Antall József szerk.: Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 5. (Budapest, 1972)
Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts (Guide for the Exhibition)
CERASO[rum] which - or a similar one -is listed in the inventory taken in the Rohonc castle on the estate of the Counts Batthyány in 1634 ("Uy Köröztien fÖldbul czinalt hordoczkak ..'little kegs made of neo-Christian earth') (Plate IX.) The handbowl (lavabo) in the shape of a fire-place, whose tap is unfortunately broken, dates back to 1648 according to its mark. It could be hung on the wall (Plate IX.). Special mention should be made of the sexangular ointment or balm container with floral decoration, wide orifice and pewter-screwlid with dolphin-shaped handle. It is marked 1661. The hexagonal medicine bottle made for Gregor¡ųs Genser represents a similarly high artistic values. The medical ewer with pewter lid and handle dated 1678 is remarkable for the so-called Vandekyan motif winding round and round and framing the Renaissance floral decoration (Plate XI.). The rounded rectangular bottle bearing the inscription Jar: Domine and the date 1672 reveals the characteristic features of the habán "ornamental Renaissance" style: the detail of the landscape with onionshaped dome alternates with floral decoration in ornamental frames on both sides of the flask. The above mentioned vessles variate the four basic habán colours, except a blue monochrome sextangular ginger or tea container with pewter-screwlid which reveals Far-Eastern influence through the mediation of Delft. The jumping deer and blue bird are favourite decorating elements of Haban pottery. We present two bottles, of this type dating from 1705 and 1724 (Plate XII.). The 18th century alcohol container with marble imitating design was produced in Transylvania. Below it there is a jug bearing the date 1720. In the next show-case there is an angular Haban (Neo-Christian) vessel with blue floral decoration from Transdanubia which contained pulverized leaves of herbs. The last pieces of Haban jars are two small bellied drug-pots produced in the manufacture at Kosolna, near Nagyszombat (Trnava, Czechoslovakia). The year 1743 was a turning point in the history of Hungarian faience production. It marks the date when the Holies faience factory (Holic, Czechoslovakia), established under imperial patronage to work. Their products reveal French (Strasbourg) and Italian (Castelli) influence. The high artistic quality of their products was due to the workers of Haban origin. The most beautiful pharmacy bottles of the Holies, factory are the prismatic bottles of the Jesuit pharmacy in Eger, decorated with the coat of arms of the founder of the pharmacy, Bishop István Telekessy. (Middle of the 18th century, Plate VI.) There are three more faience jars and a stone-ware one of later origin exhibited, all products of the famous Holies factory. The first faience factory in Buda was established by Domonkos Kuny (1754-1822) in 1785. He manufactured pharmacy vessels in great numbers : first faience and later stoneware pots. The products of this factory were marked with the letters Of (Ofen, i. e. Buda) and the labels had an encircling design of wreath of leaves. (Fig. 52.)
