Stories of Ceramics

From a struggling pottery factory in nineteenth-century Hungary to one of Europe's most celebrated ceramic manufacturers, the story of Zsolnay is one of extraordinary ambition, artistic innovation and family genius. In the first of two episodes, Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore how the visionary businessman Vilmos Zsolnay transformed a modest factory in the city of Pécs into an international centre of ceramic excellence. At the heart of this remarkable transformation were his two daughters, Teréz and Júlia, whose pioneering designs drew on Hungarian folk traditions and influences from across the world. Against the backdrop of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, industrial expansion and the rise of Art Nouveau, they uncover the revolutionary techniques, dazzling iridescent glazes and extraordinary craftsmanship that made Zsolnay famous. This is the story of a family's creative vision, a nation's cultural identity and the golden age of one of Europe's most remarkable ceramic manufactories. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Zsolnay Family and the Golden Age of Hungarian Ceramics 00:02:47 Pecs: A Mediterranean City in the Heart of Hungary 00:04:02 The Zsolnay Factory Origins: From Pipes to Prestige 00:07:49 Political Context: The 1867 Austro-Hungarian Compromise 00:09:39 Vilmos Zsolnay: The Visionary Businessman 00:12:44 The Zsolnay Sisters: Terez and Julia's Design Revolution 00:15:32 Terez Zsolnay: Traditionalist and the Floral Renaissance 00:20:05 Julia Zsolnay: Avant-Garde Fusion of East and West 00:23:21 The Alhambra Vase: A Masterpiece of Islamic Homage 00:30:12 Eosin Glaze: The Iridescent Revolution of 1893 00:34:34 Art Nouveau and International Success 00:40:51 The Golden Age: 1870 to 1910 Images from this episode: Vase with Flowers ca. 1901 and Vase with Bird Ca. 1902, Sándor Apáti Abt, Creative commons, Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:P%C3%A9cs_Zsolnay_cultural_quarter#/media/File:Gyugyi_collection_2.JPG  Panoramic of Pécs, Ca. 1840, L. Rohbock, Creative Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pecs_panoramic_c1840.jpg Miklós Zsolnay Senior, 1800 – 1800, public domain Buildings owned by the Zsolnay Family Ca. 19th c.public domain Ignác Zsolnay, 1826 – 1900 Vilmos Zsolnay at the Zsolnay Museum, Creative Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9cs#/media/File:Zsolnay_Sz%C3%A9kely.JPG  Advertisement for Zsolnay Department Store, ca. 1850s  Locomotive at Déli Railway Station, Hungary, Ca. 1905 Vilmos Zsolnay, Ca. 1890s, Creative Commons https://etruscanmajolica.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-majolica-of-zsolnay.html  Houses and Cottages Bordering Zsolnay Factory, Ca. 2010s,  Rowntree Chocolate Factory, Ca. Late 19th C Rowntree Chocolate Factory, Ca. 1933 The Development of Cite Ouvriere in Mulhouse, Ca. 19th c. Archives de Mulhouse. The Zsolnay Family, Ca. 1890s Teréz Zsolnay, 1854 – 1944, as above Júlia Zsolnay, 1856 – 1950, as above Vilmos Zsolnay and his family, Ca. 1860s as above Teréz Zsolnay, 1854 – 1944 Júlia Zsolnay, 1856 – 1950,  Bread Plate Ca. 1850, Augustus Pugin,The Met Collection Janus Pannoninus Museum, Photo of Tádé Sikorski, Ca. 1907, Public Domain Creative Commons, Alhambra Vase, Ca. 1883-5, Tádé Sikorski, V & A Collection Alhambra, Ca. 1878, Joseph-Theodore Deck, V & A Collection Alhambra, Ca. 1877-90, Crown Derby Factory, The Met Collection Zsolnay Logo, Ca. 1898-1900, Júlia Zsolnay,  Brick Stacks, Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, Ca. 2015, Creative Commons, Original Alhambra Vessel, Drawn by Diego Sánchez Saraboa, Ca. 1762, Creative Commons, Public Domain, Eosin Glaze of Zsolnay Fountain, Installed in 1930, Creative Commons, Public Domain, Memento Mori, Ca. 1900, Lászlo Mattyasovzky Zsolnay, Vincze Wartha 1844 – 1914, Eos, by Evelyn de Morgan, Ca. 1895 Creative Commons, Public Domain Eosin Parrot, Ca. 1910, Zsolnay Factory, Creative Commons, Public Domain, Roman Glass Fragments Ca. 43 - 410 CE, Creative Commons, Early photograph of Hôtel Tassel, Creative Commons, Public Domian Main Façade of Hôtel Tassel Built by Victor Horta, Ca. 1893, Creative Commons, L’Art Nouveau Museum, Ca. 1900s, Zsolnay at the Vienna World Fair, Ca. 1873. Credits: Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene Editor: Dennis Caouki Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

