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

of the imitated stucco laths painted with white colour was highlighted by ochre brown and mustard-coloured

73 stripes painted under them. The dentils were separated by spots

74 of mustard-colour on the laths continuously painted with white colour. Within the laths mentioned above, directly over and below the picture band, the picture band was bordered by 3-3 mm wide narrow laths. (Fig. 4.) In the first place the borders should not be interpreted as stucco laths since in case of stuccos in relief they formed the upper and lower edges of the concave picture band as e.g. at the stucco ledges decorated with reliefs representing similar scenes in the Baláca and in the Balatonfüred villa-estate.

75 (Figs. 25-27.) Among the older finds at Baláca, excavated by Gy. Rhé there is another fragment which, like the ones belonging to the Red Dining Room, is decorated only with an imitated painted stucco-decoration. (Fig. 5.) This fragment is contemporaneous with the wall-paintings and stucco fragments belongs to the Red Dining Room and found in the room No. 11. at Baláca and were made during the same period. Its elaboration is almost completely idential with that of the stucco-decoration of the Red Dining Room, the only difference is the absence of the red-green-blue picture band. At the same time the colours applied and the shading of the laths left white are identical with these features of the stucco of the Red Dining Room, a further similarity between them is the stucco band, divided by circular medallions, shaded with white and mustard colours but without decoration.

76 The picture band, having an average width of 4,5 cm

77 between the stucco imitations of the Red Dining Room was divided into fields painted with alternating red-green-blue colours. (Figs. 4., 12-14.) To soften the sharp borders created by the different colours between the picture fields, circular medallions painted on a dark lilac-coloured background were applied.

78 (Fig. 10., 16., 17.) The border of the dark lilac medallions is decorated by white astragalus pattern, occurring repeatedly and being in harmony with the border decoration of the medallions of the main picture field. (Figs, 18., 19.) This is a further of proof of the fact that the stucco imitation belonged to this wall-painting. Design of the stucco decoration, the succession of coloured bands can be realized if we survey a large surface fitted together. (Fig. 4.) On the fragment the field with a blue background colour is followed by a field with red background colour, with a medallion between them. Though we have no fragment available which can be attached to them, the manner of painting, the dimensions of the picture field and of the figures represented within them, furthermore the identical imitated stuccos below and over the picture field prove that the band with the green background colour belonged to the stucco-imitation under discussion. (Figs. 12-14.) On the basis of the known fragments we may state that the blue field was followed by a red picture field and by another one with green background colour. Considering also the direction of the procession of the figures in the fields the exact succession of picture fields was red, green and blue. The red picture field can be connected with the land, the green one with the water-side while the blue colour was the symbol of the sea. The background colours themselves were used to distinguish different picture fields and series of scenes. In contrast to the other fields, within the field with a red background colour not only repeated scenes but diffrerent events and stories were depicted. Over four fragments can be fitted together from the left to the right we find the following representations: a grazing deer between two trees (as if in a forest), two figures walking rightwards, carrying a hind hanging from a pole placed over their left shoulders. (Fig. 4.) Within the picture field the figure walk-