Folia archeologica 17.

Temesváry Ferenc: Lakatosipari érdekességek a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum gyűjteményében

CURIOSITIES IN THE COLLECTION OF LOCKSMITH'S WORKS IN THE HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM The author who described the collection of locksmith's works in the Hungarian National Museum in the previous issues of Folia Archaeologica now examines three mechanisms. By the selected remarkable pieces he tries to prove the fundamental changes occurring during the 19th century in both the form and mechanism of the products of locksmithing. He states that the raw material of the locksmith's works made in Hungary was largely supplied by the workshops of forges and manufactories. The style and mechanism of the first of the three treated padlock show that the lock is more similar to the main types of the 18th century than to those of the 19th. The author fully describes the parts of mechanism cover and safety device and he states that the detailed description of the treated specimen is necessary because variations of this type are very common in Hungary. In fact the padlock is a mass product. Several hundreds of this type can be found in our country, but their occurrance is also observable in other parts of the world. Thus it is included in the incorrectly dated collection of Andreas Dillinger (1849—1919) too. Nevertheless the finest specimens my be found in the Louvre. Western, especially French, studies believe this type to be peculiar to France chiefly because of its widespreadness in that country. The locks known in France prove that we are concerned with the survival of the forms of the 18th century. Louis Metman's work (page 22 of the section entitled Le Métal) essentially expounds the same view when speaking about the extremely fine specimens in Plate LVI. The second specimen was probably made in the 1830s. Its treatment is mainly justified by its well-constructed mechanism. It is also the construction which necessitates the inclusion of the third lock. In the author's view it was probably made between 1830 and 1840. In both locks the bolt is secures by a double mechanism and it is an extremely difficult task not to fasten the bolt with one mechanism while trying to release with the other. At the and of the work the author gives a list of locksmiths of Pest-Buda including their place of origin ; this is to aid the researchers on Hungarian locksmithing. The importance of this is stressed by the author's work and is especially clear if we consider the lag in this held of research (although a great improvement has been seen since 1945) and if we consider the possibilities of new research methods in the field of museology. The application of these new methods will facilitate the advance and peculiar development of locksmithing in Hungary.