At the heart of the Aztec Empire stood one of the most extraordinary cities in the ancient world – Tenochtitlan, built on an island and filled with temples, warriors, craftsmen and gods. Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore the ceramics of the Aztecs, or Mexica, from beautifully made redware used for everyday food to extraordinary effigy vessels and monumental terracotta figures created for ritual and sacrifice. Through objects including the Eagle Warrior and the terrifying Lord of the Underworld, they uncover a world in which clay connected daily life with mythology, warfare, nature and the supernatural. Finally, they explore the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and the devastating collapse of the Aztec Empire – and ask what its surviving ceramics can reveal about a civilisation whose influence can still be felt today. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Mesoamerica - The Aztecs: Clay, Gods and Sacrifice 00:00:41 The Mexica People and the Founding of Tenochtitlan 00:04:06 Engineering Marvels: Chinampa Agriculture and City Planning 00:07:16 Trade Networks and the Spanish Conquest 00:08:31 Domestic Redwares: Pottery for Daily Life 00:12:57 The Symbolic Power of Red: Blood, Sun, and Warfare 00:13:54 Templo Mayor: The Sacred Heart of the Empire 00:16:22 Tlaloc the Rain God: Turquoise Effigy Vessels 00:20:08 Animal Symbolism: Vessels as Gods and Creatures 00:22:28 The Eagle Warrior: Life-Size Ceramic Sculpture 00:26:39 The Lord of the Underworld: Terror in Clay 00:28:40 Sacrifice and Ceremony: Clay as Ritual Mediator 00:31:53 The Spanish Arrival and Cultural Devastation 00:37:35 Legacy: The Aztec Influence on Modern Life Featured Images: Codex Bourgia, c.16th century, Public Domain, Creative Commons Map Aztex Empire, Public Domain, Creative Commons Image of Eagle, Mendoza Codex, c.1541, Public Domain Map of Tenochtitlan, ca. 1524, Public Domain Model of Sacred Precincts in Tenochtitlan Capital City of Tenochtitlan Axtec Redware Bowl, c.15th-16th century, The Met Collection, Public Domain Eagle Warrior from the Hosue of Eagles, ca. 1400-152, Photograph by Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Vessel with Codex style ca.1350-1500, Public Domain Image of Eagle, Mendoza Codex, c.1541, Public Domain Aztec bowl, Public Domain Aztec redware pitcher, 15-16th century, Public Domain Aztec Bowl with Monkeys, 1400-1521, Public Domain Aztec Bowl, Public Domain Ceramic Tilaloc Effigy Vessel c.1440-1470 Vulture Vessel, c.1200-1521, The Met Collection, Public Domain Warrior Codex Menoza, ca. 1541-1542, Public Domain Lifesize Terracotta of Mictlantecuhtli, ca.1400-1521 Painting depicting the Fall of Tenochtitlan, second half of the 17th century, unknown artist. Wikimedia Commons. Credits: Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene Editor: Sam Bond Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

What if a pot could be read like a book? In the second part of their journey through Mesoamerica, Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh travel to the great ancient city of Cholula – a bustling centre of trade, pilgrimage and cultural exchange – to explore the extraordinary ceramics of the Mixtec-Puebla tradition. Painted with gods, symbols and intricate bands of imagery, these highly prized vessels transformed clay into a sophisticated visual language that could communicate across cultures and linguistic barriers. From stories of warfare and sacrifice to sunlight, death and the worship of the gods, they reveal a world in which ceramics could be read as well as admired. Traded across vast distances, these remarkable pots offer a glimpse into the beliefs, rituals and interconnected cultures of Mesoamerica – and lead us towards the rise of the Aztec Empire. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Mesoamerica - Mixtec Puebla: When Pots Told Stories 00:02:36 The Great City of Cholula: A Multi-Ethnic Trading Hub 00:05:44 Writing on Clay: Vessels as Visual Language 00:08:22 High-Value Commodities: Ritual Vessels and Elite Status 00:09:57 The Codex Style: Pictorial Manuscripts on Pottery 00:11:20 Forms and Materials: Earthenware Goblets and Burnished Surfaces 00:12:52 The Iconic Principle: Symbols for Gods and Rituals 00:14:35 Sacrifice, Duality, and the Pantheon of Gods 00:17:12 Color as Communication: Orange for Light, Black for Darkness 00:18:48 The Notational Principle: Bands That Resemble Speech 00:20:58 Reading the Bands: From Solar Gods to Darkness and Death 00:23:57 Narrative-Driven Culture: Pots That Tell Stories 00:25:54 Legacy and Connection: Linking to the Aztec Empire Featured Images: Map of Mixteca-Puebla and Mesoamerica, Creative Commons Map of Cholula George Vaillant, archaeologist, ca. 1937, Creative Commons, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clapp_Vaillant#/media/File:AMNH_staff,_1937.jpg Pyramids of the Sun, Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan, Mexico, by