Folk Art in Hungarian Cemeteries, by Erno Kunt

Folk Art in Hungarian Cemeteries, by Erno Kunt. 1983 hardcover. 132 pages, very nice condition.

Cemeteries and the objects found in them are an organic part of the village, the culture, and the art of its inhabitants. By presenting a rich variety of grave-signs, the author shows hos historical traditions, the village, and its cemetery are related to each other. The type of particular cemetery – differing according to denomination and local burial customs -determines the character of graves and grave-signs. The wealth of grave-crosses, wooden grave-posts, tombstones, and their ornamentation, classified according to their form and material used, are discussed as belonging to a complex sign-system which reflects the world concept, the social structure, and the changes of peasant society. The awe of cemeteries and of grave-signs is manifest in several folk beliefs and practices, while for the artisan, the grave-post is but one among the articles of use he is commissioned to make. This volume contains 31 illustrations within the text and 40 black and white, and 16 color photographs, many of great documentary value.