Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 12. (Budapest, 1992)
BIRÓNÉ SELY Katalin: Érmés tálka a fraknói Esterházy-kincstárból
KATALIN BÍRÓ-SEY A BOWL WITH COINS FROM THE ESTERHÁZY TREASURY OF FRAKNÓ This bowl was deposited with die collection of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts in 1923, together with other pieces from Uic Esterházy Treasury (Illustrations 1—3). Towards the end of World War II, Count Esterházy claimed all die items back, placing them in his palace in Buda 's Casüe Disüict. However, the palace was seriously damaged during the siege of Budapest, and the whole Treasury, including die bowl with coins, was buried in die nibble for years. The research into, and die description of, the treasures commenced after the death of Miklós Esterházy (in 1645), when the first inventory of his estate was made. This was followed by a further inventory, in 1721— 25, after the death of Mihály Esterházy, and finally anodier one, in 1923, when Pál Esterházy signed the contract of deposit wiüi die Museum of Applied Arts. 1 The bowl was mentioned as early as die 1725 inventory: "Egy tiszta aranyhíd való, egynihány pogány arany pénzel kömyös körül verett csésze, a közepén vagyon Xtus Urunknak féligh való ábrázattya." (Rough translation: A gold bowl, the whole surface of which is decorated with pagan gold coins. The middle shows the profile of Christ.) 2 Despite die brevity of the description, die bowl can be identified from it. An exact description would be the following: die bowl is made of gilt silver, with a diameter of 15.9 cm, a height of 3.3 cm and a weight of 419 grams. At present, it can be found in die Budapest Museum of Applied Arts, Inv.No. E.63.9.1. There is a Christ médaillon (with a diameter of 53—54 mm) soldered into die middle of the bottom, enframed by a socalled Italian frame of repoussé bunches of leaves and bramble-like berries. The side of die bowl is decorated with two rows of antique coins. There are 14 coins, cast after die denarius of the Roman empire, soldered around die Christ médaillon. They represent die following emperors: Vespasian, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Constantius II. Above them, i.e. in the second row, there arc cast reproductions of Thasos (7 pes) and Macedonian protes (5 pes) tetradrachms; they have a significantly larger diameter than diat of the denarii. The side of the bowl is decorated with 27 cast coins altogether 3 , soldered with obverses inside (Illustration 1), while their reverses appear on the outside (Illustration 2). The handle is oval and shaped like a horseshoe; its top is decorated with a relief of tiiree figures (Illustration 4). The middle is a standing male figure, wearing a winged coronet and stabbing a man in armour, who sits on his right on die ground. To the left tiiere is a half-naked, standing female figure; her bottom is covered with ruffled draperies. The scene most likely comes from mythology or from die Bible; however, it has not yet been identified. The handle ends in a ball finial, decorated with
