Prethodno priopćenje
Stone-masonry markings on Veliki Tabor
Edita Šurina
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod, Dokumentacijski odsjek za nepokretnu baštinu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
Stone-masonry markings are considered to be a visible evidence of organized stone-masonry workshops. According to different opinions about their meaning, they could have represented a way of dividing tasks or the calculation of executed work, but they certainly marked authorship. In Central Europe, the markings occurred in the second half of the 12th century. They were awarded for life, after years of training and could not be arbitrarily modified, sold or donated. Stone markings are generally found on carved stone in the interior as well as on the facades of sacral and secular edifices. Their shapes are based on geometric networks, constructed by dividing, rotating and combining basic geometrical figures such as the circle, square and triangle. This is also the reason for their similarity. In our region, the markings on the western facade of the thirteenth century Cistercian church in Topusko, as well as those on the Zagreb cathedral, on parts built in the second half of the 14th and during the 15th century, have been recognized as the oldest.
During the conservation and restoration research conducted by the Croatian Conservation Institute in 2009 and 2010 at Veliki Tabor, stone-masonry markings were found and in a much greater number than anticipated. There is no data on the builders and masons who were engaged in the construction of Veliki Tabor at the beginning of the 16th century, but they did leave behind some kind of signatures, or better said markings engraved on the castle’s stone surfaces. A total of 40 stone-masonry markings, one coat of arms, one year and a few letters on door and window panes were found in Veliki Tabor. A part of it was known from earlier. What is new are a few markings on the cordon cornice of the northwestern tower (A), then those on the south tower (C) and in particular the markings on the consoles on the first floor of individual towers. They were not identified thus far because of their height and the way they were carved. Stone-masonry markings at Veliki Tabor appear on window and door frames in the palace, on some parts of the cordon cornice of towers A and C, the consoles that carry the first floor of towers A and B, and on the portal frame of the chapel in tower C. According to how they are formed, they can be roughly divided into five groups, which suggest that at least five groups of masons worked on the construction of Veliki Tabor. The first group consists of markings in the palace, which is morphologically most diverse and, according to the chronological development of certain parts of the castle; we could conclude that they are the oldest. We can add the marking on the moulded fragment found in the southern tower (B) to them, as well as the one on the secondarily fitted window frame in tower A. The most numerous group consists of the markings on the cordon cornice of tower A, 17 of them, following the stone-mason‘s coat of arms near the main entrance. What follows is a group of five markings on three consoles in tower B and a group of four markings on the portal of tower C. The next group consists only of two markings: the one on the console of tower A and the one on the cordon cornice of tower C. The markings are geometric, with the exception of the two in the palace, which are very simple and consist of curved lines, unlike other markings. Their dimensions vary, from 2 to 8 cm in height and 2–7 cm in width. They were etched in two ways: they were carved with a chisel or etched. Most were carved with a chisel, leaving a deeper or a more shallow grooved slot, which is difficult to evaluate given the degree of preservation. Less of them were etched using a pointed object that left a thin line, (five markings on three consoles of tower B). Among the markings in the palace, there are also four letters carved on the upper outside part of the window frame on the third floor. Besides this inscription, we also found the year 1598 carved on the lintel stone frame of the doors leading from the gallery to the connecting wing space on the first floor, in the northern part of the complex, as well as the year 1580, scratched into the plaster of the wall next to the stone portal in the entrance lobby. Next to stone masonry markings, there are also auxiliary markings and signs for mounting that have not been counted. They were found on the outer surfaces of the stone carved elements, particularly on console sides. They are scratched in the surface of the stone in the form of simple straight lines, with the aid of which it was easier to design their profiles and install them.
Some markings in Veliki Tabor are similar in construction and design to some earlier ones, mentioned in literature. These are the ones that occurred in the period between the 14th and 16th century in north-western Croatia (Zagreb Cathedral, Church of St. John the Baptist in Kloštar Ivanić, Pauline Monastery church in Lepoglava, the castle in Valpovo, Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Miracles in Oštarije) and the central European region (in Slovenia in the church of Our Lady of Mount Ptujska, church of St. Andrew in Šalek, and the church of St. Daniel in Štanjel as well as in the church of St. Magdalene in Magdalensberg in Austria, and the medieval house „Altstadt Juwelier“ in Nuremberg, Germany). Recognizing stone masonry markings and defining their features and similarities can be of aid in the reconstruction of the stages of construction and the number of masons engaged in building it, as well as possible relation with other buildings. At the same time, the fact that they can appear in greater and smaller versions, occur over an extended period of time and at multiple unrelated sites, should also be taken into consideration.
Ključne riječi
Veliki Tabor; stone masonry y markings; 15th and 16th century; conservation research
Hrčak ID:
106264
URI
Datum izdavanja:
20.12.2011.
Posjeta: 1.341 *