Török Károlyné Miszori Marianna (szerk.): Virággal ékes. A népi bútorfestés hagyományai (Zalaegerszeg, 2012)
A népi bútorfestés szimbólumai
The symbols of folk furniture painting The folk furniture painting as a whole is a beautiful system of symbols. The patterns, motifs, flowers, plants, pictures are all carriers of meaning. The symbols painted on wood can also be called picture writings. What are the most common and most important symbols in furniture painting? Of the flowers the tulip can be found on the most painted furniture. Depending on the form of depiction it gives different expressions of the female gender, the feminine. The tulip can also be often seen in children’s drawings. As children grow, the depiction gets nicer. The connection between the growth of a child, his nicer depiction and the tulips painted on the furniture is interesting. The tulip has an observable change, like the living flower it buds, blooms, shines, creates a new life in its bulb, then slowly begins to wilt and eventually passes away. The tulips painted on the furniture are telling the same story. The placing of the petals gives a different meaning to the tulip. A little girl is a simple tulip with two petals; her older sister has three petals. The dedare’s petals are spinning with each other, because love appeared in her life. The tulip with woven petals, followed by a smaller tulip in the flower’s chalice is a symbol of motherhood. The petals of the tulip depicting an elderly woman are leaning downward. It is a beautiful depiction of furniture painting with symbols and without words. Aside from tulips the furniture painters used many symbols. Not only women were depicted, but also the relationship between a man and a woman, the relationship between people and the relationship between man and nature. The portrayal of the Sun on painted furniture was very important to which is closely related the rose as a flower painting. Several guarding, protective roles are attributed to it. the sun symbolised the warmth, the light and the life. Because of its circle shape of the rose it was closely connected to it. Inseparable symbols are the tulip and the heart. The tulip represents a woman; the heart is a symbol of a man on painted furniture. The heart shines in powerful red colour, symbolizing health and safety, the tulip complements it with its beauty. The symbol of the tree of life is complete when it grows with tulips, roses, tendrils, leaves, spirals symbolizing fertility, from the heart towards the sky and the sun. the tulip and the heart symbolized close family ties, security and togetherness in the Hungarian painted furniture. Of course, not only the basic symbols can be found on painted furniture. Patterns from the nature like marrow, poppy-head, chestnut, strawberry, catkins all represent fertility and health. Other flowers such as carnation, daisy, lily of the valley and anemone can also appear. Frequently located symmetrically the birds represent the human soul. The bird accompanies our destiny, our life on the Earth and beyond. 34
