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In memoriam 1956

In the first days of November 1956 a desperate fight took place in Corvin köz and the nearby Kilián barracks. This left its traces on a cabinet which is now on display in the Museum of Applied Arts.

Remembering the revolution against the communist regime in 1956, the Museum of Applied Arts has exhibited a cabinet which was manufactured in Vienna. What makes this cabinet unique is that shrapnel from the fights around the nearby barracks damaged one of its sides as well as its internal structure. The cabinet is now placed in a vitrine in the staircase and the shrapnel which caused the damage is also on display.

It was not only this cabinet that suffered from the destruction of the fight between the rebels and the Soviet troops which deployed artillery in the clashes. The museum building was also hit by grenades which caused further destruction in many of the objects.

The cabinet is supposed to have been made in a workshop in Vienna around the end of the 19^th century. It is similar to Chinese lacquer works and is ornamented with landscapes following the style called chinoiserie, which was very popular at the end of the 18^th century. According to the labels stuck on the backside, Géza Apponyi, a count, landlord and collector purchased it in Vienna from an interior design firm called R. Perl. Later it was used in the family’s mansion in Medina, a small village in Central-Hungary. Finally, after the nationalisation it was given to the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest.

The shrapnel hit a hole on the left side of the cabinet and caused destruction inside, finally losing momentum it stopped in the middle drawer. It has not been renovated since then, and the shrapnel was not removed and discarded either. This shrapnel and the damage now belong to the history of the object, the museum and the country.  The cabinet has become a badge, a memento carrying significant historical experiences.

Vienna (?) end of the 19^th century

Black lacquer on pine, copper curbing

Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

50.186.1

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