Drawing on Books VII.: Eszter Bross: Secret Love

Love in peasant culture was simply love, whether expressed in the customs of Hungarian peasant society or in the traditions of our Slovenian neighbours in the 19th and 20th centuries. Intentions were embodied in objects, emotions in symbols—signs that both the couple and the surrounding community could easily read.

The objects used to express affection were love gifts or engagement gifts, which couples and their families exchanged from the beginning of courtship until the wedding ceremony. The gift had a different meaning at each stage of the relationship: affirmation of intent, interest, commitment, or the certainty of engagement. Gingerbread was a universal love token, known throughout Central and Eastern Europe and spread through market culture; it could be given by either partner. However, boys and girls usually gave different kinds of gifts. The boy initiated courtship with a present, often crafted by himself or a close relative, or commissioned from a manufacturer or craftsperson. The items intended for girls were usually practical tools that they could use: most often a distaff (a painted, carved rod to which the fibre bundle is tied during spinning), a washboard, a small stool for the spinning mill, or a hoe cleaner. In return, the girl tipically gave a hand-embroidered cloth, handkerchief, apron, bouquet, or embroidered shirt. Gift-giving could take place either secretly or publicly and was linked to specific events (such as the raising of the Maypole), holidays (like Easter), or rites of passage (such as wedding). In this way, the couple, their families, and the wider community became aware of the promise, the relationship, and its progression from one stage to the next.

The most well-known symbols of love gifts include tulips, peacocks, pairs of birds, floral motifs, and hearts, which were drawn, painted (filled with coloured wax using the technique called spanyolozás), carved, engraved, or embroidered. There are few objects that reveal more personal confessions or individual feelings. One reason for this is that in peasant society most marriages were arranged, and the gifts reflected social norms.

The collection of the Museum of Ethnography includes objects that tell stories of broken hearts, such as a handkerchief from the early 20th century from which the red embroidered inscription was removed: "My beloved BLGV, accept this with love" (Handkerchief, NM 63.42.2). Or a small spinning-room stool from 1907 which, according to its inscription, was intended for Zsiga Kati, and on which, hidden beneath the decorated seat, a small bird carving with awkwardly drawn lines hints at a personal touch (Stool, NM 62.152.1.). Eszter Bross's wall painting is also inspired by objects in the museum’s collection: distaffs decorated with coloured wax, shepherd's objects relating to secret outlaw love, monogrammed engagement handkerchiefs, gingerbread moulds, and the catalogue Love is in the Air. Behind the recognizable love objects and symbols, however, the indescribable and inexpressible feeling still appears.

Eszter Bross is an animation MA student at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. The inspiration of folk art permeates her artistic interests. It appears not only in her animated works but also in her paintings, drawings, and in almost everything she creates or wears. Her zine Tükrös szív (Mirror Heart) was published by Gyros, a riso printing workshop; its watercolour images—like decorated gingerbread—can be given as small artworks in their own right. Eszter also created the music video for the song Szeretlek de fáj (I Love You But It Hurts) by the band Vehemencia.

Publication used for inspiration: Bojana Rogelj Skafar: Love is in the Air, Love Gifts in Traditional Slovenian Culture, A Néprajzi Múzeum kamarakiállításai 7., Budapest, 2002.

The Drawing On Books series is the visual experimental field of the Museum of Ethnography's MaDok-program, which focuses on contemporary phenomena. Within the framework of the series, contemporary artists create temporary wall drawings on the black chalk wall next to the museum bookstore, drawing inspiration from the museum’s publications.

Wall drawing: Eszter Bross

Series concept: Judit Gellér

Curator: Anna Zsoldos

Organisation: Kati Jákob-Bódi

Graphics: Tamás Boldizsár Hoffmann

Copy editing: Dóra Szentirmai

English text: Szilvia Lakatos, Anna Zsoldos

Professional consultation: Szabó Magdolna