance exam, he enrolled at Herend’s Porcelain Manufactory’s vocational school in 1989. Ever since finishing school, he has worked at the Figure Painting Department as an expert in costume and bird painting.

He has close ties to the manufactory through his family as well: a number of generations of the family worked for the company through decades. For many years his grandfather worked as a foreman at the Department he currently works in. Since the mid-1990s he has been active in designing new ornamentation, and he left his mark on numerous new patterns. Along with his job, since 2001 he has trained graduating students of the manufactory at Figure Painting as a regional instructor.In 2004 and 2006, respectively, he passed a beginner’s and intermediate level English language exam, and he has a passive, intermediate-level command of the German language as well.

He spends most of his leisure time doing photography, focusing on nature and portrait photography. In pursuit of his hobby, he spends a lot of time wandering the countryside. He also has a significant and ever-expanding camera collection, with models from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s. He has also acquired considerable experience in restoring pieces of his collection.

After completing basic education he decided to pursue a career in the world of arts. He moved to Herend, where he finished training as a porcelain painter in 1986 in the top of his class. His major area of specialty is Far Eastern painting, although over the years he learned other techniques as well. Currently he works on Chinese painting.

Since the mid-1990s he has been active in designing new ornamentation, and he left his mark on numerous new patterns.

In addition to product development, he considers the huge vases and wall plates ordered by the Sultan of Oman and the painting of an oversized Parliament vase produced for the European Union among his major works.

He received a professional prize in 2006 and since 2007 he has pursued a Master’s degree at the Manufactory.

In his leisure time he lives for his hobbies: cars, computers and travelling.

Currently he lives in Herend with his wife and daughter.

The arts have attracted him since he was a child. He started in Herend as a porcelain painter in 1979. He graduated in 1982 and worked as a Chinese motif painter and gilder until 1990. Between 1990 and the autumn of 1995 he worked at the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory in Vienna.

On account of his experience and expertise he currently holds the position of foreman of the gilding section at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.

His most significant pieces are the Berlin vase (2002), the EU, UN and the Opera Vase, platters and vases made for the Sultan of Oman, as well as the 2006 and 2007 Formula One prize vases.

His outstanding work was acknowledged with a “Craft Award” in 2004.

Painting is his work and hobby, which he continuously polishes at the Herend Art Studio. He is interested in music and has been playing in a band for 26 years.

For labour reasons he lives in Herend with his three underage children.

After secondary school he went on to study at the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelain-making in Herend, from where he graduated in 1979 as a painter with top marks. In the course of his studies he became familiar with practically all the techniques of porcelain painting. Having graduated, he started working in the Chinese painting studio of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, where he stayed until 1990. Then he moved on to the special works studio, where he applies his talent to the painting of more complex pieces.

A classic coffee set depicting a castle in England is one of his remarkable feats, but he also worked on the team that made the Parliament Vase. In 2000 his work was acknowledged with a “Craft Award”.

He spends his leisure time broadening his expertise and developing his skills. He is particularly interested in oil painting and the arts in general.

He lives in Veszprém.

After leaving school, he went on to study at the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelain-making in Herend, from where he graduated with top marks. In the course of his studies he acquired several forms of porcelain painting techniques, which he put to good use in his much-acclaimed examination piece. Having graduated as a skilled worker, he started working in the Chinese painting studio of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory and in 1990 moved on to the special works studio.

He has painted practically everything ranging from the simplest décor to the most
complex ones.

His professional career abounds in special pieces, such as ornaments for the palace of the Sultan of Oman and for the European Union, as well as portraits and plaques made with different techniques. In 1999 he was honoured with a “Craft Award”.

The little free time he has he likes to spend hiking, but he also enjoys fishing and photography.

He lives in Veszprem with his wife and daughter.

He went to Herend in 1986, where he graduated with top grades as a porcelain painter from the Manufactory’s own vocational school in 1988. Thereon he worked in the fruit-painting department of the Manufactory. Starting from 1996 he has been invited several times to hold demo painting sessions and visited Japan on a study tour, where he successfully debuted as a painting instructor. Since 1997 he has been working as a master painter in the special orders workshop. His work and overall achievement earned him a Prize for Professionalism in 2002.

Principal milestones in his career:
1997 bird of paradise vases
2000 paints porcelain replica of the Holy Crown of Hungary
2001 paints reproduction of Manet’s The Boy with the Cherries
2002 paints commemorative vase for the German parliament
2005 vase for the UN in New York

He lives in Pápa with his wife and two daughters. In his leisure time he develops his visual skills and learns different painting methods and styles under the guidance of a master teacher in the Herend Arts Workshop. His hobbies include horse-riding, hiking and hunting.

After leaving school, he went on to study at the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelain-making in Herend, from where he graduated with top marks in 1990 as an “Excellent Student of the Craft”. He became familiar with practically all the techniques used in porcelain painting and even tried his hand at designing when it came to presenting his examination piece. Since he graduated as a skilled worker he has been working at the fruit painting section of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, where he paints various décors with the palette-painting method.

