Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 27. (Budapest, 2009)
Emese PÁSZTOR - Márta TÓTH - Anikó PATAKI - Andrea VÁRFALVI: Turkish Cases from the Esterházy Treasury
6. Bow-case and arrow-case, Ottoman Empire, early seventeenth century, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Esterházy Treasury, inv. no.: 52.2882 and 52.2864 (no. IV: right-hand side; no. V: left-hand side.) being from the Porte or as being intended for purposes of display - in comparison with those in well-known European collections these pieces can beyond all doubt be listed among the especially fine early Turkish pieces. Thus, as well as in their artistic quality, their significance consists in the fact that unlike the many case sets from the late seventeenth century they represent Ottoman-Turkish cases from the time of Gábor Bethlen, reaching Hungarian territory probably as presents given in the course of diplomacy or as artefacts ordered from the Porte and known only from the sources. The Ottoman-Turkish bow-cases and arrow-cases in the Esterházy Treasury (I) Bow-case (fig. 4) Ottoman Empire, early seventeenth century Embroidered in gold skófium on a red velvet ground. Red leather lining, back and rim L. 65 cm, w. 35 cm Restored by Márta Tóth, 2003 Inv. no. 52.2865 Its longish, curved shape follows the shape of a strung bow: it is broad at the top, narrowing towards the bottom and ending in a point. Contoured with a double line, the mirror on its front side, which is covered by red velvet, is embellished with skófium embroidery: a bouquet ol flowers with stalks leaning towards each other that grow out of a single, thicker, stem. The fine drawing of the composition, its proportional arrangement and its luxury-standard execution suggest that it was made in the Sultan's workshops. Its ornamentation - stalks broken up by flowers and curving leaves, lily-heads with intersecting petals, and the large-size plantain leaf - are decorative elements characteristic of the period of the Turkish sultan Ahmed I (1603-1617). Our example can, conditionally, be identified with one of two descriptions that can be read in a 1654 inventory of the Fraknó treasury, 3 7 in which it still features as a complete set. The 1685 inventory lists three similar sets, among which our case must also have been. 3 8 The 1696 inventory, too, mentions a separate, red velvet bow-case, as well as other - identifiable bow-sets. 3 9 It seems likely that, along with the bow, the quiver with arrows passed out of the collection between 1685 and 1696. Cat. Budapest 1886, p. 363, no. 1368. fig. 21 - Die Esterházy-Schatzkammer. Kunstwerke aus fünf Jahrhunderten. Ed. András 78
