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

KOVÁCS Éva: Művesség és tudomány a középkorban. A magyar koronázási palást készítésének egy aspektusa

EVA KOVÁCS CRAFTS AND SCIENCES IN THE MIDDLE AGES AN APPROACH TO THE MANUFACTURING OF THE HUNGARIAN CORONATION MANTLE The detailed identification, interpretation and partial reconstruction of the pictures of the bell chasuble that had been turned into a coronation mantle was only achievable after its return to Hungary.

1 The belated analysis did not make essential changes on previous iconographie interpretations (of the mantle) but completed them: the slightly apocalyptic picture group depicting the completion of the history of the universe was made for an anniversary; or rather, for a double anniversary. The large, embroidered inscriptions MXXXI and XI1II indictio (tax circle) of the chasuble, which are similar to dates used in charters, may mean cither the one thousand and thirtieth anniversary of Christ's incarnation and rule or the thirtieth anniversary of King Stephen's reign.

2 About the Millennium B.C. Christian traditions and computation puts two important events to the thirtieth year of Jesus: he either started his public activity or died at this age.

3 This era is marked by the preparation for the return of the Saviour, where both the christianizing king of Hungary and his wife, Gisela, had an important role. Today, the mantle is unique in its genre, but even if we consider the already vanished equivalent pieces, we may assume it was a rarity in its own time. However, one small clement has remained unsolved in the picture group, to which it was impossible to attribute any generally used, exact meaning or decorative role. This clement or rather, these elements arc accessories of the two small, square-shaped and round halo depicting the mamis Dei, placed above the shoulder mandorlas. Thin lines start from the halos, invisibly crossing each other at the centre, ending in a flat sign that is similar to an omega. It can hardly be a halo with cross - it must be something else I will return to later in this study. The chasuble had a high rank even among the exuberant luxury objects of that time, a fact that seems to contradict the supposition claiming that the vestment had only been a fruit of piety instead of being a carefully planned work of specialized professional craftsmen.

4 The "maître d'oeuvre" who was responsible for creating the meaningful picture group in accordance with the personal wishes of the donor, to provide them with dating and with appropriate inscriptions (tituli) that met the standard of the age must have been a clergy man. However, we hardly know anything about the way this work of art was created. A false approach, according to which the seventeenth century copy of the robe that is now in Pannonhalma Abbey was a kind of "pattern model" for the original garment, was rather popular for a long time.

5 Luckily it is not my task to question the idea here, since facts have disproved it: during the