Folia historica 19

II. Közlemények - új szerzemények - Kiss Erika: Arany kereszt és egy reneszánsz lánc részlete a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Ötvösgyüjteményében

The chain differs characteristically from the cross. Colour palette of its enamel is more narrow light blue, white and black. Its assembling is clever, either: the base and the domed upper part is held together without soldering, only with wiring. The most important features of the links are the "RV" marks on them. There are two different methods used to fit the marks: stamping them onto the surface, others were stamped on tiny plaques, than soldered on the surface. There are groups of jewellery known from different collections of Europe, bearing same or same type of - probably - maker's mark. These pieces make two more groups. Group I is: Above mentioned chain fragment into the HNM, dress ornaments from Csenger, dress ornaments from Küküllő, dress ornaments from Buda (Romania), dress ornaments from Alsóesztergály, dress ornaments from Hall (Tyrol), in the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna. Group II: a necklace in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a pendant and a necklace in the Thyssen-Bornemissza Collection, a dress ornament in the Residenz, Munich. Group I are pieces known from archaeological founds. They come from several graves, mainly of Hungarian noble ladies lived and died in the beginning or in the middle of the 27th century. Group II are pieces coming from the art market at the second part of the 19th century. It is odd, that the piece in London was sold out with the label "from the Schloss Ambras, Inssbruck". In that point "Hall jewelleries" appears as a focal point to the identification pieces in the HNM. So called Hall jewelleries were presents to the convent in Hall, taken in the beginning of the 17th century. Archduchesse Eleanor and her elder sister, Maria Christierna They were daughters of Charles of Steiermark and Mary of Bavaria. Maria Christierna married to Sigismund Báthory, duke of Transylvania in 1595. After the annulling their ill fated marriage she has returned to Austria. Maria Christierna probably is the key person. She spent her early years in Munich, her grandfather Albrecht V gave her a fine dowry. Later she lived in Transylvania, where she has got silverware and jewellery from her husband. On her portrait by C. Vermeyen, displayed her in her age of two, she wears two small crosses, similar to that one into the HNM. She could be the person, whose possession of jewelleries was able to unit southern German and Transylvanian type objects of art. 164