Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 17. (Budapest, 1998)

Andrea VÁRFALVI - Tamás Károly PELLER: The Restoration of a 17th Century' Hungarian Saddle

cross-section; then the rings were threaded through holes drilled in the tops of semispherical forms beaten out from circularshaped sheeting. The lugs were fastened to the semi-spherical forms by brazing. Finally, the surfaces were embellished using fire gilding. The iron ring and the buckle which served the attachment of the support straps were made by hammering, as proved by their layered structure. The two saddle-boards comprising the frame were each cut from a piece of wood in such a way that both curved upwards at the ends - the front of the narrower one to a greater degree -, in such a way that they could lie easily on the horse's back without injuring the animal's flanks. The righthand saddle-board's tip above the horse's back has been added to. presumably because the material was insufficient. After shaping came the drilling of the various holes (for example, for the attachment of the stirrup-straps). The first pommel consists of two pieces. On the end of it a separately caned, forward inclining pommel-fist is fitted, as on the analogous János Kemény saddle. The back pommel is made from a large piece of wood, added to at both ends. The different parts arc stuck together with glue. The croup-strap between the two pommels was fastened with wooden dowels, without using the form of attachment found on other saddles.

9 The parchment covering was wettcned and then stretched over the frame. Only in this way was it able to take on the curved shape determined by the wooden frame and the straps. It is conceivable that the leather was stuck on with glue, although there are no signs of this on the covering. (During the course of dismantling the parchment could easily be removed from the frame without needing to be wettened.) The covering was lined by sticking on two pieces of leather, each of a different kind. As the last operation, the reverse side of the parchment was supplied with a birchbark covering on the saddle bottom and on the lining. The embroidered silk fabric is unpatterned. close-cropped warp velvet.

10 The width of the material and of the striped green-and-white binding warp could not be established since in the course of the saddle's production it was cut and only one of the sides is intact. The silk fabric covering the seat is damask. The base is 5-end warp-faced satin with a weft-faced satin pattern The fabric lining the seat is flax.

12 On the velvet covering there is metal embroidery padded with cotton yarn. When it was made a pattern drawn on paper was placed on the fabric. The cotton yarn which constituted the padding was then fixed to the paper. The silver-gilt and silver multiplex wire was then put on at right angles to the warp. It was then fixed with silk thread with and without chaining. The chaining was done in three ways: by forming units of three; densely, in wedge shapes; and sparsely, in wedge shapes with the tying down of six strands of multiplex wire. The contours of the patterns were embellished with two strands of spun metal thread, which consisted of silver-gilt leaf cut from a ribbon and wound around a silk thread. The metal threads were customarily sewn directly onto the velvet, or as outlining in metallic embroidery. The depiction of the tendrils was done using metallic thread spun from two threads laid down together. When the textiles were put together, the cut velvet pieces were sewn together with double running stitch. Then the turned back, unworked edges were fastened with running stitch. After stitching into shape, the velvet was then embellished and embroidered with metallic thread in the manner described above. The seat was made as follows: the calf hair was placed on canvas and the cut piece of silk damask placed on top. This was then stitched down using wedge-shaped stitches.