Rare 19th century Hungarian Matyó embroidery

Rare 19th century Hungarian Matyó embroidery

Hand embroidered silk thread on a woven silk fabric foundation, the back almost as good as the front. 180cm x 50cm excluding tassels of approximately15cm long.

In 2012 Matyó embroidery, practiced as a communal activity, was made a UNESCO Intangible Cultural World Heritage. See http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00633 for more information. The Matyó settled in the Mezőkövesd area of N. E. Hungary after Turkish invasions in their original homelands. They established themselves as a distinct ethnic group in the late 1800s and are believed to be descended from bodyguards of King Matthias whose Renaissance court inspired their embroidered textiles.

For more photos and details see www.tribal-art.org or www.kilim.ie

Young woman from Mezőkövesd in N. E. Hungary 1928, wearing traditional costume.