Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 27. (Budapest, 2009)

Enikő SIPOS: Hungarian-Related Textile Works in Switzerland

2. Silk fragmentfrom the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest. Germany, late thirteenth century. Poivdered tin on blue ground three Hungarian banners of the Historisches Museum in Bern that "they are of a green silk, sewn up lengthwise, faded brown, originally with a red double cross. Curiously, they are cut in a five-winged shape at the ends. One of them features a red and green hem, and a red one in one of the other ones."

7 Heraldic features on the banners suggest that they were knights' banners used at the funeral ceremonies of monarchs, and were subsequently placed in mausoleums. Also, they would have been used in batde by various persons or organisations. There are records of bailiff and field officer banners and, from the fourteenth century onwards, banners of bannerets, chivalric orders and individual knights. The mediaeval Hungarian banner, regarded as the country banner, preserved its original Arpad-era colours for centuries, probably be136