Kunt Ernő szerk.: Kép-hagyomány – Nép-hagyomány (Miskolc, 1990)

I. RÉSZTANULMÁNYOK - Novák László: Figurális kommunikáció a népéletben

the tulips symbolize the children, the family or founding of the family, continuity of life - as it was in case of distaffs or mangles (16. fig.). These erotic motive ornamentation can also be found on a cither (in the collection of János Arany Museum Nagykőrös made in the middle of the 19 th c): the heart pressed into the tulip, two hearts pressed into each other with an oval cavity in the middle and a tulip connecting with its bottom. According to the collections of museums the golden age of folk ornamental art can be guessed in the middle of the 19 th c. By the end of the century this symbol-system became much simplier; e.g. there is a flower-pot with a flower growing out of it symbolizing the tree of life. In the beginning of the 20 th c. simplification continued, its reason may be spreading of bourgeois way of life but in closed, distant territories (Szilágyság, Kalotaszeg, Mezőség) these symbolic ornamentations, ornamental elements are known and used even today. In the towns - and of course in the „Three Towns" people forgot them. In the second half of the 19 th c. folk moral changed. After the abolition of serfdom, farming based on private prossessory right disorganized the traditional feudal structure. Peasant farming with productional character formed an economical prosperity in the end of the 19 th c. It meant spreading of bourgeois mentality and way of life. Morality, strictly controlled by religious and secular authorities loosened. Fornication sexual relations became admitted. Brothels, as important institutions of bourgeois way of live, were built not only in big cities but also in smaller country towns. All these caused impoverishment of figurative representation. Though love-symbol-system became redundant describing ofulva or natural figurativ representations could be found on e.g. sole of distaff later, even in the second half of the 19 th c. On some mirror cases and salt-boxes made in Transdanubia sexual intercourses are carved openly (17-19. fig.) NOTES 1. Vargyas, Lajos 1981. 350-531. 2. Kiss, Ferenc 1978. 77. 3. Vö. Vargyas, Lajos 1987.; üjváry, Zoltán 1987.; Burány, Béla 1984. 4. Lükő, Gábor 1942. 5. Nóvák, László 1983. 6. Nóvák, László 1983. 7. Nóvák, László 1983. 8. Nóvák, László 1982. 9. BKML KkV Tan. jkv. 1773-1780. 450. pag.; 1783-1786. 4. pag. 10. Nóvák, László 1983.; 1978a. 11. Novak, László 1978b. 254.; Bernáth, Béla 1981.; Hoppal, Mihály 1981. 12. Kós, Károly 1972. 211-219. 13. Nóvák, László 1976.; Nóvák, László 1982. 165-171. 14. Lükő, Gábor 1942.; Nóvák, László 1976. 15. Lükő, Gábor 1975. 16. K. Csilléry, Klára 1972. 45-60. ; In connection with love-presents we can mention a similar custom of the welsh. The young couple presented each other with „love-spoon." The Storg of the Love Spoon. Swansea (Celtic Educational [Series] ltd.), 1973.; Love Spoon from Wales. Cardiff (Esmeralda ltd.) ,1973. REFERENCES Bernáth, Béla 1981. A magyar népköltés szerelmi szimbolikája. In: Előmunkálatok a Magyarság Néprajzához (szerk.: Hoppal Mihály) 9. Budapest, 16-87.