A Veszprém Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 21. (Veszprém, 2000)
S. Lackovits Emőke: A veszprémi Laczkó Dezső Múzeum Néprajzi Gyűjteményének türelemüvegei – üvegbe zárt jellegzetes szakrális ábrázolástípusok
PATIENCE FLASKS FROM THE ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTION OF THE VESZPRÉM MUSEUM „LACZKÓ DEZSŐ"- TYPES OF CHARACTERISTIC SACRAL REPRESENTATIONS ENCLOSED IN FLASK A characteristic group of objects within the ethnographic collection is formed by the series of articles known as patience flasks or slave work, which are the results of activities requiring extraordinary skill. Of the twenty patience flasks in the Museum „Laczkó Dezső", sixteen were made between 1890 and 1940, and came into the Ethnographic Collection. One patience work, although it was made at the beginning of the 20' century, only became part of the collection in 1969, and three were obtained in the 1990s. As far as is known at present, patience works were made in Hungary from the 18 11 century. Information on them is available in Western Europe from the 16 l century. The greatest effect on their production was exercised by the play production centres of Berchtesgaden and Oberammergau, where besides the plays, devotional articles were also produced. Of the patience flasks kept in the Dezső Laczkó Museum, there is only one in which a piece of 19 n century furniture is enclosed. A single miner's flask is kept in the collection, but on one level of this there is also a sacral representation - a church full of the faithful. The other eighteen flasks are creations of completely religious character. Some of them, sixteen of the flasks, represent Calvary: in live cases the crucifix and the instruments of torture of Christ (Arma Christi = the suffering of Christ), completed by known Saints who were present at Golgotha (Mary, John, Mary Magdalene), or by symbolic, coloured paper pictures, and the others show the crucifix and the instruments of torture. In three of the patience flasks, a church interior has been placed by the creator, with an altar and the elevation of the Host. The closest relationship with these representations is shown by four patience flasks in the Queen Gisella Museum of Ecclesiastical Art (Veszprém), but parallels may be found throughout the Hungarian language region, and even amongst Austrian and German patience works with religious representations. The Golgotha picture, the crucifix and the instruments of torture of Christ, and symbols placed in the patience flasks consist of 15-30 elements. The formation of these into an ensemble of signs occurred over several centuries. This representation may be followed back to the cult of Arma Christi, rooted in the Middle Ages, which is connected with the desire and practice of illustration and revitalisation of the passion. The veneration of this is linked to the Santa Croce di Gerusalemme church in Rome. It appeared as pictorial compositions in various forms throughout Europe. The broad development and expansion of this cult was promoted by processions of repentance, passion plays, devotional reading materials, and later by the appearance of mass-made graphics. Being placed with the sacred images of private devotion, and complemented by the Good Friday forms of worship, and combined with penitence, these pictorial representations became particularly popular. Trashy religious publications distributed this type of representation to a broad public, and the late 19 th century form of this, made by the Plane printers in Vienna, may have provided a forerunner for the patience works. Things seen in pilgrimage shrines and churches also contributed to these. These creations resemble theatrical scenes. In them are composed popular variations of the theatrum sacrum, which has roots in the Baroque. The sacred theatre, formed in the Baroque, was preserved in folk religionity until the 20 й century. Of the twenty patience flasks in the Museum „Laczkó Dezső", the place of origin is known for twelve, and the artist for nine. Seven of them were shepherds: Dezső Berzsák, János Eppinger, György Zájecz, Imre Vida, István Somogyi, József Szabadkai, and Pál Kovacsevics. The shepherds who made the patience flasks were not only possessed of particular talent, but also of strong religious feelings. Several of them regularly made pilgrimages to various shrines (Bisztrice, Felsősegesd, Andocs, Homokkomárom, Csatka, Sümeg). These patience flasks bear witness to considerable abstractive capability, developed space perception, constructiveness, and particular patience and skill. Home-made tools were used in their production: tweezers, wire hooks, bent umbrella wire, wooden sticks, and glue as adhesive. They were made in fulfilment of a pledge, or as gifts; the flask-works bottles or medicine flasks in which the compositions were placed were sealed with irremovable stoppers. The patience works were esteemed objects of peasant culture. There are very few who still produce them today, but there are still some, such as Béla Erdő in Torja and György Makky in Budapest. 100
