The name Herend is synonymous with porcelain of extraordinary quality and spectacular beauty, and also with Hungarian craftsmanship. The peregrine falcon, or turul, meanwhile, is a mythical bird whose broad and powerful wings guided the Hungarian tribes to their new homeland in central Europe.
It is only natural, then, that an elegant falcon crafted of Herend porcelain be awarded to the perfectionists of modern flight, the winners of the Budapest Red Bull Air Race. The air race will see pilots performing delicate maneuvers at high speeds in an unparalleled setting – over the Danube in front of the Parliament on August 20th.
This is the first time the organizers of the Hungary Cup of the Red Bull Air Race have commissioned the winning trophies of the race from the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. The 180-year-old company’s creations have graced the interiors of connoisseurs worldwide for centuries, from Emperor Franz Joseph to Lady Diana, Pope Benedict XVI to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Ceramic artist Kata Gácser designed Herend’s warrior bird figure in the 1930s. This time, it has been resurrected by Herend artists József Heizer and Zsolt Bak, with an imposing size approaching nearly one meter. The ruffled feathers of its neck, being the guardian of the traditions and the sword of Saint Stephen, represent its willingness to defend the country.
According to Hungarian legend, the noble bird appeared to Emese, the mother of Álmos, in a dream, telling her that her child would be the father of a great nation. Álmos grew up to lead one of the seven tribes that settled in the Carpathian basin in the ninth century. The turul also appeared in a dream to the leader of the tribes, saving them from an attack on their horses, signaling that they must move and leading them to the land that became Hungary.
Today the bird can be seen immortalized guarding the Buda Castle, and on a hill overlooking the city of Tatabánya.
Now the legendary bird has been exquisitely crafted in porcelain by Herend as a fitting prize for the newest heroes of the air.
The porcelain of Herend: Timeless Beauty, Eternal Treasure. Let it also stand for Victory and Success.