Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 26. (Budapest, 2008)
Róza BRENNER: Conservation of a Pair of 18th Century Leather Boots Shrunken and Deformed at High Temperature
RÓZA BRENNER CONSERVATION OF A PAIR OF 18 th CENTURY LEATHER BOOTS SHRUNKEN AND DEFORMED AT HIGH TEMPERATURE Historical preliminaries The only surviving footwear in the Esterházy collection, a pair of boots embroidered in rococo taste, was probably worn by the founder of the famous family gallery, prince Miklós Esterházy (1765-1833). In the early 20 th century it was deposited in the Museum of Applied Arts. During World War II, however, the family deemed it safer to shelter the collection in the cellar of their palace in Tárnok Street in the Castle district of Buda. The palace was ruined to dust by a bomb raid in January 1945. The artefacts that spent another three years in badly damaged state under the rubble of the collapsed building gutted by fire went back to the Museum of Applied Arts in 1949. Description of the artefact, observations of the manufacturing technique It is a pair of russet-coloured leather boots richly embroidered with metal thread and sequins, with wine-red leather lining, leather soles, heels and silver-plated copper spurs. The boot is made from three pieces. The upper is of goat-leather, the lining of sheepskin, the sole is cowhide. The silver thread embroidery and the sequins are fastened by twisted silk thread, the cut leather pieces are sewn together by linen thread. Cut The sole toe is pointed, the sole head is oval, the instep narrows suddenly at the end of the head and broadens again up to the middle of the heel section. The sole was cut out from two pieces: the sole proper and the heel patch. The upper consists of three symmetrical parts. The vamp is narrow up to the "courtshoe" line. Since the sole instep narrows, the upper vamp turns somewhat under to meet the sole. The leg tapers slightly out upward and is embroidered on both sides. The top of the front part arches out slightly in two directions from the middle and bends down just as symmetrically. At the back, this descending line is continued first with a /. Archive photo of the pair of boots taken in the Museum of Applied Arts before 1945. Museum of Applied Arts, Archive, sign. FUT 2075
