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

Emese PÁSZTOR - Márta TÓTH - Anikó PATAKI - Andrea VÁRFALVI: Turkish Cases from the Esterházy Treasury

EMESE PÁSZTOR - MÁRTA TÓTH - ANIKÓ PATAKI - ANDREA VARFALVI TURKISH CASES FROM THE ESTERHÁZY TREASURY EMESE PÁSZTOR Turkish cases in Hungary and Transylvania during the Ottoman period Because of their lightness and their rapid rate of fire, so-called reflex bows were favoured in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Transylvania during the Ottoman period. References to their use occur most frequently in sources from the sixteenth to the early eighteenth century. Similarly to arrows, reflex bows used in war, hunting and sport were kept in special cases (Turkish: sadak, kemandan, yayhk

). Bows were carried in a leather case attached to the belt by means of leather straps. Usually, it was worn on the left side. A bow-case enveloped only the bottom half of the strung bow, following the shape of the bow to this extent, with result that the bow was always readily available. On the right side of the belt was attached a leather case for the arrows, a quiver (Turkish: tirkep okluk

), or as the Hungarian sources call it, a puzdra

1 or puzdora. This tapered towards the bottom and was supplied with a wooden base inside for the pointed arrow-heads. On the way to battle or in peacetime, a decorated bow-case or arrowcase (quiver) was - in order to protect it against rain and dust - carried in a 'case-protecting' leather holder featuring a simple, embossed design. In the Hungarian-Ianguage sources, this is referred to as a tegez hordozó táska

2 ('bag for carrying a case'), a tegeznek való tok

3 ('holder for a case'), or a boríték

4 ('cover').

5 On the basis of their execution, Turkish bow-cases and arrow-cases must have been of many different kinds. In the Hungarianlanguage documents of the time, we encounter many data on the favoured types of Turkish (or 'Porte' as they were then called) bow-cases and arrow-cases that passed into the hands of Hungarian grandees as purchases, trophies of war or presents during the course of the sixteenth-seventeenth century. From these documents we know that the simpler, everyday examples ('outdoor' or 'travelling and everyday' pieces in the language of the period) were usually made from leather only, although they were sometimes (modestly) embellished with silver or silver-gilt appliqué, with tacks or with embroidery executed in gold or silver wire (skófiumhímzés). These simpler cases made 'only' of leather are mentioned by the sources being as 'embroidered on sharkskin', since in an inventory of unknown origin drawn up in 1643 we read: 'Item, a fine case embroidered using silver-gilt wire (skófium) to resemble a black shark, with silvered strap. Item, another case embroidered in silver-gilt wire (skófium) to resemble a blue shark.'

6 In the European collections, a relatively large number of sets of cases have survived, among them 'shark-like' leather cases also. These mostly originate from war booty acquired during the battles fought against 71