He has worked as a tutor since 2004 and in 2007 enrolled in the Manufactory’s new master training course. His most outstanding works include ornaments for the palace of the Sultan of Oman and for the European Union, as well as painting different plaques with bird and fish landscapes. He is particularly proud to be involved in the Manufactory’s product development scheme.

He is a keen sportsman who goes in for body building, cycling and hiking. He likes to spend his leisure time travelling, getting to know other cultures and reading.

He lives in his native town of Ajka with his wife and daughter.

He graduated as a porcelain-painter from the Fischer Mór Porcelain-making Trade School in Herend in 1996. Since completing his traineeship he has been working at the flower-painting department of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, where he paints several décors done with palette-painting.

He has represented the Manufactory on several occasions at different demo sessions and high-ranking events; for three years he worked as a painter giving live demonstrations at Porcelanium, the Manufactory’s visitors’ centre.

He has also been commissioned to carry out extraordinary orders, such as painting a tea set made of sugar for the Olympics of Confectioners, which was the exact replica of a Herend Victoria-décor porcelain set, or life-size figures of lions for the Leoparade in Munich.

The Manufactory awarded him the Prize for Professionalism in recognition of his work.

He is currently studying English because, as he says, he is always happy to make the acquaintance of foreigners. He lives alone in Herend. He exercises regularly, plays tennis and squash and is particularly keen on cycling and paintball. He is interested in information technology, the Internet, games, graphics and visual effects.

He has been working in the Manufactory since graduating as a thrower from a vocational school in 1971. taking his school-leaving exams in 1975 and graduating from the Polytechnic of Building Materials Industry in 1981.

Prior to being promoted to foreman, he worked in several fields of green ware production where he learnt all the phases and technology of manufacturing green ware, acquiring the professional expertise and methods from the old masters and subsequently applying them in the course of his own work. He also tried his hand in various fields as production manager. He has been working as principal thrower since January 2005.

As well as working at the Manufactory, he is also keen to attend professional demo sessions both in Hungary and abroad, happily sharing his knowledge and experience with Herend customers. He has visited Japan, Great Britain and Austria on a number of occasions. The Manufactory has acknowledged the highs of his career with Awards for Quality and Professionalism.

In his leisure time he likes to paint, a field in which he constantly improves himself. His other hobby, collecting stamps of porcelain, ceramic or glass objects from all over the world, also stems from the love of his craft.

The arts have attracted him since he was a child. He started his studies at the Herend vocational school in 1970 and graduated as a skilled worker in 1973. After graduating, he became one of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory’s much-valued workers, passing his master’s exam in 1984.

He is interested in everything related to his work. In order to develop his skills he enrolled in a drawing course in 2000.

His name is hallmarked by several special pieces. His talent and expertise won him a “Craft Award” in 2001.

He loves to spend time outdoors. Angling, his favourite leisure time activity for the past 42 years, is the best form of relaxation and recreation for him.

After leaving school, she enrolled in the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelainmaking in Herend, from where she graduated with top marks as a skilled thrower in 1982. Since then she has been working at the green ware production department of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. Between 1982 and 2004 she worked on the shop floor and currently supervises production phase coordination.

She loves a challenge and takes interest in everything related to her work, which is one reason why she applied for the Manufactory’s new master training programme.

Her remarkable expertise and attitude to work earned her the “Young Skilled Worker of Excellence” title in 1986.

Her hobby is hiking but she also loves reading and mastering new things. She takes an avid interest in the digital world and the Internet.

Her work binds her to Herend as her place of dwelling too.

After leaving school, in 1984 he enrolled in the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelain-making in Herend to make the most of his flair for the arts. Since he graduated he has been one of the Manufactory’s much-valued workers. Currently he is working as a thrower.

In the course of his career he has collaborated in the production of several precious “classic” pieces.

He loves his trade, which has brought him recognition as well as professional challenges.

He continuously strives to further develop his skills and expertise.
He is extremely happy and proud to participate in the Manufactory’s new master training course.

He spends most of his free time outdoors, hiking and riding a bike. He took up archery a few years ago. Earlier he used to be very fond of etchings, wood carving and photography. Nowadays, due to work, he can devote less time to these hobbies.

Father of one, he now lives in Ajka.

After leaving school, he went on to study at the Gyula Derkovits Vocational School for Arts and Porcelain-making in Herend. He started working as a thrower at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory in 1980. In 1988 he was awarded the “Worker of Excellence” Prize.

Since 1992 he has been production phase coordination supervisor in the green ware department. As well as recognition, this job has granted him a great professional challenge too.

The little free time he has he likes to spend with his family. They often go on outings together and like do a spot of angling now and then. He is a DIY man and enjoys drawing as a hobby.

He lives in Úrkút with his wife and two children.

After leaving school, in 1984 he enrolled in the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelain-making in Herend to make the most of his flair for the arts. Since he graduated as a skilled worker he has worked as a thrower at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory.

