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Mezõkövesd – Embroidery TownA Hungarian Town That Is the Centre of Distinctive Matyó Handicrafts
Mezokövesd is the centre of the Hungarian Matyó people, famous for their folk craft, especially their distinctive colourful and vibrant embroidery designs.
The embroidery of this group of people is characterised by the rose motif, the colouring of which was strictly controlled, and, as told by the legend, the entire cloth is almost covered with designs. The crafting of these designs is still very much a part of the town life. Legend of the EmbroideryLegend has it that the Devil, when he stole a young girl’s boyfriend, told her if she brought him an apron full of flowers, he would return the lad. He made this demand in the middle of winter, but he had not counted on the resourcefulness of the girl. She went home, and covered her cloth apron with a design of embroidered flowers. Presenting this to the Devil, he conceded the point and returned the young man. Matyó DesignsThe typical colours of the Matyó designs are red and brown, but over the past 200 years, the work had undergone three major changes. The first designs had a white background and the decorations were worked in red and blue with a little yellow. In the second variation, a black backing was worked with reds and yellow, and in the thirds, in use today, many colours and their shades are used on backgrounds on red, black and white. Traditional DressA traditional dress normally had ten bands of different coloured silk at the hemline. The bands on the skirt, and the embroidery of the skirt and the apron showed the wealth of the family, so the more that could be done, the richer the family was in the eyes of others. In the old days, the people were poor but extremely proud, and it was a point of honour for them show that they were able to dress neatly. If a girl appeared in public with her petticoat showing, or some article of her dress out of order, it was considered a social disgrace. Kisjankó BoriThe most famous Matyó pattern drawer and embroiderer was Kisjankó Bori, who in 1950 at a competition for embroidery won first prize and was given the title "Master of folk Art" for her 100 roses pattern. Museum DistrictIn the oldest town district – Hadas – you can wander back into the past, strolling past peasant houses with their whitewashed walls and thatched roofs. Many of these cottages are now mini museums displaying and demonstrating various arts and crafts: painting, pottery, doll making, weaving, and so on. You can even visit the 200-year-old house in which Kisjankó Bori lived and worked. It’s filled with colourful examples of her work, as well as the household furniture of the day. Other SightsOther things to see include the museum of farming implements and machinery; there is also a sheepskin factory where the processing and working of skins can be observed. Also worth a peek is the church in the centre of town – you’ll notice that all the figures in the frescoes and murals are wearing variations of the Matyó costume! Thermal BathsAnd for those inclined to health and fitness, there’s also a thermal baths just outside of town. Festival DaysNowadays, the traditional dress is usually worn only on special events, on festival days or when the people take part in a folk dancing display or competition, but embroidery, and other items of Matyó handicrafts, can be brought at Gerti’s – a handicraft shop on the main street of Mezoköves InformationThe friendly staff at the Tourist information office speak English. On line information at: www.mezokovesd.hu
The copyright of the article Mezõkövesd – Embroidery Town in Hungary Travel is owned by Christiane Birkett. Permission to republish Mezõkövesd – Embroidery Town in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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