Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 24. (Budapest, 2006)

Györgyi FAJCSÁK: Exibition of Oriental Arts, 1929 - Collecting Chinese artefacts in Hungary in the 1920s and 1930s

Takács's opinion, the group of objects that might attract visitors to the museum were the bronzes of the Ordos region (that is, a Chinainfluence territory inhabited by nomads near the Chinese border). LeCoq, one of the leaders of the German Turfan expeditions, called Felvinczi Takács's attention to Buddhist art, the archaeological relics of the Silk Road and their artistic interrelations. In 1924, Felvinczi visited London. He had a letter of recommendation written by LeCoq and met the major collectors of Chinese art of the 1920s (Sir Percival David, Oscar Raphael, George Eumorfopolous) and the very best English experts on Chinese art (R. A. Hobson was an expert on ceramics, while W. Percival Yetts had a thorough knowledge of Chinese bronzes)." His visit in London and his studies of firstrate private collections turned his attention to the early periods of China's history of art. As he summed up his visit in London in 1924, "It is often right to reassess things concerning artistic issues. When I first came here, everybody was interested in Japan; nowadays, they do not even mention the country of the Rising Sun. There is no Japanese object in Mr. Eumo's collection.'

2 It is true indeed that Chinese art is the source of Japan's art."

33 In the 1920s and 1930s, the Chinese collection of the Ferenc Hopp Museum grew into a representative collection. Zoltán Felvinczi Takács enriched the Chinese collection of the Museum via purposeful collecting; significantly, he purchased Buddhist statues, enriched the material of early ceramics and developed a collection of ancient small bronzes. Working consistently, Zoltán Felvinczi Takács attracted the populous side of collectors (Emil Delmár, Ödön Faragó, József Fleissig, Bertalan Hatvány, Alfréd Perimutter, Rafael Zichy, etc.) and of curio dealers (Imre Schwaiger, London, Delhi; Géza Szabó, Beijing; Mátyás Komor, Beijing; Sándor Donath and Pál Donath, Budapest; Vilmos Szilárd, Budapest) to the Museum. Mainly, he could rely on their help in the course of collecting and enriching the material of the museum. The collectors and the art dealers contributed to the Chinese collection with several donations and exchanges; their own collections also reflected Felvinczi Takács's view on Chinese art to a large extent. As far as collecting works of Oriental art in Hungary is concerned, the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts (established in 1919) played a crucial role. In post-Trianon Hungary, interest in the Orient was given another impetus. One of the forums of this interest was the Turanian Society

34 (established in 1910; its sub-title being Hungarian Asia Society), whose objective was to deepen Hungarian awareness via researching Oriental roots. As they wrote in their manifesto, "Our objective... is to study, disseminate and develop the sciences, arts and economy of Asian people and European people related to us, as well as to harmonize them with Hungary's interest..."

35 Several renowned aristocrats and public personalities were present in the board of the society (Pál Teleki, Béla Széchenyi, Mihály Károlyi, Ármin Vámbéry, Jenő Cholnoky, Ignác Goldziher). In 1913, Pál Teleki published a scientific, economic and political manifesto in the Túrán, the new journal of the society. "Move eastward, Hungarians! Move eastward in the field of science and economy! We want scientific basis and profound knowledge to promote economic advance and support for sciences. Because our nation's progress, based on national science and the increase of our prestige in the East can serve as the foundation of our strength, independence and power only if supported by the creation and development of a feasible export industry."

16 Before World War I, the society emphasized economic expansion; above all, its scientific manifesto paid attention to Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Central Asia (linguistic and ethnographical collecting). Nevertheless, almost all board members published scientific works on the Far East.

37 Between the two World Wars, the society underwent several changes. Those members who represented the world of science laid particular stress on the significance of Oriental research, while those advocating political Turanism emphasized people's kinship. In the