In 2003 he did a course on quality control of production phase coordination, in which field he worked for the next two years. Nowadays he has returned to working as a thrower.

He is especially proud of having been on the first team that started the renewed production of the Maria Theresa platter. He was also happy with and very much committed to the task of making the vases which were handed over as the first three prizes at the Formula One Hungary Grand Prix.

He spends most of his free time with his family, but also loves to practise extreme sports. He does amateur mountain biking and dirt biking, and takes an interest in rallying as well as soccer.

He lives in Úrkút with his wife and daughter.

He graduated in 1996 and has been working at the green ware section of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory since. He loves his work and does his utmost to be as near to perfect as possible.

He continues to develop his expertise by attending special interest groups, where he can enhance his skills and vision.

He considers as his greatest success to date the fact that his work has been selected twice for the “Ajka autumn art exhibition”.

His hobby is drawing and pastel painting. In his leisure time he likes to go on outings and ride a bike. He is an avid museum-goer and particularly enjoys visiting the exhibitions of prominent painters and artists.

He lives in his native town of Ajka with his girlfriend.

All her life she has felt the pull of the art world, so after leaving school she decided to make the most of her talents in Herend. She graduated with flying colours as a skilled thrower in 1979. Starting in 1992, she became quality controller of production phase coordination and, on account of her talent, was subsequently appointed supervisor.

She has been assisting the instruction of thrower trainees for many years. She eases the way of fresh graduates into the production process and helps them for about a year to adapt to their work requirements.

Beyond this responsibility, she tutors newcomers on working methods as well. She is also in charge of the throwing demos held at the Mini Manufactory.

She is certainly one who loves a challenge and new trials, which is why she has decided to participate in the Manufactory’s new master training course.

She lives in Úrkút with her family.

After leaving school, he enrolled in the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelainmaking in Herend, from where he graduated as a skilled thrower in 1987. Since then he has been one of the excellent workers of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. Due to his professional expertise and commitment to work he has been active in different fields: first as a porcelain maker, then as a project manager and currently, since November 2005, as a foreman.

He is the proud maker of several outstanding pieces, the best known of which are his ornamental pierced baskets, the Maria Theresa pierced platter and the Wales cups and jugs.

He loves sports and is particularly keen on ball games. He spends much of his leisure time on outings and fishing with his family and friends.

He lives in Herend with his wife and son.

Her talents were discovered at a very young age and she was sent to study in Herend in 1977. She graduated with top marks as a porcelain thrower in 1980, and her xamination piece was declared the “most beautiful exam masterpiece”.

In the course of her work she has had the opportunity to try her hand at most fields of her craft so she is familiar with piercing, moulding, sticking and cleaning. Possibly on account of this she is currently working the Herend Porcelain Manufactory’s Visitors’ Centre.

Her commitment to her craft earned her the “Worker of Excellence” title in 1989.

When she was younger she went in for sports, playing soccer, doing bowling and even competing in table tennis. Nowadays she prefers to spend her free time doing crossword puzzles.

She lives in Alsóörs.

His artistic talent guided him to Herend, where he graduated as a thrower in 1997. He won the “Mór Fischer Prize” for outstanding achievement, which he is extremely proud of. He has always felt that art and beauty are closely related to his own life, so he could not envisage any other career for himself.

He started working at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory in 1997. One of many gifted workers, he began on a motor-driven potter’s wheel and later continued in figurine throwing, where he was promoted to foreman.

He is particularly proud of attending the Manufactory’s new master training course.

He is a keen sports fan and is especially interested in Formula One racing. He likes to go fishing in his free time, an activity that has been his hobby for many years.

He lives in Herend, near his native town, with his daughter.

After leaving school, he opted for a career in the art world and went on to study at the Mór Fischer Vocational School for Porcelain-making in Herend. He graduated in 1988 and has been working at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory since. He worked as a thrower until 2003, foreman for green ware production until 2006 and is currently foreman for glazing.

He is interested in everything that will make his work more special. He believes that “the end result of things is less interesting than the means that get you there, as it takes imagination to find the way.”

He has a number of experiments and developments to his name, including the unbolstered firing of two larger size Schrammel figures.

He likes to spend his leisure time going on day trips with his family and enjoys doing odd jobs around the house.

He lives in Herend as a happy family man with a wife and two school-age children.

After leaving school, she opted for a career at Herend. Following her successful vocational training, she graduated as a skilled porcelain thrower in 1987, a craft she practises to this very day.

She has always striven to contribute to the successful running of the Manufactory. Her commitment was awarded with the “Prize for Innovation” in 2005.

She is one of the participants of the Manufactory’s new programme of master training, something she is exceptionally proud of. In the course of her work she has represented the Herend Porcelain Manufactory at shows abroad, thus contributing to the Manufactory’s international prestige.

In her leisure time she loves to run and to play tennis. She is a keen hiker and an avid museum-goer. She takes interest in interior decoration and likes antiques, including furniture. The latter passion is probably rooted in her father being a cabinet maker.

She lives in Veszprém, not far from her workplace, together with her two children.