Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 18-19. (Budapest, 2000)
Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts - Guide to the Exhibition
Clay vessels have been covered with lead glaze from the Middle Ages. Under the reign of King Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490) Italian masters from Faenza, working for the royal court, introduced the tin glaze of radiance into Hungary. However, when this technique spread away in the 16th century, it was owing to a Protestant sect, the Habán craftsmen, who settled in Hungary after 1545. The origin of this Anabaptist community has yet not been satisfactorily cleared up, but we know that they organized a strictly regulated community of goods. The stations of their wanderings were: North-Italy, France, Switzerland, South-Germany, Upper and Lower Austria, Moravia and arrived in Hungary in 1546/47. Their settlements were located mostly in Transdanubia, the Felvidék (Northern Highland or Upper Hungary) (today Slovakia), and Transylvania. They were diligent and talented craftsmen practicing various trades but best remembered for their contribution to pottery. A characteristic feature of Habán ceramic art is the use of white tin glaze. From the 17th ccntury they introduced blue glaze and the four special Habán colours as well: yellow, green, cobalt and manganese violet, all fired on high temperature. Despite special individual qualities, their decorating motifs reflected the influence of Italian Renaissance, Turkish, Hungarian, Dutch (esp. of Delft) stylistic trends, as well as those of the local Hungarian, Slovakian and Transylvanian folk-art, which may help us to establish the placc of their production. Their wares arc often labelled (marked) and generally bear the date of production. The hanbowl (lavabo ) forming the shape of a fire-place according to its mark dated from 1648. It can be hung on a wall. Special mention should be made of the hexagonal ointment or balm container with floral decoration, wide orifice and a dolphin-shaped handle. It is marked 1661. The hexagonal medicine bottle made for Gregor¿ųs Genser represents high artistic values. The medical ewer with a pewter lid and handle dated 1678 is remarkable for the so-called Vandekyan motif winding round and round framing the Renaissance floral decoration. The rounded rectangular bottle, bearing the inscription 1672: Jar: Domine , reveals the characteristic features of the Habán ornamental Renaissance style: the detail of the landscape with onion-shaped dome alternates with floral decoration in ornamental frames on both sides of the flask. The above mentioned vessels vary the four basic Habán colours, except a blue monochromc hexagonal ginger or tea container with pcwtcr-screwild which reveals Far-Eastern influence through the mediation of Delft. The jumping deer and blue bird were also favourite decorating elements of Habán pottery. We have presented two bottles of this type, dated from 1705 and 1724. The 18th ccntury alcohol container with marble imitating design was produced in Transylvania. Below it there is a jug with the date of 1720. The last pieces of Habán jars are two small bellied drug-pots produced in the manufacture at Kosolna, near Nagyszombat (Trnava, Slovakia). The year 1743 was a turning point in the history of Hungarian faience production. It marks the date when the Holies faience factory (today Holíö, Slovakia), was established under imperial supervision. Their products reveal French (Strasbourg) and Italian (Castclli) influence. The high artistic quality of their products was due to the workers of Habán origin. The most beautiful pharmacy bottles of 56
