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

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

the motifs - for example the heart-shaped foliage with small flowers stemming from it, the tulip's head growing out of sickleshaped leaves, as well as the symmetrical flower bush, placed over a heart or a stylised vase (Picture 21). The foreign features of the tablecloth are perhaps emphasized by the fact that die originally dark red silk application has already faded to an ochre colour, thus the sharp outlines make the symmetrical pattern even stricter and more resembling a woodcut. The closest analogies of the tablecloth, first of all on the basis of the shape of the flower bunch, are among the Austrian and German embroideries. Its first though not exactly identified description is in the 1685 Fraknó inventory: "7. Két atlacz ezüst fonállal varrott vir'gos szeönyeg ezeüst csipke rayta. Nr.l" (rough tranlation: Two satin carpets embroidered with flowers in silver tiiread, widi silver lace on the sides. No.l)

52 The 1693 inventory, written in Latin, runs as follows: "10. Copcrture ex Atalico Caeruleo, fimbrys ergenteis et floribiis ornata".

53 The elongated shape of the cloth from the lat quarter of th 17th century suggests that it was eighter a wallhanging or a tablecloth. In our opinion, the latter is closer to reality, since an entirely empty middle surface was not characteristic of wallhangings. A BEDCOVER WITH THE THÖKÖLY ESCUTCHEON AND A CURTAIN In 17tii century Hungarian inventories die name "szuperlát" (hanging) means various types of curtains. Among the furniture of the Regéc castle of Imre Thököly, several "hangings" are mentioned in the 1683 inventory: "ablakokra való tarka szuperlát", "hintóra való veres kamuka szuperlát" (rough translation: a hanging for windows, a red wool hanging for carriages), and die curtains in front of mirrors were also called "hangings". However, hangings around the bed or "for the bed" were there in almost all noble or aristocratic inventories. Hangings of silk, velvet, cambric or net "dressed up" the four-poster single or - rarely - doublebcds. There were two curtains on each longer side of the bed, while the shorter was equipped with one. Sometimes tiiere was an extra curtain at the comers. The curtains were supplemented by a frieze, running along the top of die four-poster bed, and two covering cloths - on for the top, the other for die bed. Yet most of the hangings consisted of five, seven or nine pieces; the one with die Thököly coat of amis had seven pieces. Its significance is unfortunately stressed by the fact that tiiis is the only one survived in Hungary from among the innumerable curtain sets, embroidered in gold and silver thread. The pale red satin curtains and "frieze" are embroidered widi slightly bent flowers, in silvergilt and silver thread.

54 There are lines of even and uneven numbers of flowers, embroidered below each other (Picture 22). The blossoms of the lower line usually reach up into the upper lines. The frieze (Picture 23) shows 24 flowers, positioned on a horizontal line. This kind of scattered arrangement is fairly typical of West European and oriental - mainly Persian - fabrics from the first half of the 17lh century, though diey were rairly used in embroidery. The flowers have thin stems and large blossoms (Picture 24), which were typical of Late Baroque Hungarian embroidery. The embroidered pinks, tulips, pomegranates, hyacintiis, bell-flowers, sunflowers, irises, roses seem to be fairly naturalistic, as much as possible in high relief embroidery, working with golden thread. It is apparent from the drawing that the maker was familiar widi western flower books (florilegiums) (Adrien Collaert, Theodor de