TRANSYLVANIA, LATE 17TH CENTURY

This splendid silver-gilt and enameled aigrette speaks for the magnificence of Hungarian noble costume in the 16th and 17th centuries. By this time, Magyar national dress had arrived at its ultimate form and reflected an ornamental, yet thoroughly masculine aesthetic. While a Hungarian nobleman of the period would have sported a mente, or fur-trimmed cloak with delicately-worked metal buttons and ornately-enameled clasps, in addition to his luxurious belt and bejeweled sabre, his hat ornament would have been the finest and most prominent of his jewels. Although more commonly fashioned as medallions set with pearls, diamonds, or precious stones, this rare example, with its delicate polychrome enamels and dramatic form, represents a more fanciful interpretation. Clearly representing colorful stylized feathers, the aigrette would have been even more striking when seen with the attached plumage of cranes or falcons. A similar example is in the collection of the Museum of Applied Art, Budapest (inv. no. 53.4929)