The Eighth Tribe, 1977 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-08-01 / 8. szám
Page 10 THE EIGHTH TRIBE August, 1977 There also was a display of portions of ceremonial outfits decorated with feathers, beads, mirrors, and other ornamental objects. (Some of these items seemed to this observer somewhat comparable between certain Hungarians’ and Indians’ ways of life and/or creative expression—such as the nature of ancestral tribal background plus the wigwam’s similarity to the shepherd’s tepee-type reed shelter as well as some designs woven in blankets, tapestries, shawls, etc. or incorporated into woodcarvings among other things.) Proceeding next to the specific ethnic exhibition, particularly that of Hungarian cultural arts and crafts, this was superbly set up by participants from the Hungarian Reformed Church of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, many of whom were on hand for enlightening explanation to queries, together with Reverend Stefan Török plus Mr. and Mrs. John Benga (the latter two, among others, wearing colorful, specially-made Hungarian outfits). Mrs. Jolán Benga heads the Magyar Népművészeti Csoport (Magyar Folk Art Group) in weekly sessions of sewing instruction among other activities at the abovementioned church-school facilities. It was due to the main efforts of many, if not all, of the individuals of the group that had prepared and put up this outstanding display, which comprised a wide range of useful and decorative items depicting some aspects of Hungarian folk artistry of interest to the viewing public on this occasion. Predominantly, there was a great array of embroidered garments on walls, tables, and manikins (doll- as well as life-sized), plus other hand-made furnishings and implements that gave evidence of fine creative talents and constructive abilities. Jolán also described the special process of permanent-pleating that had been told her by a Hungarian woman practioner, which is related herewith: First of all, over a dampened sheet on top of a wooden tabletop surface, cloth is folded and pinned down of the desired depth for each pleat; over that, another sheet is placed and wetted down with either cold or warm water (according to requisites or speedy completion) ; over that, another wooden top is placed to cover and press during the subsequent drying process. When thorough drying has been accomplished, the pleating is claimed to be set in the cloth thereafter for the life of the garment. (This remarkable process altogether appears to this relater possibly to have been a forerunner to today’s permanent-press practices on fabrics and clothing in the contemporary fashion world.) Photos taken of this exhibit could not do justice in capturing the totality of the diverse items of Hungarian Reformed Church Folk Art Group Exhibit, Mrs. Jolán Benga, instructor, sewing class. beautiful creativity included in the resulting exemplary achievements. A list of enrollees for instruction and preparation participants was to have been furnished. Hungarian food specialties were also available elsewhere on the campus, separate from the main exhibiting area. Generally speaking, the major interesting effects of this entire International Festival were the free intermingling of individuals from different backgrounds of race, culture, and ethnic heritage. For instance, the Hungarian Folk arts-crafts display was situated near Peruvian and other exotic exhibits; as a result of this proximity, one noticed that visitors of European, South American, North American, Asian, and other extractions were casually moving, communicating, and relating with one another at times—“rubbing elbows” with each other, so to speak, as well as learning something about each individual or group in an enjoyable and friendly atmosphere. When one thinks a bit more deeply about the whole wide worldly ramifications of the idea of this type of International Festival, one might visualize (and maybe even analyze) the magnitude of the possible over-all effects that can be gained from the immediate tableau as well as the long-term scenario of this Earthly peoples’s diversities. There is something to be said perhaps about the gettingalong-ability with neighbors of unusual genre that seems to represent in a way the main idea of what America’s identity as the so-called “New World” of this Earth was supposedly intended to have been -— a pluralistic society as a nation of the world. Summarily, in a quixotic sort of manner, this may be why apparently the entire day’s happenings at the festival were quite pleasant and most commendable! —M. Takacs Barboe
