Hidán Csaba – Szőllősy Gábor: Fegyver- és lószerszámgyűjtemény a tápiószelei Blaskovich Múzeumban (PMMI kiadványai - Kiállítási katalógusok 24. Pest Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Szentendre, 2008)
Csaba Hidán: Weapon collection in the Blaskovich Museum of Tápiószele , Resume (Ford.: Juhászné Szepesi Beatrix)
Csaba Hidán: WEAPON COLLECTION IN THE BLASKOVICH MUSEUM OF TÁPIÓSZELE Resume What our dear Reader is holding in the hands is the 24 th volume of the exhibition catalogues of Pest County Museums. The subject has been chosen from the material of the museum of Tápiószele for the second time. With this volume the two authors, the editor and the publisher wished to elaborate the weapon collection and the horse gear collection of the Blaskovich Museum of Tápiószele. The Blaskovich collection originated in the spirit of the national idea that characterized the reform endeavours of the 19"' century. Both the sophisticated taste of the Blaskovich, the founders, and the value of their collection are indicated by the fact that the first introduction of the family collection in Hungary was as early as the time of Gyula Blaskovich (1843-1911), the father. The precious pieces of the father's collection were first displayed at the historical exhibition in Nagybánya in 1889 then in the historical main section of the Millennial National Exhibition of Budapest in 1896. The owner nominated then the organizational board selected altogether 21 objects for the millennial exhibition: eleven pipes dated to the 18-19'" centuries, two sets of 18 th century horse gear, one pair of 18-19 th century silver mounted short guns, one Turkish jataghan with a silver sheath, a 19"' century ornamental sabre, with a velvet sheath and an ivory handle and decorated with gilded and silver mounting, an ornamental sabre and a gilded belt ornamented with turquoise from the 18 lh century and two 17 th century fasteners for a short fur-lined coat. The following important event was the National Rákóczi Relics Exhibition in Kassa in 1903, where the Rákóczi-period items of the collection - pipes and weapons - represented the importance of the value-preserving attitude of this noble family. There are several kinds of elements that can influence the development of a collection of weapons. The collector's financial condition and acquisition possibilities are usually most determining yet not exclusive factors. There exist well-developed collections of fewer items as well as large ones lacking a basic idea. The collection of the Blaskovich Museum of Tápiószele gives a good instance of the former. Owing to several generations of the Blaskovich family, the visitor of the 21 st century can see the most beautiful items of Hungarian and universal history of weapons at the permanent exhibition of the museum. In this work we present 120 weapons or weapon-like objects in connection with fighting or hunting. One part is family assets, another part is from acquisitions and the third part comes from endowments by different persons. The majority of the arms collection of the Blaskovich Museum are thrusting and cutting weapons. Most of the 37 objects - namely 19 items - are sabres, which is not by chance as the sabre was both the main weapon and the symbol of Hungarian cavalry and nobility from the 16th c. up to the 19 th c. Medium-weight, bent-blade sabres belonged to the most important weapons of hussars' tactics. Though their size and ornaments changed during the centuries, their main features remained all the time. One of the most beautiful and best side-arms of the Blaskovich collection is an 18 th century carabella-type sabre. This weapon with a characteristic bird's head shape handle was popular both in Hungary and East Europe in the 17-18"' centuries. The blade of the sabre Inv. No. 67. 7. 1-2. is medium bent and its false edge is slightly widened. Its cross-piece is made of silvered copper and in the centre of one side there is a female portrait while the other side is decorated with foliation
