Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 12. (Budapest, 1992)

LÁSZLÓ Emőke: Magyar hímzett és selyemkárpitok a 16-17. századból

constructed yet - it consists of several small and large pieces; the cudine of the armholc and die pocket can clearly be identified. The surface of die brocatclle is covered by coiling tendrils diat create a network of ogees. The ogees arc connected horizontally and vertically with vases of fluted surface. Each row of die ogee fields show alternating motifs of stylised pomegranates and palmettcs with crisped leaves. Both floral ornaments spring from a pot with chessboard decoration. The stem of die large palmettos behind the motifs is also enclosed by a ring of chessboard decoration. The pattern of long and large palmettcs placed in an ogee network first appear on Gothic textiles, in the second half of the 14th century. H.Schmidt, who researched the change of die palmette modf widi respect to a silk brocade chasuble in the Berlin Schlossmuseum, thinks die modf is Venetian.

12 In the 15th and 16th century, when Early Renaissance and Renaissance fabrics were overwhelmed with pomegranates, in Venice, palmcttes remained a popular background or a favoured independent ornament. The same is line for Spanish silk weaving, flourishing in die first half of die 16th century, under the rule of Emperor Charles V. The workshops of Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Valence produce great amount of silk and velvet fabrics. Beside die territories under Spanish rule, these workshops supply foreign countries as well. Secular and religious clotiies,or draperies in the background of paintings provide us with all the details about die pattern of these textiles. They are often mentioned in various inventories; nevertheless, only few identifiable silk fabrics have survived. A typical characteristic of 16tii century Spanish textiles is die Moorish influence, turning up in the arrangement, in the preference of certain motifs (arabesque), in die typical filling of the outlines (chessboard, triangle or hexagon). Another typical technical feature of silk fabrics was the use of a fine silver or silvcrgilt wire as a weft.

13 Examining the characteristics of the motifs and die technique, the fabric of die blankets was most likely made in Spain. Textiles of similar motifs and stnicture can be found among others - in the Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich and in die Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire in Bruxelles.

14 The above analogies were all made in the sixtccntii century. On die basis of paintings, several researchers support the idea that die symmetrical, ogee compositions were popular in Spain since the middle of the sixteenth century. The cut of die two blankets is different. One of the shorter sides of the unrestorcd blanket I (Pict. 1) is slashed at two places. Both slits are lined with die original braid. The cut suggests die blanket belongs to a special type, the top of which is straight, while die bottom is slashed at two places because of the bedpostcrs. Thus, the surface of about 110 cms covers the bed, reaching die ground at die top and on the two sides. This blanket shows fragments of the original lining - a cotton fabric between two different linen lining - which suggests that die blankets, bedcovers, and perhaps the draperies were lined, except for those made especially for die summer. Nodiing has remained from the lining of die restored blanket II (Pict. 2), however, its shape is similar to that of the Báthori blanket and there is no doubt about its function. There arc also no accurate data about the way die blankets arrived at die Esterházy Treasury. Some earlier inventories suggest, however, tiiat tiiey used to belong to Archbishop Miklós Oláh, and remained in die castie of Lánzsér after his death or were received by his daughter-in-law, Erzsébet Thurzó through Orsolya Dcrsffy. Miklós