Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 29/3. (2009)
Soós Zoltán: Coat of Arms Representations ont he Stove Tiles of the Târgu Mureş Medieval Franciscan Friary
202 SOÓS ZOLTÁN donation. By 2009 we have identified five types of coat of arms and moreover we have stove tiles with heraldic symbols. We have tiles belonging to all the three types of stoves. We have found one coat of arm representation belonging to the first group. The tile had a polichrome glaze and represents the coat of arm of the Báthory family (plate III/1). It is also rare that based on the form of the fragment this was part of a so called corner tile, where the coat of arm is placed on the upper corner of the tile and it has 45 degree inclination. We have found three coat of arms belonging to the second type of stoves. All three coat of arms had a green glaze and only one of them has a non glazed pair. This represents the coat of arm of the Drágffy family (plate II/1-2, III/2). On the second tile one can recognize the coat of arm representing an eagle (plate V/2), while on the third we have the coat of arm of Sibiu (Nagyszeben, Hermannstadt), (plate IV/1). This is particularly important because this reflects not only a possible donor but also the production place. In Transylvania we do not have a clearly identified production place but similarly to the central parts of the Hungarian kingdom where there are important production centers in the mainly German towns (Pozsony, Kassa, Besztercebánya) we assume that Sibiu could have been one of the production centers of stove tiles in late medieval Transylvania. The last group of coat of arms belongs to the third type of non glazed stoves. The tile represents the coat of arm of the Barlabássy family, an ox head with sun and moon symbol (plate IV/2). This is a rather wide spread type and it has a red and white engobe paint. This again had a particular importance because besides the stove tile this is the only donor family appearing in documents.7 The presence of their coat of arm on a stove tile that once belonged to the friary strengthens the credibility of the archaeological sources, namely that if a family’s coat of arm is represented on a tile, this means that the respective family was among the donors of the friary. The second stove tile has a symbolic representation of the Hungarian coat of arm combined with the Habsburg double headed eagle. This is the only tile that was produced later in the second half of the seventeenth century and it is not connected to the friary, but it was found in the filling of the medieval cellar together with a large number of medieval tiles. There is very likely that the medieval tiles were reused in the seventeen century stoves as well together with the new fashion tiles. Regarding the quality and ornament of the tiles one can see a clear social ranking among the donors. The best and most luxurious tile with polychrome glaze belonged to the Báthory family representing the high aristocracy. Several family members were dignitaries of the kingdom, one of them István (Stephen) Báthory was the ruler (Vajda) of Transylvania.8 The elegant stove was very probably donated by him; we have records that as the local resident of the king he financed the fortification of the Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely, Odorhellen) Dominican friary. We also know that the Franciscan friary of Tärgu Mure§ and the Dominican friary of Odorhei were fortified approximately in the same period,9 and in both cases the 7 Karácsonyi 1922, 114. 8 The Vajda or Voivod is the legal representant of the king in this eastern region of the Hungarian kingdom. The region had a certain autonomy meaning that the Vajda could decide in some royalty matters, like he was the supreme judge, head of the Transylvanian troops in the kings army, he could give certain privileges etc. The region had its own miniparlament, formed by the nobility and the representants of the Székely and Saxon seats (privileged territories). 9 Székely Oklevéltár, III, 123.
