H. Kolba Judit szerk.: Historical Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum Guide 2 - From the Foundation of the State until the Expulsion of the Ottomans - The history of Hungary in the 11th to 17th centuries (Budapest, 2005)
ROOM 7 - Transylvania and Royal Hungary (second half of the 16th century-17th century) (Judit H. Kolba)
astrous campaign against Poland. His successors, János Kemény ( 1661-62) and Akos Barcsay (1658-60), tried to create order by forming alliances alternately with the Ottoman and the Habsburgs, whilst the western part of Transylvania came under Turkish occupation. Mihály Apafi I (1661—90) consolidated the truncated principality, but did not succeed in securing his own position for the time when the Turks were expelled. In this he was especially hindered by Imre Thököly, who, putting himself at the head of dismissed border soldiers, led a struggle against the Habsburgs with varying degrees of success. The Porte rewarded his services by the forming a separate principality in Upper Hungary between 1682 and 1684. Next to the pictures of the princes, we have displayed a series of fine thalers and ducats, with their portraits and the coat of arms of Transylvania used during their reigns. In the table display case we show some objects connected with the princes, such as seals with the dragon-teeth coat of arms of the Báthorys and a pocket watch, the belt and beaker of János Kemény, a leatherbound book once belonging to Gábor Bethlen 's second wife Catherine of Brandenburg, the cup of Anna Bornemissza wife of Mihály Apafi, and the mace of György Rákóczi II (the masterpiece of the Debrecen silversmith Márton Szegedi.) The coat of mail, decorated with silver stars, precious stones and rosettes and lamellás in the form of the sun and the moon, was made in Transylvania for György Rákóczi II. To the masterpieces of silversmith's art belonged the scabbards and hilts of gala weapons set with precious stones and decorated using enamel technique. Among them the arms of famous personalities, such as János Kemény, Ferenc Bethlen and the Telekis, can be seen. The short "mente " (fur-lined coat) of characteristic Hungarian cut with embroidered flowers and silver and gold braid (Fig. 58) belonged to Gábor Bethlen. The 17th-century saddle, adorned with enamelled lamina, set with precious stones and embroidered with flowers, was owned by Sámuel Teleki (Fig. 59). In the centre of the gallery stands a distinguished monument of Renaissance stonecarving, the tomb of György Apafi, lordlieutenant of Küküllő county (1635). Master Elias Nicolai, who moved to Transylvania from Upper Hungary, represented the deceased nobleman in full figure, encased in armour, among flowers and vine-tendrils, with the allegorical figures of the virtues (Faith, Hope, Love, and Justice) on the corners. The tomb was placed originally in the church of Almakerék (Malíncrau). TREASURES OF THE PRINCES AND THE ARISTOCRACY In Transylvania, the 17th century was the heyday of the art of goldsmiths and silversmiths. Despite the warlike times, the families of princes, nobles and well-to-do burghers ordered sumptuous objects of gold and silver: display silver for castles, manorhouses and palaces, and representational liturgical objects for the churches. On the occasion of diplomatic missions to secure peace, the princes of Transylvania regularly sent objects made from precious metals to the Ottoman Porte and to the Court in Vienna. A popular custom of the period was the display of sideboards: in the most sumptuous room of castles and palaces there were items of bright table silver, beakers fitting into each other, tankards, ewers, jugs, sets of display plates and centrepieces made of rare materials (Fig. 60). Most of the objects have the name and coat of arms of the person who ordered the object and the date of the donation incised. From 1570 onwards goldsmiths and silversmiths were obliged to put on their mas-
