One of the oldest handicrafts is the making of shepherd's woolen sheepskin hats from natural materials. The tradition of hat-making dates back to the 1800s in the Mihalkó family. Gyula Mihalkó (1949-2016), a folk craftsman and hat maker, learned hat making from his father and his uncle Zoltán Mihalkó, whose father and grandfather had also been involved in the craft. He made headgear for the people of the area: shepherd's hats from Hortobágy and Kiskunság, as well as hats, peasant and civil hats, folk dance and souvenir mini hats. His work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the title of Folk Artisan in 1999 and Master of Folk Art in 2003. She set up her own workshop with her son in 1997 and built a folk art workshop on the site of her father's workshop in 2004-2005. In the hall in front of the workshop, which is equipped with traditional tools but has modern facilities, an exhibition of all the hats and other folk art masterpieces made by the Mihalkó hatters is on display. The house museum, created in 2014 partly with the help of a grant, preserves the memory of this ancient craft. According to the decision of the Hungarikum Committee, the „Mihalkó Shepherd's Hat of Hortobágy” was included in the Hungarian Register of Values in 2016 and will therefore bear the title of Outstanding National Value.
Pre-registration required!
500 HUF/person
