Pattantyús Gergő

Inside the furnace the red mass of the molten glass is bubbling at 1190 centigrade. Moving as light-foot ballet dancers, they pass the bottle between their blowing pipes and then he held it movingly inside the hot center of the furnace until the glass receives the red of the flames. When it becomes hot enough, he begins to dance with turning, rotating, swinging. While he gently expand the mouth of the bottle, later it turns from fiery red to dark green. And at the fire of the furnace the mouth became well-rounded.

The second blowing master (Károly Ferenczy) is wrapping up a piece of molten glass for the next bottle.

At the dead window of the vine cellar there is usually a “pincetok”, a wooden box. The square-formed bottles, filled by either wine, water or brandy, were produced for this wooden box, so they do not clatter on the carriage.

The L-shaped bottle came from the traditional peasant object. Two of them can be rotated into each other, forming a new unity. It is a popular wedding gift nowadays, if requested, initials of the engaged couple are pressed in it.

He himself carves his seal of graphite. His seal ring contains his master’s trademark: a sign of glass in alchemy that is, the combination the cross and the infinity, with his PG initials added.

“In the 13th century the ‘free-blowing’ tecnique was flourishing in Europe. According to investigations, in Hungary the glass industry reached a high level, even earlier than in Venice. In my workshop we use the Scandinavian technique, which developed from the Venetian art. The Venice craftsmanship, the pride of Italy, was based on Middle East traditions.

Later the German industrial trends of more effectivity were spreading in Hungary. Molds were used, what wore away the artistic inspirations and abilities of the blowing masters, being before of esthetically high-level and very sensitive. The free glass blowing renders a much higher glass culture possible.

I was an exchange student in Ireland. I had a great teacher in Dublin. She like that I wanted to work, it is not general for students of my kind. So she cared a lot for my work. Initially I took pains with the language, but they learned quickly, that asking me was not necessary.

She travelled with me around the country. Thanks to her, I met multicolor artistic traditions. Returning home, I started to investigate. One of our common treasures is the “national cup”. It is like two bottoms of similar size were glued together. Difficult to make, but it is one of the most extreme forms of village glass in the world.

“The last interesting example of the Art Noveau style would be the dining room designed by the famous painter, Rippl-Rónai to count Andrássy. Rippl-Rónai’s endeavors of total art preceeded the Art-deco style. While he turned to the tableware and to the glasses, designing probably bored him, because the dimensions are incorrect on his drawings. We do not know why he did not finish the design. We had many experiments until these glasses and pitchers were ready, waving in a mood of the master’s will.”

Next door to his house is the village pub. From the workshop there is a secret path, across the backyard and the garden, to the pub’s taproom. Tasting the fine cold beer, we can finally talk on the glasses, on the cultural heritages, on the local languages. Then it comes, what is usual among the people: the football…

22/9/2011 Révfülöp

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