Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 14. (Budapest, 1994)
TOMPOS Lilla: Legenda és valóság; Esterházy László „páncélinge"
row ribbons-garlands-weaved of silver yarn; the surface between them and the cutting lines are decorated with a lace of gilt silver. In one of the lobular, leaf and fan-shaped motifs of the lace there runs a zigzag silver ribbon. 25 In the annotations of the inventories we more than once meet the piece in question. The jupon in our possession is equivalent with the one described in the detailed inventory of the year 1654, although there is no mention of László Esterházy 's name. 26 In the Latin inventories from 1693 and 1696 we can read similar descriptions. The list of the year 1725 mentiones a pair of trousers and shoes too, and when describing the shirt, adds butterflies to the description of the decoration. The inventory written in the first half of the eighteenth century describes the garment in question as a red satin summer shirt. Ein Roth atlassenes mit gold Brämtes und Perln belegtes sommer Hembt uon Bemeldten Graffen Ladislao. According to the 1877 list, it was a light red upper garment. 27 Despite smaller differences in the texts of the inventories, all descriptions fit the satin jupon, thus there is no doubt that is once belonged to László Esterházy, who died in 1652. But whether the legend from the Kuruts times has any realistic ground or is only a product of fantasy and gook-willed memory, is an open question. One thing is sure, Pál Esterházy, the eye-witness, saw his brother for the last time wearing not a red, but a blue jupon. 2iî Maybe this is the one mentioned in the 1654 inventory as a second item after the red one. 29 An inspectoral report by Pál Eötvös from 4 November, 1785, raises a further unsolved problem. He, namely, wites about the shirt as required by Palatine Nagy from the Fraknó treasury: He also took with him a red satin shirt, covered with gold embroidery, which probably belonged to László Esterházy. We do not know whether the jupon was brought back to the treasury. It is impossible to even guess to whom did the jupon inventoried in the nineteenth century belong. One thing is sure, beside art objects and literary works this piece is rather of an incorporeal value for the family and posterity, it became a symbol of László Esterházy 's last, heroic deed. In the diary already mentioned we can read his last words to his brother, Pál: ...if God wants him to die, he will die for his God, for his Lord and homeland. Thus he parts from his life with pleasure, and believes that his true Christianity will be rewarded in Heaven. 30
