Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 12. (Budapest, 1992)

LÁSZLÓ Emőke: Magyar hímzett és selyemkárpitok a 16-17. századból

örgy Rákóczi I. In 1642, he got the title of a baron, and in 1654 he was endded a count. He was a friend of the Esterházy family outside political life as well. Pál Estcriiázy wrote the following in his Portoculum: "Ez szerelmes Feleségemnek adott Isten egy fiu magzatot! die ulüma bis az az Uj esztendő' nap estin délkor, ki volt Szent Szilveszter Pápa napja Fraknoban Anno 1655, kitt Miklós Antalnak körösztöltettünk kaloczai Érsek Piski János U. által, melyét névellyen Isten szent nevének dicséretire, szülei örömére, s az igaz Romai hitben lui s - mégis halni. Volt köröszt Atya Gróf Kéri /János/ Anya Groff Czobor Orsolya Kéri Jánosné Aszonyom." (rough tranlation: God presented my beloved wife widi a son on New Year's Eve, at midnight, die day of the Holy Pope Silvester, in Fraknó, Anno 1655, who was named Miklós Antal by János Piski, Archbishop of Kalocsa. Let him be grown for the glory of the Holy God and for the joy of his parents, to live and die in true Roman Catholic faitii. His godfather was Count /János/ Kéri, the godmother was Countess Orsolya Czobor, the wife of János Kéri.)

47 In 1693 Pál Esterházy purchased the castle of Kőszeg from the Széchy's and Kéry's, exchanging it for Kabold in Sopron county. Imre Katona supposes diat the portrait of Mária Széchy was received by die Fraknó treasury from Kőszeg

48

, and it is also possible that die life-size portrait of János Kéry, exhibited on the Milennial Exhibition, was acquired in die same way. However, I tiiink that die tablecloth with the coat of amis was received by die Esterházy family earlier, at the dme of die 1655 baptism, as a baptismal present. The earliest identifiable mention of the piece in Estcriiázy inventories was in 1670, when treasures were brought back to Fraknó from Sempte.: "23. Selyem posztó szünjegh arany virágokkal" (rough translation: a silk felt carpet with golden flowers).

49 We find a more precise description in the 1725 Fraknó inventory: "Más Vörös Sclem Postóbul való Szünyegh melynek Szegletül és közepin arannyal varrott virágok, kömyös körül Pcdigh arany csipke vagyon." (rough translation: A red carpet of silk felt, die middle and border of which are embroidered widi flowers, the edges braided with gold lace).

50 A BLUE SATIN TABLECLOTH The tablecloth is decorated with a satin application - once red - outlined with silvergilt diread (Picture 20) and by a silver bobbin lace, running along die edges.

51 The "continuous" border decoration is in fact a wavy tendril with pink, daisy, narcissus and peony blossoms, repeated twice on the shorter and four times on the longer sides. In the middle of die shorter sides there is a tulip head, springing from sickle-shaped leaves. The space beside each comer is filled with a lying, curved tulip stem. Boughs with pomegranates spring from heart-shaped foliage in the comers. Inside die border, in die comers, there arc symmetrical flower bushes, growing out of hearts, enriched with pomegranates, tulips and two different rosettes on the middle stem. No analogous pieces arc known in Hungarian embroidery. Application cmbroidery was fairly popular in 16th century Spain, and in die 18tii century it spread all over Europe; however, at diat time the applied silks were shaded by painting, just like in the case of needlepoint. As far as oriental embroideries arc concerned, die decoration of Turkish tents were made with die same technique. Yet, the embroidery of die satin tableclotii is quite far from cither die Spanish or the Turkish variants. A great number of Renaissance elements appear in