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

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

The middle blossom of the uneven number of flowers is separate, the ones on die sides arc identical. Both flower bushes of the Lórántffy wallhanging have five blossoms. On one, the middle blossom is an "acanthus flower"; in fact, it is a stylised plant, which appears first on Italian stone carvings of the 15lh century. A frequent Hungarian variant of this motif is the leaf collar arranged around the middle flower cup.

37 Its simpler variant appears already on the border decoration of the certificate of Prince György Rákóczi I (1643), painted on parchment,

38 and it is also present in die pattern drawings of Julia Rédei (Picture 12), from the last decades of die 17tii century.

39 A more stylised or refined version is typical of the embroidery of the Partium and Transylvania. The middle blossom of die other bush is a Turk's cap - a royal tulip, as János Szendrei tiiinks, or a peony, according to Mária Ember. Due to its stylization, it unites the features of several flowers. A similar motif decorates die 1672 certificate of Mihály Apaffy.

40 The shape of the flower bushes is typical of Transylvanian Renaissance embroideries: thin stems, tiny tendrils, leaves springing from die stem in V-shapc and stems lied with a ring. Several of the more modest versions can be found in die collections of the Székely National Museum and in die National Museum of Budapest, as well as in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts. The middle of the wallhanging shows die united coat of amis of Transylvania and die Lórántffy family, in a heart-shaped, crowned escutcheon, enclosed by acanthus leaves (Picture 14). In die escutcheon, die sun in the top dexter half and die gaining moon in the top sinister half symbolize die Székely people, while die eagle at die bottom dexter represents Hungarians, die seven bastions at die bottom sinister half stand for the Saxons. The arms of the Lórántffy

's appears in die middle, in a heart-shaped escutcheon: a lime leaf springing from a trunk with branches. The united coat of amis is ensigned by the Hungarian Holy Crown. Bom in 1600, Zsuzsanna Lórántffy was the daughter of Mihály L, landowner and captain of Onod castle, and Bora Zclcméri Kamarás. In 1616 she married György Rákóczi, who at that time was chief captain of Borsod county. György Rákóczi I (15931648) was elected ruling prince of Transylvania in 1630. On the basis of the united coat of amis, the drapery was probably made between the dale of die election and die death of Zsuzsanna Lórántffy (1660). A green and red velvet bedcover, embroidered in metal thread and an altar cloth embroidered in metal and polychrome silk threads, both decorated witii a shield identical with die one described above, can be found in the Hungarian National Museum

41

, while an altar frontal is kept in die Presbyterian collection of Sárospatak.

42 It is a known fact that the princess donated embroideries to several churches; they, however, have not been found yet. The perfect composition of the survived fabrics, die excellent drawing and the first class technique suggest a professional designer and embroiderer. Thus, the piece was probably made by an embroiderer or workshop of die Gyulafehérvár or Sárospatak court. The wallhanging cannot be definitely identified with the help of die inventories analized so far. In the register of the Gyulafehérvár treasury of György Rákóczi I (1643), there is a "scofium arannyal varrott megysziii bársony szőnyeg (rough translation: a cherry red velvet carpet, embroidered in gold metal thread)

43 while the 1725 Esterházy Inventarium mentions "egy meggy Szinü bársony igen Szép Virágokra arany s ezüst fonallal kivarrott ágyra való