Photo: MTI
The exhibition, which opened on December 12, drew 1,000-1,200 visitors between the two holidays. They saw exquisitely crafted jewellery, jewel-encrusted weapons, finely embroidered clothing and life-size portraits.
The pieces of the collection, many on loan from Castle Forchtenstein, the Esterházy's residence in Austria, are together for the first time in almost a hundred years, and many are on public display for the first time ever.
The collection was housed in Castle Forchtenstein, in a part of Austria which earlier belonged to Hungary, for hundreds of years. But, in 1918, some of the most valuable items were brought to Budapest. Shortly afterward, Prince Miklós Esterházy deposited the items with the Museum of Applied Arts. In 1920, Hungary's borders were redrawn and Castle Forchtenstein became a part of Austria.
In 1944, on news of the advancing Russian troops, Pál Esterházy transferred the objects at the Museum of Applied Arts to the cellars of the Esterházy Palace in Budapest's Castle District. In January 1945, the palace was bombed, and it was not until four years later that the treasures were uncovered from the rubble. About half of the 169 objects were destroyed, and most of the rest were severely damaged.
Pieces which survived were returned to the Museum of Applied Arts. Restoration of the collection started in the 1950s and has continued until today. An exhibition of 20 objects from the collection took place in 1963.
The current exhibition, open until March 31, 2007, shows 131 objects.
