DOI issue:
No. 165 (December, 1906)
DOI article:Levetus, A. S.: Old Austro-Hungarian peasant furniture
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20716#0251
Old Austro-Hungirian Peasant Furniture
The cupboard, which is dated 1793, shows foreign
influence in form and decoration. The ground-
colour is a fine golden brown ; the two upper panels
are ornamented with riders on horseback, typical
of the period; the right-hand lower one has a dog
guarding his master's house, and that on the left
a crowned head. Note the bracket in the corner,
with the cross and the beautifully embroidered
cloth. In this part everything is adorned with
embroidery to this day.
It will be seen from Figs. 5 and 9 that Hungarian
peasant furniture differs widely from that of other
nations, except the Croatian. The bright-hued
embroidered towels serve like tapestries for the
decoration of the whitewashed walls, and the chests
fig. 16.—carved and painted moravo- placed one on the top of the other add their share
*, .•SL^KI1tNIP?/«LE- 7-t „ of decorative effect, as do the various articles of
(From Martin Gerlachs Volksiumhehe Kunst )
furniture with their pomegranate designs. The
pile of pillows is characteristic of all races where
the beginning of the at night the living-
eighteenth century <&^_ room is transformed
and is a singularly ^B^^Bfcj^^at—. HMMMl' 'nt0 a bed-room,
fine and well-pre- K ^ , ssjwl! and where every
served specimen. H^fflmffLLjjf^^^^^^^^' i """1 i available place, such
Carved furniture is as floor and bench,
more characteristic . * * wI3H^*«bS* '-*"§$*Z~---~^Mm serves as a bed.
of Tyrol than W ' k-<>*^j08P^ ij Chairs were of
painted. 1 ^ If various forms, many
The cupboard I ■ evidently being
shown in Fig. 4 was ™ W 1 copies of those in
evidently a bridal 1:/ the homes of the
present from a hus- W better class. In
band to his wife. Fig. 11 there is one
_ , fig. 17.—painted bedstead from the ennsthal .... . , ,
On the upper panels (Museum fiir Volkskunde, Vienna) of which the back
are represented a was evidently meant
bride and bridegroom mounted on horseback, a
custom in Moravia, as may be seen in Uprka's
picture of a Moravian wedding. The lower panel
shows the husband returning home and the wife
awaiting him.
Fig. 6 gives a disposition of furniture common
to this day both in Tyrol and Styria. It originally
formed the living-room of a rich peasant. All
care has been taken to preserve every detail, even
to the distribution of the light. Here the earthen-
ware has given place to pewter utensils as befitting
a higher grade of society.
Fig. 7 illustrates peasants' furniture from different
parts of Bohemia. It will be noticed that the form
has been strongly influenced by the barock style;
but it still preserves its originality of colouring and
ornamentation.
In Fig. 8 we have a living room from a village
on the boundary between Moravia and Silesia. (Museum fiir Volkskunde, Vienna)
231
-carved and painted cradle
from styria
The cupboard, which is dated 1793, shows foreign
influence in form and decoration. The ground-
colour is a fine golden brown ; the two upper panels
are ornamented with riders on horseback, typical
of the period; the right-hand lower one has a dog
guarding his master's house, and that on the left
a crowned head. Note the bracket in the corner,
with the cross and the beautifully embroidered
cloth. In this part everything is adorned with
embroidery to this day.
It will be seen from Figs. 5 and 9 that Hungarian
peasant furniture differs widely from that of other
nations, except the Croatian. The bright-hued
embroidered towels serve like tapestries for the
decoration of the whitewashed walls, and the chests
fig. 16.—carved and painted moravo- placed one on the top of the other add their share
*, .•SL^KI1tNIP?/«LE- 7-t „ of decorative effect, as do the various articles of
(From Martin Gerlachs Volksiumhehe Kunst )
furniture with their pomegranate designs. The
pile of pillows is characteristic of all races where
the beginning of the at night the living-
eighteenth century <&^_ room is transformed
and is a singularly ^B^^Bfcj^^at—. HMMMl' 'nt0 a bed-room,
fine and well-pre- K ^ , ssjwl! and where every
served specimen. H^fflmffLLjjf^^^^^^^^' i """1 i available place, such
Carved furniture is as floor and bench,
more characteristic . * * wI3H^*«bS* '-*"§$*Z~---~^Mm serves as a bed.
of Tyrol than W ' k-<>*^j08P^ ij Chairs were of
painted. 1 ^ If various forms, many
The cupboard I ■ evidently being
shown in Fig. 4 was ™ W 1 copies of those in
evidently a bridal 1:/ the homes of the
present from a hus- W better class. In
band to his wife. Fig. 11 there is one
_ , fig. 17.—painted bedstead from the ennsthal .... . , ,
On the upper panels (Museum fiir Volkskunde, Vienna) of which the back
are represented a was evidently meant
bride and bridegroom mounted on horseback, a
custom in Moravia, as may be seen in Uprka's
picture of a Moravian wedding. The lower panel
shows the husband returning home and the wife
awaiting him.
Fig. 6 gives a disposition of furniture common
to this day both in Tyrol and Styria. It originally
formed the living-room of a rich peasant. All
care has been taken to preserve every detail, even
to the distribution of the light. Here the earthen-
ware has given place to pewter utensils as befitting
a higher grade of society.
Fig. 7 illustrates peasants' furniture from different
parts of Bohemia. It will be noticed that the form
has been strongly influenced by the barock style;
but it still preserves its originality of colouring and
ornamentation.
In Fig. 8 we have a living room from a village
on the boundary between Moravia and Silesia. (Museum fiir Volkskunde, Vienna)
231
-carved and painted cradle
from styria