Burkhard Mücke created by SA CC 4.0 Map of Cholula, Ttlaxcala, 1581 Pyramid of Cholula, Ca. 1813, Alexander von Humboldt Pedestal Bowl, 1300–1500 CE, Mixtec artists, The Met Collection, Public Domain Vessel with Codex-Style Scenes, Creative Commons, Mixteca-Puebla Pottery Vessel, c. 1300–1521, Codex Borgia, from the 1898 Faximilie Edition, Public Domain, Creative Commons Bowl, 1200–1400, Mixtec, Oaxaca, Mexico, National Gallery of Victoria, Public Domain Pedestal Cup from Cholula, c. 1350–1521, Public Domain, Leo Stein Collection, National Museum of the American Indian, New York. Thematic Complexes on Codex-Style Vessels from Cholula, Mixteca-Puebla, Americae, Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Tripod Vase Polichrome Ceramic, 1300–1521 Bowl with Rattle Base, c. 900–1519, Cleveland Museum of Art, Public Domain Censer with the Complex of Powerful Lords and Deities, Mixteca-Puebla, Americae, Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Codex, 1200–1521, Mixteca Whistle with the Maize God emerging from the Flower, 600 – 900 CE, The Met Collection, Public Domain Cholula-Style Ceramic Goblet with Skeletal Serpent and Mountain Sign, Mixteca-Puebla, 1300 – 1500 CE Rain God Mask, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Collection, Public Domain Sun and Light Painted on Middle Polychrome Plate, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Polychrome Figural Vessel of Chicomecoatl, c. 1000–1500, Mixteca-Puebla Goblet with a Complex of Darkness, Ca. 1300 – 1500, Mixtec Goblet, Ca. 1000 – 1500 Polychrome Ceramic Bowl, 800–1300, Mexico, Penn Museum, Public Domain Pulque Drinking Cup, 900–1519, Cholula, Mixteca-Puebla style, Cleveland Museum of Art, Public Domain Montezuma in the Codex Mendoza, 16th century, Creative Commons, Public Domain Mixteca-Puebla Pottery Vessel, c. 1300–1521, The Met Collection, Public Domain, Credits: Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene Editor: Dennis Caouki Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Journey into the extraordinary world of the Classic Maya, where ceramics were far more than objects for everyday use; they were vessels for food, status, storytelling, ritual and belief. Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore the golden age of Maya ceramics, discovering how skilled potters created sophisticated hand-built vessels without the potter’s wheel. From humble cooking pots used to prepare maize to beautifully painted polychrome vessels and prized cacao cups, ceramics offer a remarkable window into Maya life. They uncover the profound relationship between food and mythology, including the Maya creation story in which the first humans were made from corn, and explore how gods, rulers and ancient stories were painted across the surfaces of pots. They also enter the dramatic world of the Maya ball game, where sport, political power, sacrifice and the struggle between life and death became intertwined. Beautiful, complex and sometimes unsettling, these surviving ceramics allow us to glimpse a civilisation in which the everyday and the sacred were inseparable – and where a simple clay vessel could tell the story of the cosmos. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Mesoamerica - The Maya: Gods, Myths and Ceramics 00:00:22 Defining Mesoamerica: Geography and the Maya World 00:04:31 Hand-Built Mastery: Pottery Without the Wheel 00:07:31 Corn and Clay: The Kitchen as Sacred Space 00:14:06 The Creation Myth: Humans Made from Corn 00:17:21 Forms and Functions: The Ceramic Repertoire 00:19:11 The Sensory Feast: Vessels That Ring and Sing 00:22:23 Codex Style Pottery: Visual Narratives and Funerary Offerings 00:27:11 The Ritual Ball Game: Life, Death, and Cosmic Balance 00:27:20 The Golden Age: Classic Maya Polychrome Ceramics Map of Mesoamerica Map of Mesoamerica, Wikipedia, Public Domain Vessel Depicting a Sacrificial Ceremony for a Royal Accession, ca. 750–800 CE, Maya. Public Domain, Art Institute of Chicago Cylindrical Vessel, 6th–9th century, Maya. The The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain Tripod Bird Bowl, 3rd–4th century, Maya. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pubic Domain Death of Penthesilia, ca. 540–530 BCE.  Mayan Kitchen Fresco, Preparing Cacao, Maya. Plate with the God Chahk, 600–800 CE, Maya artist(s). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain Maya Ceramic Bowl Offering of Tamales to the Gods, Creative Commons, Public Domain Jomon Pot, Late Jomon Period, 2500–1000 BCE, creative commons, public domain Olla-Shape Pottery, 21st century, earthenware, Mexico Plate with Trumpeter, 700–800 CE, Maya. