Veres Gábor: A népi bútorzat története Északkelet-Magyarországon - Studia Agriensia 28. (Eger, 2008)
THE HISTORY OF FOLK FURNITURE IN NORTHEASTERN HUNGARY
Gábor Veres THE HISTORY OF FOLK FURNITURE IN NORTHEASTERN HUNGARY The study examines the history of folk furniture in northemeastem Hungary from the eighteenth century until the beginning of the twentieth century from three different perspectives. We examine those processes that affected folk domestic culture, and the extent to which peasant domestic culture changed in the region in question, particularly in relation to the spatial layout of peasant dwellings and the style in which they were decorated. We seek to establish those features that were characteristic of northeastern Hungary, pointing to the historical and cultural processes that provided the catalyst for change, as well as the geographical limits and time scale involved. We examine the historical development of folk furniture according to furniture type, looking at how the development of folk furniture in the area in question stood in relation to what was happening in Hungary as a whole. Examining those features characteristic of northeastern Hungary on a type- by-type basis, it was noticeable how styles and means of expression tended to lag behind what was happening elsewhere. Of particular importance was the need to examine the places of manufacture. It emerged that folk furniture could be made by any one of a number of practitioners. These could be anything from specialists, craftsmen and trained cabinet-makers to furniture works and other places of organised production. Following an apprenticeship lasting many years with a guild cabinet-maker, carpenters would most frequently wander either throughout northeastern Hungary, or to the towns that lay beyond, gaining experience working at various workshops. In our region, village traditions were maintained by families specialising in one particular craft, while it was at the furniture works that new types of furniture came onto the market, setting new fashions to the detriment of the furniture’s previous individualism. When examining the centres of production it was necessary to establish exactly who the manufacturers were. The question of what level of craftsmanship characterised any given furniture type became an issue. Using his179
