. Studio international . ome threehundred years ago forbidding the making of laceby Hungarian maidens lest easy work shouldunfit them for the heavy ? What that heavy workwas that was expected of them and rendered witha fervour which only those deep in the history ofthe country can fully realise, we can surmise onremembering that among the countries of EuropeHungary for many centuries served as a bufferagainst the inroads of the Turks, who overran theland and devastated it times without number. Inthose perilous times the women of all ranks playedtheir part in defending their castles and home-st
. Studio international . ome threehundred years ago forbidding the making of laceby Hungarian maidens lest easy work shouldunfit them for the heavy ? What that heavy workwas that was expected of them and rendered witha fervour which only those deep in the history ofthe country can fully realise, we can surmise onremembering that among the countries of EuropeHungary for many centuries served as a bufferagainst the inroads of the Turks, who overran theland and devastated it times without number. Inthose perilous times the women of all ranks playedtheir part in defending their castles and home-steads, in training their sons for battle, besidesfulfilling their household duties, including spin-ning, weaving, ploughing the fields and performingother arduous tasks which in peaceful times areusually discharged by the men. This was theheavy work which the law-givers of those days feared be neglected if the women indulged in suchan easy and pleasant task as lace-making. In suchas these, when it was necessary to be ever. on guard against the inroads of the terrible Turk,there was indeed little opportunity for aestheticpursuits, and for the same reason the changes offashion in ladies attire, the powdered hair, thehoops and furbelows, the lace cravats and the lacefrills ornamenting the sleeves of both men andwomen, either remained unknown to the Hun-garians or were despised or ignored as unfit fora people engaged in continuous warfare. All things considered, however, it is remarkablewhat headway was made in these bygone days ofstorm and stress. Take for instance the art ofembroidery. This was introduced into Hungaryby Gisela, the Queen of Saint Stephen, who livedin the very beginning of the nth century. Shetaught her maidens to make what is known as
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Keywords: ., bookcentury180, booksubjectart, booksubjectdecorationandornament
