H. Kolba Judit szerk.: Historical Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum Guide 2 - From the Foundation of the State until the Expulsion of the Ottomans - The history of Hungary in the 11th to 17th centuries (Budapest, 2005)

ROOM 7 - Transylvania and Royal Hungary (second half of the 16th century-17th century) (Judit H. Kolba)

61. Gold chalice, presented by György Rákóczi I to the Reformed Church of Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), István Brózer, Kolozsvár, 1640 of bird feathers set with precious stones and pearls were fastened to a rosette or stuck behind a decorated lamelle in the form of a shield, and sometimes an egret feather was stuck into the jewel. Ladies wore hair-ornaments, which fluttered as they walked (Fig. 64). Necklaces, tighter chokers and necklets with pendants made of small rosettes or square links were much in fashion. Precious stones (rubies, emeralds, amethysts), pearls and colourful enamels gave an additional brilliance. Belts and girdles were made in varied forms, decorated richly, the centre of lamellás each being accented through the use of colourful enamels and pearls. Zsuzsanna Lorántffy, consort of György Rákóczi I, may herself have made the tablecloth on a green and red velvet background with embroidery in gold and silver thread. In the centre the coat of arms of Transylvania occurs, in the heart-shaped escutcheon the Lorántffy coat of arms, in the corners embroidered flower bushes and smaller flowery branches variegate. The most frequent item of furniture of castles and manor-houses was the chest, substituting also for the wardrobe. We display here the wedding chest of Kata Bethlen, the wife of Prince Mihály Apafi. Its carved and painted decoration - the painted vase motif goes back to Italian prototypes - occurs also on embroideries and panelled wooden ceilings. GUILD LIFE AND CRAFTMANSHIP The development of the guilds was somewhat similar in Transylvania and on the territory of Royal Hungary. The Transylvanian diets dealt with the regulation of the guilds on an ad hoc basis, while in the other part of the country the relations were systematized from the very first. In Hungary the guilds were from the 15th century onwards organizations safeguarding the interests of masters plying the same trade. They protected the masters, but at the same time guaranteed that the customers would get good-quality products. The guilds designed seals of their own depicting their tools, and these were placed on guild beakers, pewter jugs and goblets.