Prékopa Ágnes (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 30. (Budapest, 2016)

Edit DARABOS: Altera Theca continens.A Research Into Historical Leather Cases made for Esterhazy Treasury Items

mid-seventeenth century.40 In a few instances, cases can provide us with information about the original shape of objects which are now destroyed or which survive only fragmentarily: the Dolphin-shaped rock crystal bowl, for example, seems to have been slightly asymmetrical. Judging from the decorative floral and leafy branches on the case, it was probably made in the last quarter of the seventeenth century.41 (Fig. 6) The smoky quartz bowl, made in the Miseroni workshop in Prague, has a lavishly produced case richly tooled in gold, which undoubtedly stems from a later date.42

Another piece in the group is important because the tools on it provide a link with further pieces which are held in foreign collections. The irreversibly damaged case for the Tankard with allegories of the five senses',3 is decorated with the same oval, radially patterned tool found on the case of the so-called Harsdorf covered cup, which is on display in the Germanisches National- museum, Nuremberg.44 (Fig. 7) Two other tools found on Esterházy cases - a large, stylised bouquet and a frieze pattern - can also be found on a case for a jasper flask, part of the Grünes Gewölbe collection in Dresden.45 The stylised bouquet tool is also visible on a case for a set of cutlery, also made in Nuremberg, and dated to between 1691 and 1701.46 The fact that different cases share the same tools does not conclusively settle questions concerning the dates when they were made, but it does provide food for thought.

Certain tools may appear on different types of object. The case associated with an ivory tankard was separated during the transportation of 1918, and the other part can now be seen in the Forchtenstein treasury. The metal mounting for the object is

7. Case for a tankard with allegories of the five senses. Photograph by Antal Weinwurm, taken at the Historical Section of the National Millennium Exhibition of 1896 Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Archive, FLT2269

attributed to Andreas I Wickert (1606- 1661).47 The roll with hunting scene on the Esterházy case is also found - together with the monogram of maker of optical instruments from Augsburg - on the leather covering of a telescope in the Skokloster collection (Sweden), and also on the binding of a book, also from Augsburg.48 (Fig. 8) The telescope can be dated to 1650, while the bookbinding is from around 1679, quite a long interval later; the case was probably made closer to the time of the tel37