K. Palágyi Sylvia szerk.: Balácai Közlemények 2008/10. (Veszprém, 2008)

KIRCHHOF, ANITA: The decorative system and reconstruction of the red dining room at Baláca - A balácai vörös ebédlő dekorációs rendszere és rekonstrukciója

ANITA KIRCHHOF "Ab ovo ad mala" THE DECORATIVE SYSTEM AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE RED DINING ROOM AT BALÁCA The systematic elaboration and publication of the wall-paintings at Baláca had begun nine years ago. As its result by 2001 the reconstruction of two ceiling paintings - one with a harvest scene

1 and the other composed of hexagonal coffers

2 - had been completed.

3 In the same year an exhibition displaying three different wall-paintings in the main building of the Baláca villa-estate had been opened, it can be visited even now.

4 During the first phase of the treatment the review of the old reconstructions, made by E. B. Thomas,

5 was made with the aid of the fragments which came to light from the new excavations made by S. Palágyi

6 while in the second phase of the treatment the reconstruction of those wall-paintings will be completed which had not been studied so far. The composition of the whole wall surfaces needs an intensive work of several years, including the separation of plaster cast from the built in fragments, the selection, assortment, adjusting of fragments as well as the documentation. Between 2001-2004 the study of the painting of the so-called Red-Black Room

7 was made, though the fitting together of the pieces had not finished so far. This paper gives the results of those studies which were made on the wall-painting of the so-called Red Dining Room between 2004 and 2007. History of research The first information on the Baláca villa-estate and its wall-paintings is from 1904 when within the territory of "Balácapuszta" pertaining then to the possession of the Veszprém chapter, during the autumn ploughing several wall ruins and fragments of wall-paintings came to light.

8 During the excavations made by Gy. Rhé between 1906 and 1926, the aim of which was to identify the walls and other finds, 12 buildings and some sections of the wall ecircling the villa came to light.

9 In the final publication the excavator mentioned several times the finding of fragments of wall-paintings and of stuccos,

10 though at present the subsequent identification of them is possible only in there instances of the special pieces, studied or depicted minutedly by him.

11 After the excavations Gy. Rhé assorted and dated the large quantity of wall-painting fragments which came to light from the building No. I.

12 He divided the fragments into two groups, into and older and a more recent one. Those fragments which came to light below the corridor No. 4. he classified into the older group while those fragments which can be connected with the destruction of the building had put into the other one.

13 Because of their different manner of painting he had divided the older fragments found below the terrazzoüoor of the corridor No. 4. into two sub-groups,

14 thus finally he had established three groups.

15 (Fig. 1.)