Csete Balázs: Kalotaszegi fafaragások ( A Néprajzi Múzeum tudománytörténeti sorozata 3; Budapest, 1990)

WOOD-CARVINGS FROM KALOTASZEG

WOOD-CARVINGS FROM KALOTASZEG Kalotaszeg is an ethnographic region of forty Hungarian settlements in North Transylvania between Nagyvárad and Kolozsvár in today's Rumania. Kalotaszeg is known primarily from its most colorful folk costumes, woven textiles, painted furniture, pottery and wood-carving art. Kalotaszeg has at an early date already attracted the attention of ethnography, and at the end of the 19th century already a significant volume on folk art and ethnographic monography were published on Kalotaszeg. In fact the discovery of Hungarian folk art started by the discovery of the folk art of Kalotaszeg. During the past century a great number of papers have been published on the popular culture and folk art and craft of Kalotaszeg. These works however did not pay sufficient attention to wood-carvings. This publication of ours is ment to make up for that deficiency by presenting the items an art teacher interested in ethnography collected and wrote up in the summers of 1942-43. While working as a teacher Balázs Csete (1893-1958) remained always in close contact with ethnography, although he was never on the staff od any museum. Since the 1920-es he regularly extended his ethnographic collection the results of which: items, notes and drawings he presented to the Ethnographical Museum. István Györffy provided him with professional assistance. He covered practically the entire country when travelling to make his ethnographic studies. In the summers of 1942-1944 he collected items in the villages of Kalotaszeg: he concentrated primarily on peasant wood carvings, making exact and detailed drawings on the rich variety of forms and designs, but in addition to describing the work technique of carving he also dealt with folk customs, beliefs and funerals. He prepared his study on the wood-carvings of Kalotaszeg and the related drawings in India ink - some 100 in number - for publication in 1944 already, but the manuscript was lost during the war. Based on his original notes in 1947 he rewrote his book and deposited the manuscript in the Ethnological Archives of the Ethnographical Museum, hoping for its publication. Balázs Csete's half a centry old manuscript is as timely as ever, and the detailed technological and morphological description, vividly expressive drawings give a clear and reliable picture on Kalotaszeg's Hungarian peasant wood-carving art, the specific world of taste recalling some medieval elements. Balázs Csete presents two significant areas of Kalotaszeg's traditional wood-craft: doors leading to the street and sepulchral monuments, wooden grave-posts. Objects of these types preserved best the traditions of Kalotaszeg, with roots going back to the 14-th and 15-th centuries. After describing the different forms of street doors, the author explains in details the structure of doors, the technology of their manufacture and the stocks of tools used. High standard carpentry is reflected by the different complex roof structures. Csete studies separately the decorations of gate-posts. The most characteristic motifs include tree leaf designs placed between tendrils, starred roses and tulips. Roses were often used especially in the late 1880-s, when they were drawn with the help of compasses in hexagonal forms. This basic element was used to create extremely rich variety of forms. In addition to floral decorations human figures were also often carved. The drawings published are presented in the time sequence of the dates of street doors, starting from the early 19th century up to the 1930-es. The collection of decorative motifs is grouped according to the settlements. The grave markers obtain their characteristic features from their star or tulip shaped heads. Occasionally turban shaped headboards were also employed. The decorated inscriptions are on the central part of the grave-mark. The inscriptions usually provide detailed information of the personality of the deceased person in the grave, or on the way he or she died. Balázs Csete presents a rich collection of such inscriptions. Traditionally flags were also placed on