Dolenjski muzej Novo mesto Uvod-prologue Dolenjski muzej
exhibition: Honey-bread bakery and Candlemaking (24th. November 2000 - 23rd. September 2001)
Honey-bread baking is an activity whose products are various type of honey-bread, mead and cadles using honey as the raw material. The name of the craft is derived from the name for honey-bread - lect, a specific type of pastry.
The craft was practised in Europe: in Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Honey-bread bakers could be found in larger towns and market towns. Honey-bread baking is one of the oldest crafts. The first time was mentioned in the 14th century. However, at that time honey-bread was not yet made in moulds. The first moulds in Europe, initially only fot marzipan, date back to the middle of the 15th century. The oldest honey- bread mould dates back to 16th century. In the archival documents were honey-bread bakers and chandlers in Slovenia mentioned in the 17th century and in Dolenjska in the 18th century.
Honey-bread bakers from Slovenia have never had their own craft-guild, they were incorporated into the guilds of Vienna, Graz and Klagenfurt.
As a craft, honey-bread baking was often related to the chandler trade. The chandler's craft is one of making candles from wax, tallow and parrafin, by dipping, coating, casting, drawing and twisting. The use of candles is recorded by the Etruscans and proven to have existed among the Romans. A special position was granted to candles by Christianity, which still uses them in liturgy and blessings.
The chandler's and honey-bread baker's work was seasonal. From Easter to St Nicolas, Day they mainly manufactured and sold honey-bread and other pastry made from honey. Candles were mainly made in winter (December and January) and until the Candlemas on 2nd February.
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