A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 50. (Nyíregyháza, 2008)

Néprajz - Bodnár Zsuzsanna: Egy különös becsű tárgy. Menyasszonyi láda 1776-ból

piece of the room, it also communicated symbolic meaning, aesthetical value appearing in the decoration and motives. As a trousseau chest it was connected with the main event of the human life: the marriage, the start of the substantive life. The piece in question, made of softwood, was well constructed and built. It must have been made on order. Today the chest is in poor condition, it is incomplete, repaired, that is why it seemed to be important to introduce it in details. The most characteristic part of the chest is its frontpiece consisting of a single, unstructured field with large flowers on it. The basic colour is green. There is a Tree of Life in the middle surrounded by light coloured tulips. The latter symbolise here effeminacy, love, beauty and riches. Further decorative motives of the symmetrical frontpiece are different proportional and fine depictions of tulips, tendrils, and palmettas. Vegetal ornaments symbolise male-female creative power. The impact of Renaissance art is marked by an eight-branched star symbolising the birth of a new human being. Zsuzsanna BODNÁR Sóstó Village Museum Sóstógyógyfürdő H-4431 Pf. 1 e-mail: drbodzs@t-online.hu