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“Koncerz” sword with a sheath A koncerz sword is a type of cold weapon with a characteristic long and thin blade, used for stabbing. In Poland, it was one of elements of weaponry used by the Hussaria cavalry. The presented exhibit is an excellent example of a luxurious armament, characterized not only by its diversity of materials and decorations, but also a combination of a cold weapon with firearm. |
Did you know that “Horror vacui” or “amor vacui” – reflections on the attitude to emptiness The problem of emptiness has been an important issue in the history of thought. The first attempts to define it and, above all, to prove its existence or non-existence date back to the 5th century BC. Among the many philosophical assumptions, there was the view maintained for a very long time, right up until the 16th century, which was in line with the Aristotelian concept formulated as: “nature abhors a vacuum,” or horror vacui. Aristotle understood emptiness as a space devoid of a body (matter); however, he rejected its existence, not seeing any reason for it. |
Sabre with a sheath The blade, regarded as the work of the Armenians of Lviv, may be connected with the reign of John III Sobieski. Its antique-like sheath must have been made much later, as the Rococo ornament indicates. This weapon of highly decorative character is difficult to categorize unambiguously. |
Tower table clock The diverse form and rich ornamentation of the clock place it among the best works of the Augsburg watchmakers of the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. |
Baton The baton of the Wawel collection is an example of a luxurious ceremonial weapon. It is difficult to establish unambiguously its artistic provenance. In terms of composition and type of ornamentation, it could be classified as a Turkish work. However, its characteristic combination of gold and light blue enamel causes many researchers to believe it to be a Persian work. |
Tournament armour The tournament armour is compiled of several suits of West-European armours created in the mid-16th century. Its basic parts are the cuirass, collarbone guard, and pads and thigh guards made by the best armourers from southern Germany. The breastplate with the fishbone and goose — that is a protrusion in the stomach area — has vertical stripes with an etched motif of a floral twig entwined over a panoply and musical instruments. |
An order cross – a prop from the School of Fine Arts A metal cross, open-work, decorated with green and white imitations glass of precious stones. The object was used as a prop at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków. |
Parade miner’s sabre Carrying weapons was a privilege of miners as free people. Salt Works introduced uniforms for their employees in 1773. A sabre was an important element of the outfit and later also the mining uniform. Parade weapons are a special type of weapon that have almost lost their utilitarian functions in favour of representational ones. |
Hussar half-armour The armour is made of iron sheet; at the edges and faulds it is lined with brass borders covered with repoussé and stamped pearls. Under the rivets there are laid brass rosettes decorated in the same way as the borders. A helmet has a semi-circular skull, a peak with a nasal bar, a fauld neck guard and cheek pieces with a heart-shaped cut. A five-fauld breastplate with a fishbone in the middle tied with two leather straps. |
Crucifix for swearing in city counsellors The silver cross with a full figure of Christ, placed on a cuboid profiled plinth, decorated with plaques with the coat of arms of Kraków (SIGILLUM CIVITATIS CRACOVIAE METROPOLIS REGNI POLONIAE) and the coat of arms of the Segnitz family. |
Cradle A Baroque wooden cradle was a gift of King Augustus II for Joachim Daniel von Jauch (1688—1754), royal plenipotentiary for construction matters, on the occasion of the baptism of his son. The King was the godfather of the first-born son of the von Jauch family, Henryk, who died in early childhood. |
Horse tack according to the family tradition after Hetman Stanisław Jabłonowski The horse tack shown is a part of the almost typical horse-riding equipment used in the Republic of Poland by rich noblemen and magnates in the 17th and 18th centuries. The tack consists of a saddle, a girth, stirrups and a bridle with szkofia and a breastplate. The shabrack with a pair of tassets also originates from Adam Sapieha's collection, though the previous owner is unknown. |
Mace A mace, that is a blunt weapon consisting of a handle and a head created of vertically placed flangs (feathers), was commonly used in the Polish army of the 17th and 18th centuries, as an insignia indicating the rank of rittmeister or colonel. According to tradition, the presented mace was owned by Stefan Czarniecki, the Castellan of Kiev, later the Field Crown Hetman. |
Enamelled vase A large vase with a hemispherical goblet coated with cloisonné enamel. According to its donor, the vase comes from the Summer Palace of Beijing from the era of the Chinese emperors of the Qing dynasty. It was destroyed in 1860, and then again in 1900. |
Powder horn The powder horn comes from the collection of Władysław Łoziński in Lviv. It was donated to the Wawel Royal Castle by an antiquary Szymon Szwarc in 1930. |
Persian bowl This bowl sits on a high base with a hemispherical goblet that opens up at the rim. Featuring white-metallised and decorated with a broad inscribed strip filled with geometrical and inscriptional black polish and set against a background of a delicate plant. There is an inscription written in italicised Arabic script with Nastaliq calligraphy and with a niche separating the beginning from the end. Inside it, there is an Arabic inscription praising Allah, always placed at the end of the sacred text. |
Astronomical monstrance clock This is the most precious clock in the Wawel collection clocks. It has a unique, impressive form and a complicated mechanism. The clock's case resembles a monstrance, with the clock dial, held by a kneeling mermaid, replacing the nimbus. |
Tile table clock For many years, it was believed to be the oldest of the Polish table clocks, called tile clocks for their flat cases. However, the engraved date “An 1607” should be regarded as a later addition, contrary to the dates of the life and activity of Simon Ginter, who signed the clock. |
Cabinet A decorative and portable piece of furniture in the form of an angular box closed with a pair of small doors and containing eight drawers. Furniture of that type, made of exotic materials, was not commonly used in Poland of the 17th century. |
“Ise-katagami” dyeing stencil with a motif of “momiji” maple leaves and branches A kimono is one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of Japan. We always see those traditional dresses exquisitely decorated with painted or embroidered designs. Each of them is decorated with the most beautiful and elegant patterns. However, there are also everyday kimonos with repeating, small patterns of flowers, birds, fans and other motifs. They are made using stencils such as the Ise-katagami, which the Japanese have been creating for centuries. |