Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 28. (Budapest, 2012)

András SZILÁGYI: About the Jewelled Cup in the Esterházy Collection

4. István Esterházy (1616-1641). Painting by an unknown master, 1641, photo: Manfred Horváth, Vienna (Esterházy Privatstiftung, Burg Forchtenstein Esterházy-Ahnengalerie) first owners - did not possess the exquisite masterpiece for long. On 4 July 1641 the young husband died, followed on the same day of the next year by the young widow, Erzsébet Thurzó. In the second year after Erzsébet Thurzó's death another important event took place in the Kismarton residence of the Esterházy family: a rich young aristocrat, Count Ferenc Nádasdy (1623-1671) led to the altar of the castle chapel the daughter of Palatine Miklós, Anna Julianna Esterházy then hardly 14 years old (16305. Erzsébet Thurzó (1621-1642). Painting by an unknown master, 1641, photo: Manfred Horváth, Vienna (Esterházy Privatstiftung, Burg Forchtenstein Esterházy-Ahnengalerie) 1669) on 6 February 1644. (fig. 6-7) After this date no document mentions the treasure for long decades. The most probable explanation is that the cup was kept elsewhere, after changing hands. The wonderful goldsmith's work (originally meant for a wedding present) once owned by her stepbrother István Esterházy was transferred from Kismarton to her new place of residence, the castle of the Nádasdy family at Sárvár as part of her dowry. In our hypothesis the next change of owners occured 46