Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 13. (Budapest, 1993)

PÁSZTOR Emese: A Jancsika - egy 17. századi török lótakaró típus

cover in the second. Inspite of the above presumptions, there are no data in the sources that would doubtlessly refer to a sack or a harness. Other evidence, like the one mentioned among the Thököly treasures, listed in the castle of Munkács (1685): "...tegumenta equilia vulgo jancsiko nominata..."

13 or the "Egy merőn szkofiummal varrott czafrag, kit Jancziknak is hinak." (rough translation: "cafrag", which is also called "janczik", entirely embroidered with gold)

14 of János Kemény

's treasury (second half of the 17th century), as well as the 1693 inventory of the Esterházy treasury of Fraknó: "Aparamenta Equorum vulgo Janczika meraky Coloris deaurato Argento ornata"

15

, however, prove that Jancsika was a type of horsecovers. Although the sources cited above do not specify the meaning of Jancsika, after comparing all data we can gain a fairly exact picture about these apparently mysterious objects, which can be grouped into the following categories on the basis of their material and decoration (I have consequently used the original, Hungarian expressions of the sources): 1. Közönséges (ordinary) jancsik: simple and cheap caparisons covered with plain velvet, atlas or quality wool.

16 2. Hímzett (embroidered) jancsik: their surfaces is partly or entirely embroidered in gold and silver thread.

17 3. Boglárokkal rakott (applied) jancsik: the base is covered with velvet, which is applied with various ornaments pressed from silvergilt or silver plate.

18 This type is the most frequently mentioned in the sources. 4. Köves (jewelled) jancsik: actually they are the extremely expensive variations of applied jancsiks, enriched with precious stones turquoise, emerald, rubies, pearls and nephrite plates.

19 5. Kuracel (armour) jancsik: this type is slightly different from the above; their leather or plain velvet surface is covered with armour plates or copper mounted wire.

21 A typical characteristic of all the five groups is that they are usually made of several pieces: generally three, but two or "five-winged" jancsiks also appeard in the sources

22

. Some of the details about the method of putting the pieces on the horse or about the manufactureing procedure are available in the 1645-46 correspondence between György Rákóczi I, ruling prince of Transylvania (1630-1648) and his delegates who gave a description of the jancsiks they had ordered in Constantinople: the jancsik could be applied to the horse with a woven ribbon ending in a clasp (called majc /'majts'/), but it could only be ordered together with the matching round shield; it was such an expensive object that the goldsmith refused to give it on credit; it could not have been transported on horseback without damage and that several months were needed to finish one. One of the delegates, István Réthy (Kapitiha, 1644-1647) remarked that although he had already seen a great number of jancsiks in his life he had never met such a "ornamental make".

23 We may assume, then, that according to Hungarian sources jancsik or Jancsika meant a Turkish caparison type, which was in fashion between the middle of the seventeenth until the early eighteenth century; it usually consisted of three pieces that were connected with clasped ribbons. The cover was long, hiding the chest of the horse and it was either plain, or embroidered, enriched with mounts, jewels or "armoured". Comparing contemporay sources with the survived seventeenth century Turkish caparisons and saddle-covers, there is only one type that fulfils all the requirements of a jancsik - a few representatives of this type