Körmöczi Katalin szerk.: Historical Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum 3 - From the End of the Turkish Wars to the Millennium - The history of Hungary in the 18th and 19th centuries (Budapest, 2001)

ROOM 9. The Rákóczi War of Independence and the Anti -Turkish Wars at the Beginning of the 18th Century (Gábor Németh)

5. Piece from a suite of chairs from the Rákóczi castle at Regéc, early 18th century Sáros county, and was used as a travel rug by the "noble prince". According to inventories drawn up at the time, walls in the castles of the aristocracy were covered with similar tapestries made from textiles or leather. In the showcase which contains items of goldsmith's art and which dazzles the eyes, the tankard of gilded silver deserves special attention. Its surface is covered with flowers and with chiselled glass panels ornamented with animal figures. On the basis of the inscription and coat of arms found on the inside of the lid, it belonged to Ferenc Rákóczi II (Fig. 7). The so-called Transylvanian enamel which covers its surface allows the conclusion that it was made by a Hungarian master. Large ornamented dishes of gilded silver bear witness to the vast and legendary wealth of the Rákóczis. Similarly to other aristocratic families of the time, the Rákóczis ordered magnificent accessories for their court from the workshops of goldsmiths in Germany. The large covered ornamented goblets were placed on dressers. The majority of those shown here were probably made in the Augsburg goldsmith's workshop of Elias Drentwett for the wedding of László Rákóczi and Anna Erdődy (1633), later enriching the family treasury. The Biblical story of Joseph is depicted on the goblets. The coin set in the gilded silver jug recalls the time of King Louis II of Hungary (15 lóló), Queen Mary, and the Battle of Mohács. The ceremonial platters, the table decoration and the majority of the ceremonial dishes are by Sebestyén Hann, the finest goldsmith of the age. Characteristic of his style is the high-level artistic working of the rich, so-called large flower-pattern Baroque of the age. The family of the "noble prince" who headed the liberation fight had played a leading role in Hungarian history since the beginning of the 17th century. Taken together, its members ranked as the country's largest landowners. Eminent members of the family had been princes of Transylvania. Continuing the finest historical traditions, Ferenc Rákóczi II placed himself in the forefront of the liberation struggles that had begun with István Bocskai. In a proclamation to the peoples of the world which set out the reasons for the fight for freedom, he wrote: "Of our own free will we dedicate our lives, our property and the last drop of our blood to the liberation of our dear homeland from the Austrian yoke." Even if his political judgment did not always prove correct,