Glass goblet ("Billikom") of King Matthias

01/2010

December is the month of feasts and clinking glasses beside the intimate celebrations. On this occasion we present the glass goblet („billikom”) of King Matthias from the collection of the Hungarian National Museum, and we would like to wish You a Merry Christmas, a joyful New Year’s Eve and a Happy New Year.

This goblet is one of the most famous objects of the Historical Glass Collection of the Hungarian National Museum. This 43 cm (16,93 inches) tall goblet is a product of the Venetian glass industry: „King Matthias’ Billikum, old gift of the Venetians” – says the inscription on the metal foot of the goblet, which was made at the turn of the 16–17th centuries. The severe, horn-shaped glass goblet is attached with a thready-decorated nodus to the metal foot decorated with tiny turquoises. The inscription of the metal foot promulgates: “VINA BIBNAT HOMINES ANIMALIA COETERA FONTES”, or “May the men drink wine, the other animals should drink water”. The authentic story of the goblet is preserved also in this inscription of the metal foot, which let us know that the goblet got to II. Louis from King Matthias, and he later bestowed it to Francis Batthyány at Németújvár.

The goblet was preserved in the Castle of Rohonc of the Battyhány family till 1852, when the possessions of Kázmér Batthyány, former minister for foreign affairs during the Hungarian Revolution in 1848–49, were confiscated. The goblet first got to Rácalmás, then to a merchant in Munich and it was abroad for a long time, than the Erdődy family bought the goblet in the 19th century, and in 1929 it was donated to the Hungarian National Museum by Mrs. Erdődy Rudolf, baroness Lujza Drasche.