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- Author designed by Stanisław Wyspiański (1869—1907)
- Date of production 1904
- Place of creation Kraków, Poland
- Dimensions height: horse: 80 cm, mannequin: 100 cm, length: horse: 160 cm, width: horse: 60 cm, mannequin: 50 cm, depth: mannequin: 25 cm, mannequin stand: 100 cm
- Author's designation none
- ID no. MHK-60/X a/1-13
- Museum Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
- Subjects city, clothing, entertainment
- Technique sewing, embroidery
- Material leather, velvet, metal, canvas, horsehair, bead, pearl, thread, peacock feathers
- Object copyright Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
- Digital images copyright public domain
- Digitalisation RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project
- Tags ornamental techniques , Kraków , clothing , Lajkonik , fabric , legend , Stanisław Wyspiański , 3D , Zwierzyniec , 3D plus , public domain
The costume of Lajkonik, also called the Zwierzyniec Horse, designed by Stanisław Wyspiański in 1904, could be seen in the streets of Kraków until 1963. The costume used today during the annual frolics of Lajkonik is a faithful copy of the displayed exhibit.
Although legend associates the origins of Lajkonik celebrations with the Tatar invasions of Kraków in the 13th century, the first ever source reference to it dates back to 1738.
The costume of Lajkonik, also called the Zwierzyniec Horse, designed by Stanisław Wyspiański in 1904, could be seen in the streets of Kraków until 1963. The costume used today during the annual frolics of Lajkonik is a faithful copy of the displayed exhibit.
Although legend associates the origins of Lajkonik celebrations with the Tatar invasions of Kraków in the 13th century, the first ever source reference to it dates back to 1738. In those days until the beginning of the 20th century there was no single pattern of the costume and its poor appearance left much to be desired. It was not until after 1900 that, thanks to the financial support of the Kraków municipality and the engagement of artists and art historians, the work on the costume which would reflect the beauty of this old-time tradition had begun.
The design of the displayed horse was prepared by L. Lepszy and S. Cercha. According to their design, in 1901 the company, Rudolf Weil i spółka, based in Kraków made a wooden body on a metal framework, while the head and neck of the new horse were prepared by a sculptor from Dębniki. The wood was covered with light leather with hair. The design of the costume of a Tatar horseman and decorations of the horse were commissioned to Wyspiański. According to his artistic vision, the horse’s head is decorated with horsehair mane with interlaced colourful bands and a plume of five ostrich feathers in the sleeve, decorated with small beaded horns. The horsetail with golden ribbons is also natural. From the horse’s mouth — with the painted lips and eyes — to the neck runs a leather and velvet harness with bells. The element enhancing the decoration is the umbo, i.e. a breastplate of three convex discs strung on a leather belt. The horse’s body is covered with a maroon shabrack embroidered with pearls, creating floral motifs and geometrical symbols. The lower part of the shabrack is made of maroon cloth, embroidered with a golden thread and trimmed with golden tassels. Low above the ground hang metal crescents with bells jingling to the rhythm of Lajkonik’s dance. Today a real horseman is replaced by a dummy wearing a Turkish caftan of carmine linen, a red braided kontusz (a type of outer garment worn by the Polish nobility) with a purple sash; at his side on a leather strap hangs a Damascus sword in a scabbard. It has white gloves on its hands; in one of the hands it is holding a leather buława (a ceremonial baton). Everybody knows that if one is hit by a Lajkonik with a buława, it will bring them luck. In the interwar period, however, there were several cases recorded of a visit to the Kraków emergency after too strong a hit by Lajkonik.
What is particularly striking is the high pointed hat, finished with a crescent and decorated with beads and authentic corals. The attire is complemented with high red leather boots, from which trousers protrude. What remains invisible are the leather straps on which the horse’s construction was affixed to the horseman, as well as the rubber securing the hat from falling off the head during Lajkonik’s frolics.
Elaborated by Andrzej Szoka (Historical Museum of the City of Kraków), © all rights reserved
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