Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 24. (Budapest, 2006)
István SIMONYI: Questions and answers. An attempt at defining the so-called „Bethlen-Násfa"
base of the jewel, to which the ornaments of the front are fixed. (fig.7/b) The visible surface segments of the base - as in the foliage and the wing feathers - are covered by enamel. On the broader feathers, rows of diamonds and emeralds alternate in settings fixed - quite unusually - by rivets to the base. The other rows of settings (of the crown, cross, anchor, shield-framing arches) as well as most enamelled ornaments are fastened in the usual way, with tubular distanceconsoles as was customary from the early 17 th century. The pair of doves, hands and skull were formed with the ronde-bosse technique, while the translucent red enamel of the heart received ultramarine blue counter-enamel on the reverse. The ornaments were also cut out from sheets, that is, they were not cast. (!) On the back there is an openwork chased plate in the shape of a reversed cross which was screwed to the base as a sort of pseudo ground with long tubular distance-consoles. (fig.7/c) This perfectly unusual construction was one of the main sources of doubt about the originality of the jewel. Earlier many scholars, including myself, thought it was a later addition. Recently, however, the jewel was cleaned and disassembled 14 as a result of which the earlier hidden technical details were revealed: the threaded fixing consoles of the supplemental back were brazed to the ground. (fig.7/d, f) That could only be done during the making of the jewel, since later the settings and enamels would not have allowed it. Its application probably had some practical purpose: the innumerable screw ends sticking out of the base sheet would have got stuck in the clothes. Its colour is different from the basic hue of the jewel. It was also made of silver, but while the body of the jewel was fire-gilt, the addition was gilded with a different technique and gives the impression of brass today. Another question is how the jewel was worn originally. At the apex there is an unadorned round plate where traditionally a hanging ring of lying format should be, as the Dresden násfa and "no. 13" illustrate it (fig. 6). If it was worn as a pendant, the only sign in support of this assumption is the horizontally welded two hinges on top of the reverse, which together with the missing parts could have served as the hanger, but are at present functionless. (fig.7/f) However, it cannot be excluded that it was worn pinned with a pin led through the tubular hinges. It is also strange that only two of the rings used to hang ornamental drops are extant, although their number is always odd. There must have been a third drop in the middle axis of the jewel, and the missing lower jaw of the skull also allows to assume that perhaps further segments of the original jewel are missing at this point. However, whatever there used to be, its place is carefully finished now. The piece kept in the Hungarian National Museum is perhaps the most enigmatic Bethlennásfa known today. 15 (fig. 9) The description of item 12 Násfa in the 1884 catalogue appears to tally with it convincingly: "... Symbols of faith, hope, love. Below there is a white enamelled skull with a key between its teeth, above it between two ringed hands in white and pink enamel there is a translucent red glowing heart on afibrously chased base with a sapphire between four rubies in the middle. Above it are the cross and anchor embellished with emeralds and rubies. The body of the serpent winding around the anchor and the cross is fibrously chased and in translucent green, its head is in the same red, its tongue in blue enamel. Two white doves are sitting on the arms of the cross. On top there is a princely crown of rubies and emeralds. On either side of the anchor, there is a wing-like ornament. The leaves are adorned with emeralds and rubies, with traces of enamel. The back is chased. 17"' century." The catalogue claims that it was loaned to the exhibition by count Lajos Tisza (1832-1898), and according to the Millenary Exhibition catalogue of 1896, it was still owned by him. The author of the latter catalogue presented the description of this one of the three exhibited násfas with a photo. 16 (fig. 8) The photo shows weird similarity to the jewel in the National Museum. In the catalogue of the Millenary Exhibition one finds valuable information in the list of the owners of other similar násfas. This and the data in the 1884 catalogue permit the following observations:
