Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 16. (Budapest, 1997)
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was applied. Similar textiles can be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and in the Calico Museum, Ahmedabad (India). a) Tent panel (qanat) Velvet, sheet gold, gold painting Northern India, Mughal period, 2nd half of the 17th c. 170x235 cm Inv. No.: 96.12 Presented by Dr. Edmund de Unger A bush flowering beneath a scalloped arch was a favourite decorative motif during the Mughal period. The adoption and spread of the design, which can be traced back to 16thcentury Persian antecedents, occurred thanks to the passionate interest in botany of the Emperor Jehangir (1605-27), who encouraged the court workshops to depict flowers and plants. The trailing leaves-and-flowers motif has its roots in the old traditions of Indian art. b) Tent-panel {qanat). With a portrait of Emperor Akbar Velvet, silk, sheet gold, gold painting Northern India, Mughal period, 1st half of the 18th c. 157x193 cm Inv. No.: H. 96.14 Presented by Dr. Edmund de Unger Portraits of Mughal rulers painted onto textiles are extremely rare. The picture shows the most famous of the Mughal dynasty rulers, Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) in the attire worn by the members of the dynasty: with a caftan, with moderately loose trousers beneath it, and with a turban on his head. In his hands the ruler holds a sword and a string of beads; there is a halo around his head. On his right is a lion, symbolizing his power as a ruler; on his left side a cow can be seen, the characteristc animal of India. The latter probably refers to Akbar's well-known sympathy towards Hindus. The picture is framed by a silk border with a flower pattern woven into it. c) Tent-panel Velvet, sheet gold, with gold painting Northern India, Mughal period, 1 st half of the 18th c. 143x205 cm Inv. No.: 96.13 Presented by Dr. Edmund de Unger The simple red velvet mirror is framed by a trailing fruit-and-flower pattern stencilled and painted in gold on a blue velvet base. (Zsuzsanna Renner) 3. Goyo Mizutani: "Couple" . Verse Kana calligraphy, on paper embellished with a wave motif Size: 22 x 29 cm (together with border: 63.3 x 48.4 cm) Inv. No.: 95.53In August 1996 Mr Goyo Mizutani, the eminent Japanese artist and his wife Hogyoku Mizutani celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a calligraphy exhibition held in the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Art. The couple presented the calligraphy exhibited - namely fifteen items - to the Hopp Museum. One of the pieces donated is shown below. The works displayed belong to the kana calligraphy genre. Many classic Japanese poems and novels were written using kana calligraphy, which was also used in the creation of independent art works and calligraphies. It developed from a joined-up form of writing which used certain Chinese characters. Today this characteristic Japanese writing art is experiencing a new golden age. (Eva Cseh)
