Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 22. (Budapest, 2003)

Márta JÁRÓ: On the History of a 17th Century Noblemans' Dolman and Mantle, based on the Manufacturing Techniques of the Ornamental Metal Threads. Or de Milan, Or de Lyon and Silver of Clay Ornamentations on a ceremonial Costume from the Esterházy Treasury

or aristocratic wear, perhaps as a theatrical costume. It is not impossible that this old and unfashionable set of garments, lying in the wardrobe, was used in an actor's performance. We may assume that the dolman proved to be too tight, and was enlarged using the additional lace-pieces. This alteration must however have been done before 1725, since in that year, in the Fraknó castle inventory, the dolman and mantle are described as pieces of a valued heritage. The thread made from aluminium (or "silver of clay") used to conceal the patch on the dolman must have been one of the more expensive types of thread in the last third of the 19

th century; its use at that date would have been a sign of the high worth attached to the garment. The dolman was more than 200 years old at the time of the 1872 and the 1891 exhibitions, and would very probably have had to be restored to make it suitable for display; it may have been on one of these two occasions that the aluminium thread was applied. It is also possible however that the aluminium thread, already antiquated but still uncorroded and of shiny appearance, was used for the repair at a much later time.

82 We have not regarded it as our role to answer questions more appropriate to be decided by the specialist analysis techniques used by historians, art-historians, textile experts and textile-restorers. Our ambition has been merely to contribute to the elucidation of the history of this mantle and dolman by examining the metal threads of their textiles, using scientific methods. It is a task for future researchers to confirm or refute, overall or in detail, our conclusions on the history of the garments described in this paper. (Translated by Robert Bernard and Laura Lilik) NOTES 1 Almárium Sub Nro 79 et 80. Nro 21. - published by Katona, Imre: Afraknói kincstár 1725-ös leltára [The 1725 inventory of the Fraknó treasury], in: Művészettörténeti Értesítő, vol. XXIX, 2, 1980, 145. - Inv. nos.: 52.2769 (mantle), 52.2770 (dolman). Mantle, base fabric: Weaving technique: lampas, lancé-weft patterned, brocaded. Warp: 2 main, 1 binding (loose beige silk in S-twist) Weft: 1 base (untwisted beige silk), 2 lancé (a. yellow untwisted silk; b. two silver wires), 1 brocading (gilt-silver strip wound round yellow silk core in 2 S-Z twist). Pattern repeat: vertical 12 cm, horizontal 9 cm. Fabric width: 55 cm. Dolman, base-fabric Weaving technique: lampas, lancé-weft patterned, brocaded. Warp: 2 main, 1 binding (yellow silk, S-twist). Weft: 1 base (yellow untwisted silk), 2 lancé (a. yellow untwisted silk; b. two silver wires), 1 brocading (gilt-silver strip wound round yellow silk core in 2 S-Z twist). Pattern repeat: vertical 9 cm, horizontal 7 cm. Fabric width: 55 cm. The details concerning the manufacturing techniques of the base fabrics of the mantle and dolman have been taken from the manuscript of Katalin E. Nagy, textile restorer of the Museum of Applied Arts. I thank her for allowing me to use her findings, and for her other assistance with this paper. 1 1

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,h century engraving by an unknown German master. Hungarian National Museum. Inv. no.: MTKcs 114/1939 4 Wagner, Francisco: História Leopoldi Magni Caesaris Augusti, Augsburg, 1719-31, vol. I, 8. 5 Altere Zeremonialakten Kt. 5. Nr. 6. "Die Krönung König Leopolds zum König von Ungarn in Pressburg" fol. 1-48., Haus- Hof- und Staatsarchiv, Vienna (hereafter: Ältere Zeremonialakten 5/6) 6 Ältere Zeremonialakten 5/6, "Ihro Königliche Mayestät Leopoldi ungarische crönung" (fol. 1-8.), fol. 2rv. (interpretation of Fazekas, István). I wish to thank Dr. Fazekas, the delegate of the Vienna Office of the National Archive of Hungary, who provided most valuable assistance to this paper. 7 Ältere Zeremonialakten 5/6, (fol. 9-16), fol. 10. 8 According to Horváth, M., „näckher farb" means ivory coloured, see: Horváth, M.: Német elemek a 17. század magyar nyelvében [German elements in the 17

th century Hungarian language], Budapest, 1978, 216., quoted by Tompos in: Tompos, L.: Az Esterházyak számadásai és textilszámlái a XVII. századból [Accounts and textile invoices of the Esterházys in the 17

th century], Bibliotheca Humanitatis Historica, XVI., Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum, Budapest, 2000, 20. 9 I thank Dr. Rotraud Bauer and Dr. Herbert Haupt of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum for their invaluable assistance in interpreting this text. 10 A magyarországi árvízkárosultak javára Budapesten Gf. Károlyi Lajos palotájában 1876. évi májusban ren-