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(From László Dr. Kálcza , posted by Marty)
I was born in Transilvania, Covasna city, now is part of Roumania, but
most of the population is native Hungarian speakers. It was once part of Hungarian Kingdom, till the Trianon Treaty.I left home town and country, now I live in Hungary, in Pusztavacs Pest county. This village is the geographical center of the country, has 1500 inhabitants, I am the family doctor of the community.
I think I know you have Dutch and Czech descents (I read it in one of your emails). Hungary is almost neighboring the Czech Republic.
Cradle is made from walnut
very nice work on the cradle Laszlo! I take it as the cradle is made from walnut, you use chisels and gouges for the chip carving. You must have been carving for many years to develop such craftsmanship.
I look forward to you sharing more of your work.
Kevin.
Hello Everyone,Yes Kevin, you are right. I have been carving since I was five years old. I started with small little carvings like e.g. flower ladder. My grandfather taught me with little steps, I got my first knife from him for my fifth birthday. And yes, I used chisels and gouges and knife as well. I made it from walnut, this is a very hard wood when it has that dark brown colour, when it has a lighter color (sometimes quite white) it is softer. I made it to order. The wood was provided by the client, planted by his great-grandfather in memory of his grandfather’s birth (this used to be a tradition in our country, today it is being applied again). Therefore, he had an emotional attachment to the material. After his father’s death, he found it in the attic of the shed, it was chewed a little by the beetle, already seen in the pictures sometimes.
He thought it was still usable and asked me to examine it and if possible I could make something out of it to remain as a memory. I asked him if there was any major event in the family? Yes, there was an answer, we are expecting a grandchild. Then I had the idea that as much material as I could save would be enough for a cradle. He found my idea great and asked me to make it, so the cradle is made for the unborn granddaughter (he later said that was a girl) of my client. It was used by his granddaughter until she was 9 months old, after which it is kept in the apartment as an ornament. This is how the story of the tree, which spans generations, ended.
From the bottom to the top, the pattern is built as a tree of life. Below, the three hills represent the homeland, one of the symbols of Hungarian statehood. Falling leaves represent ancestors who have already died. The fully opened flowers leaning to the side represent the living grandparents.
The tulip on the right with the bud represents the mother who already has a child. On the left, the upward-curving leafy branch is a symbol of a young and healthy father. In the middle of the pattern is the simbol of the born girl who owns the cradle. A sunflower with lots of petals and seeds, which means we wish her health and wealth. The two little leaves on the side symbolize her future family.
The sun and the moon are ancient Hungarian symbols. In the middle, the cross symbolizes Christianity, its shape refers to the Catholic religion. The vine leaves symbolize the craft and livelihood of the ancestors, they were vine-growers.
Laszlo, I am very glad you made this post for everyone to see.
I’ve always known you are a talented wood carver. Now others will see as well.
You will always be my favorite Hungarian carver!!
And yes…my relatives are in Czech Rep and Holland 🙂
Marty
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