Kalocsa -- Hungarian Folk Art

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 12 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #544 in News, #57,017 overall

It's Hungarian Folk Art that's not just pottery, but is embroidery and so much more!

The Hungarians are known for their pottery and fabulously-decorated stoneware such as those from Kalocsa. My first introduction to Kalocsa pottery was in a small Hungarian city of Heviz.  We stopped for a one-week stay at Club Dobogomajor.  As we spent a couple of days walking around Heviz, our timing couldn't have been better as their was a street festival with a number of local merchants who displayed their wares.

I -- Town of Kalocsa

Kalocsa at a glance ... 

Kalocsa ( or Kala?a, or ??????, German Kollotschau) is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies 88 miles south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the Danube River, and was once of far greater importance than at present.

Kalocsa is the Episcopal see of one of the four archbishops of Hungary. Amongst its buildings are a fine cathedral, the archiepiscopal palace, an astronomical observatory, a seminary for priests, and colleges for training of male and female teachers. The inhabitants of Kalocsa and its wide-spreading communal lands are chiefly employed in the cultivation of the vine, fruit, flax, hemp and cereals, in the capture of water-fowl and in fishing. Kalocsa is one of the oldest towns in Hungary. The present archbishopric, founded about 1135, is a development of a bishopric said to have been founded in the year 1000 by King Stephen the Saint. It suffered much during the 16th century from the hordes of Ottomans who then ravaged the country. A large part of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1875.

Former Resident of Kalocsa 

In researching Kalocsa online, I found a most interesting web page authored by a former resident of Kalocsa! I am in the process of contacting this person to have them share their insight about Kalocsa and its folk art.

What they had to say about Kalocsa: The folk art of Kalocsa represents a peculiar color in the splendid bunch of flowers of Hungarian folk art. Not only has it a rich past, but it is still living, flourishing, developing richly and brilliantly. A magnificent folk art has developed in Kalocsa and its region concentrated in the town itself. From here did it become spread to the neighboring villages: Öregcsertö, Szakmár, Homokmégy, Drágszél and farms belonging to them.

I grew up in Kalocsa and with these pages I would like to pay tribute to those pioneers who helped to make the folk art of Kalocsa popular in the nineteen thirties, and to the numerous folk artists who taught me to love the colors of Kalocsa.

Ferenc and Sarolta Pécsi, who organized and choreographed the world renown "Gyöngyös Bokréta" folk dance group. r. Lajos Gábor and v. Ferenc Draskóy-Draskovich whose dedication helped to create the Folk Art House in Kalocsa. After the communist take over in 1945 their work was forgotten.

I should mention many more names but I left Kalocsa fleeing the secret police in 1949, and I don't have all the resources at hand to create a complete picture. Since 1957 I live in Canada, but will never forget Kalocsa the place where I grew up!


Source: The Folk Art of Kalocsa. Picture: Crest of City of Kalocsa.

Kalocsa Collectible Postcards 

Loading Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
eBay

II -- Kalocsa Folk Art

Hungarian Folk Dances 

CSIPERO - Dance Group from Vajdaság 2.

Dance Group from Vajdaság performs Hungarian folk dances at Csipero International Children and Youth Meeting.

Runtime: 0:54
1823 views
2 Comments:

powered by YouTube

Kalocsa Folk Art Dolls 

Loading Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
eBay

Hungarian Folk Art 

Hungarian peasant costumes (Hungarian folk art)

List Price:

Folk Art in Hungarian Cemeteries

List Price:

Hungarian black pottery (Hungarian folk art)

List Price:

III -- Kalocsa Pottery

Kalocsa Pottery 

We found these decorative serving plates at a street festival in Heviz, Hungary. Some of the pottery included those from Kalocsa.

I've featured them in another of my lenses as a perfect serving plate for presenting Hungarian goulash.

IV -- Kalocsa Embroidery

Kalocsa Embroidery 

Kalocsa embroidery is true Hungarian folk art. Each and every piece, to be true Kalocsa, is handmade and unique in style, color and pattern.

When you purchase Hungarian Kalocsa that is handcrafted, you are purchasing a work of art.

I have personally always loved bright and bold flowers. It never occurred to me that this love may be attributed to my Hungarian and Czech heritage that it is actually routed in my genes!

This is a picture of Kalocsa hand-embroidered doilies from a store in Kalocsa. Source: Tripod/gdraskoy.

Kalocsa Doilies 

Loading Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
eBay

Kalocsa Embroidered Items 

Loading Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
eBay

V -- Kalocsa LOVE

Cast your vote ... 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

I Love Kalocsa! 

Would you believe? The word is out on Kalocsa! Now you can own a "I Love Kalocsa" t-shirt, coffee mug, or keychain. What's next? You don't need to be Hungarian or Eastern European to love Kalocsa. It's boho chic these days.

Dudek Reaction, Hungary, Kalocsa Airport 

Dudek Reaction, Hungary, Kalocsa Airport

Dudek Reaction

Runtime: 1:58
1656 views
4 Comments:

powered by YouTube

The buzz on Kalocsa 

Kalocsa
The Cathedral of Kalocsa was founded as one of the earliest churches of Hungary, but the first and t...
Police headquarters - Kalocsa
ribizlifozelek posted a photo: Police headquarters - Kalocsa. ribizlifozelek.blogspot.com/2009/07/mi...
Kalocsa street
ribizlifozelek posted a photo: Kalocsa street.
Downtown Kalocsa
ribizlifozelek posted a photo: Downtown Kalocsa.

The last day of Kiskoros-Kalocsa train line 

The last day of Kiskoros-Kalocsa train line

One of the last trains arrives to Kalocsa station, southern Hungary. From 4th of March 2007 this line will be closed, and will be abandoned.

Runtime: 1:38
2619 views
9 Comments:

powered by YouTube

Drop me a line ... 

Have you discovered Kalocsa? Do you love it? Did you enjoy this lens? I'd love to hear from you!

almawad wrote

Hi ! great job !
I have made a lense on the folk art motifs :
http://www.squidoo.com/ilovehungary

Reply Posted August 15, 2008

Creative Commons License 

Do Squidoo, But Don't Plagiarize ...

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.


Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work ... it is just NOT cool so don't do it!