The collection of textiles and clothing at the Hungarian National Museum is determined by the museum's dual archaeological and historical profile. For this reason, we preserve the clothes of outstanding figures from Hungary's historical past, as well as objects connected to historical events. Among our most significant artefacts, the coronation mantle and the throne curtain of King Matthias I deserve to be mentioned first.
The majority of the collection, which comprises a total of 26,000 items, consists of clothing from the 16th to the 20th century. There are ceremonial garments worn on state or church occasions, as well as on important personal occasions, weddings, christenings, and funerals. We preserve the clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie, and also accessories, like headwear, footwear, satchels, parasols, and fans, mainly from the 18th century onwards. In addition to secular garments, the collection also includes high-quality ecclesiastical vestments and chasubles from the 15th to the late 19th century.
A rich and unique group of items are the 17th- and 18th-century bed and table linens embroidered with gold and silk thread, known as "noble embroidery," as well as cloths for the Lord's table, but the collection also includes 19th- and 20th-century home textiles, including curtains, bedspreads, tablecloths. The ornate horse blankets from the 17th-19th centuries and the mostly painted flags form a separate group.
Contact: Csilla Kollár, kollar.csilla@hnm.hu
The skirt, richly embroidered with metal thread on white silk, and the matching red velvet bodice were worn by Stefánia Prandau, wife of György Majláth, at the coronation of Franz Joseph I in 1867. The outfit was completed by an apron embroidered with metal thread and a matching long veil.
The ceremonial Hungarian attire, consisting of a royal blue velvet coat, a white dolman with floral patterns, blue trousers, and a cap, was added to the Hungarian National Museum's textile collection in 1990. The costume was prepared for the coronation of the last Hungarian king, Charles IV, in 1916, in the workshop of the Tauszig brothers in Budapest. It was worn by Lajos Szecsődi Cukkelter at the ceremony. The costume was donated to the museum by his family.
The ensemble, consisting of a coat (mente), dolman, trousers, and cap, was traditionally worn by Domonkos Bethlen at the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838. The red velvet dolman and black cloak are decorated with gold and silver thread floral braid trimming.
The bonnet, decorated with metal thread lace, follows the shape of the head at the back and the line of the face at the front, ending at the top of the forehead. The areas left uncovered by the lace band are decorated with symmetrical bouillon embroidery flowers with long branches. Tiny leaves, metal beads, and sequins add variety to the decoration. The lining is pink and white striped linen with a floral pattern. The traditional headdresses of married women are bonnets, and the richly decorated piece preserved in the Textile Collection may have been the adornment of a noblewoman who lived in the second half of the 18th century.
These low-cut shoes made of black leather and richly embroidered with metal thread were also known as "deli saru" in the 17th century. They became popular in Hungarian territories due to Ottoman influence. The symmetrical cut of the sole and the name, which originally referred to Turkish soldiers, indicate their Eastern origin.
The earliest women's garment in the Textile Collection once belonged to Queen Mary, wife of Louis II. It is made of green Italian damask with a pomegranate pattern, complemented by metal-threaded, funnel-shaped cuffs and decorative bands on the upper part. The garment consists of two parts: a long chemise and a green, burgundy-style outer garment. The skirt is made of a thick, heavy fabric, with a wide, pleated hem.
Most of the textiles that have survived from the 15th century were commissioned for the church and have been preserved primarily for ecclesiastical use. However, the throne cover, considered a masterpiece of Italian weaving, was ordered by King Matthias and was clearly intended for secular use. The coat of arms enclosed in a fruit wreath refers to the person who commissioned it, while the detailed artistic design and the expensive materials used serve representational purposes.
During Catholic Masses priests usually wear ornate clothes in front of the believers present. These garments – such as the chasuble from Kőszeg stored now in the collection of the Hungarian National Museum – were especially precious for the congregations. It was probably made in Italy around 1470 based on its material: pomegranate and cornucopia-decorated Italian silk. The chasuble was later redesigned into a violin shape, its embroidery was also made later then 1470. The main figure of the back side is Virgin Mary clothed in the Sun holding Jesus as a child. Above the angels crowning the Virgin is a depiction of Saint Anna with the Third (Metterza), flanking them are Saint John and Saint Andrew. The main patron saint of the church of Kőszeg, Saint James is the figure depicted at the base of the main axis of the chasuble.
This priceless treasure of European textile art was originally intended as a chasuble. According to the hexameter inscription on it, the chasuble was commissioned in 1031 by King Stephen I and Queen Gisela for the Provostry of the Virgin Mary in Székesfehérvár. The masterful gold embroidery covering almost the entire surface was created according to a complex pictorial program, which, according to some researchers, may have been based on the Te Deum or the Litany of All Saints. Its significance is further enhanced by the fact that it was used as the coronation mantle of Hungarian kings until the 20th century.
The embroidery, made in the 17th century, is based on fine linen, which was embroidered with silk and metal threads using a variety of stitching techniques. The plant motifs draw both on Italian Renaissance forms and elements of Turkish decorative art. The embroidery, which also appears on home textiles and clothing, was often prepared by noblewomen in aristocratic courts, with the help of Turkish embroiderers. It is in the 19th century, the term "noble embroidery" started to distinguish these needleworks from folk embroidery with similar motifs.