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain Pinchancha, 21st century, earthenware, Zacualpan, Guerrero, Mexico.  Maya Tripod Plate, Late Classic period, ca. 550–950 CE, Maya, public domain  Tripod Plate, Maya. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pubilc Domain Model of the Various Structures that Make Up the Pyramid of Cholula.  Whistle with the Maize God Emerging from a Flower, 600–900 CE, Maya artist(s). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain Mural Depicting the Maize God, Maya. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maya_maize_god.jpg  Freshly Fired Comales Cooling, 21st century, earthenware, San Mateo Mixtepec, Mexico.  Tetrapod Bowl, 1st–4th century, Maya. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain Vessel with Mythological Scene, 600–800 CE, Metropolitan Painter. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain Vessel Depicting the Rain God Chahk, ca. 600–800 CE, Maya. Facsimile of the Madrid Codex. Museum of the Americas, Public Domain Lidded Vessel, 3rd–4th century, Maya. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain Itzamna Seated in a Classic Period Polychrome Ceramic (Kerr 504), Maya, public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:God_D_Itzam.jpg  Ixchel with Rabbit, Maya, Public Domain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Moon_Goddess#/media/File:Goddess_O_Ixchel.jpg  Codex-Style Plate Featuring the Maize God and the Hero Twins, 680–740 CE, Maya, El Petén, Guatemala. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Public Domain Credits: Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene Editor: Dennis Caouki Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

In the second of two episodes, Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh follow Peter Voulkos through the explosive years that transformed him from master potter into one of the most radical figures in modern ceramics. From the experimental studios of Otis and Berkeley to his monumental Blackwares, stacks and platters, Voulkos tears, cuts, pounds and rebuilds clay, pushing it far beyond the traditional vessel. His performances become legendary, while a generation of students go on to reshape American ceramics themselves. But behind the charismatic “wild man” lies a more complicated story of addiction, recovery and relentless creativity. Stephanie and Paul explore Voulkos’s later years and the extraordinary legacy of an artist who changed not simply how ceramics looked, but what clay could be. Featured Images: Rocking Pot, 1956, Peter Voulkos. Pot Shop, UC Berkeley, c. 1960s, Jim Melchert. Last Temptation of Ming, 2015, Ron Nagle. Blue Face with White Stripe, 1971, Stephen De Staebler. Looking at Pictures, 2016, Mary Heilmann. Installation View of “New Talent XIII”, 1960, Peter Voulkos. Peter Voulkos at Work in the Faith and Charity in Hope Gallery, 1984, Peter Voulkos. Sunset Rip, 2008, Mary Heilmann. Paul Soldner’s MFA Show, 1956, Paul Soldner, Peter Voulkos and John Mason. Arlene Schechet in the Jewish Museum, 2018, Sara Wasserman. Peter Voulkos at Work, by Stephanie Rozene Installation View of Voulkos: The Breakthrough Years, [date unknown], Butcher Walsh. Untitled Chicken Pot, 1958, Peter Voulkos. The New York Times, 2021. Little Big Horn, 1959, Peter Voulkos. ientos, 1959, Peter Voulkos. Sitting Bull, 1959, Peter Voulkos. Annon, 1959, Peter Voulkos. Photograph by E. G. Schempf, Museum of Arts and Design. Pauline Annon,  circa 1950, Estate of Pauline Anon   Peter Voulkos at Work, c. 1960s,  Pinatubo, 1994, Peter Voulkos. Ice Bucket, [date unknown], Peter Voulkos. Bronze Ice Bucket, 1986, Peter Voulkos. Iron Head, 1979, Peter Voulkos. Selfies at the V and A, Stephanie Rosine and Paul Greenhalgh Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Peter Voulkos - A Revolution in Clay Part 2 00:00:59 Otis College and Building the Studio from Scratch 00:03:46 Industrial Scale: Dough Mixers, Modified Wheels, and Forklift Kilns 00:05:34 The Roll Call: Students Who Became Titans 00:07:26 New York Connections: MoMA and Abstract Expressionism 00:08:31 Berkeley Years: Founding a Program and Pure Theater 00:12:26 The Female Legacy: Mary Heilman and Breaking Boundaries 00:18:07 The Blackwares: Breakthrough Pieces and New Language 00:18:52 The Breakthrough Years: 15 Years of Frantic Experimentation 00:27:23 Settling Into Iconic Forms: Stacks, Ice Buckets, and Platters 00:28:06 Struggles and Redemption: The 1970s and 1980s 00:32:34 Recognition and Retrospective: The 1978 SFMOMA Show 00:34:02 Legacy: The Man Who Changed Everything Credits: Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene Editor: Sam Bond Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac