EXPERIENCE OF RECONSTRUCTION OF HUNGARIAN MEN'S CEREMONIAL COSTUME AND HORSE HARNESS OF THE GREAT HUNGARY PERIOD (ON THE BASIS OF FINE ARTS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SOURCES)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the reconstruction of a medieval Hungarian men's costume on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of graphic materials and archaeological data. This fills the gap in the study of the early medieval Hungarian costume of the “Great Hungary” period, as it has primarily focused on women's clothing and jewelry. The source of reconstruction materials were steel products from the Ural-Hungarian Center of Artistic Metal featuring the image of a rider with a bird of prey - the so-called “falconer” (Fig. 3-2; 4; 5-6). The author is convinced that despite the fact that this plot is widely spread, the images of a hunter with a falcon or
eagle is most characteristic of the 9th century and associated with the East-European steppes. The drawings on the products of the Urolo-Hungarian Center and the data obtained from the excavations of the 9th and early 10th century burial grounds in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan suggest that men's ceremonial Hungarian costume (outerwear) included a long caftan, a waist belt, boots, and headwear. The headwear was a low cap with a round top sewn from fur skins and fabrics, or a cloth (felt) cap with a semicircular top and rolled up flaps. The kaftan was double-breasted and decorated with a silk lining along the hem and sleeves. The boots feature a
complex design pattern with a soft sole, no heels and high top (Fig.5). The weapons included a saber or quiver. The horse harness consisted of a bridle with psalia, a saddle with stirrups, belts decorated with overlays and round or heart-shaped decorative pendants.