Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 18. (Budapest, 1999)

Zsuzsanna LOVAY: Endre Thék and the Design of the Prime Minister's Study in the Hungarian Parliament

"Naturally, one person could never have undertaken all the cabinet-making work; and the huge amount was distributed among five firms. Endre Thék's large factory performed most of this work for the Parliament. A great amount was also given to the reputable Alajos Michl firm, János Csepreghy, the Neuschloss company [Károly Neuschloss and Sons], and G. Gregersen. All are eminent enterprises with huge workshops, with the result that we may expect great things from the work done and yet to be done."

7 The ceiling of the anteroom to the Prime Minister's Study is supported by consoles resting on twisting columns. It is divided by massive ribs into four sections. In the middle of each field, which is surrounded by an articulated border, it is embellished with rhombuses, the angles of which connect with the border. The slats follow the lines of the rhombuses. The wall panelling is oak with chased and carved embellishments. The design chased into the oak doors features leaf-and-flower motifs. The ceiling of the study itself has a wide border. There are six uniform fields, in two rows, and each is divided into four squares. At the points where the six fields meets there are rosettes, each with four petals; emanating from the rosettes are ribs which divide and span the frames. The wall panelling and panelling on the ceiling is mahogany. The marble fireplace is embellished with fire-gilded bronze inlay and eosin-glazed ceramic inlay. Above the fireplace is the original built-in mahogany-framed mirror, similarly with eosin-glaze ceramic inlay, whose ornamented top, with its eosinglazed ceramic inlays consisting of carved and stylized interconnecting heart and flower motifs, is in harmony with those of the cupboards. At one time the mantelpiece featured a bronze clock and pair of candlesticks by Gyula Jungfer (fig. 1) The furniture in the Prime Minister's Study (fig. 2) is mahogany veneer, on a pine base covered with maple. The furniture was made in Endre Thék's furniture works on Üllői út. The embellishment of the furniture was served by many different kinds of eosin-glaze ceramic inlays of various shapes and colours.

2 These elements were painted using a number of eosin paints applied to a glazed base fired at a high temperature. Through reduction, their embellishment, with drawing work done in a highly detailed way, recalls miniature paintings. The ceramic inlays were made at Vilmos Zsolnay's factory in Pécs between 1898 and 1900. The shape, contours and measurements of all elements were recorded in the Zsolnay pattern-book containing Parliament's furniture inlays, which were made at the same time as production/ The free-standing writing desk (fig. 3) stands on legs each consisting of eight flattened spheres, each turned on a lathe. The two three-drawer units on either side are joined to a large top. This top is bordered by turned and carved shelves. In its rim in the middle is a larger drawer, while above the two sets of drawers on which the top rests two smaller flat drawers are to be found. The sides of the writing desk are divided into three fields of inlay. The considerable dimensions of the writing desk are offset by these diagonally indented inlay frames stressed by brass stick ornamentation, as well as by the Zsolnay eosin-glazed ceramic inlays featuring rich floral patterns and framed in hearts, circles and squares. These motifs also occur on the fronts of the drawers, on the fronts of the units housing them, and on the inlay .fields on the sides, but also on the curved elements used to hold the desk together. They also cover almost every centimetre of the outer and inner sides of the rim and the shelf built onto it.