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Did you know that Confraternities and church fraternities — Kraków and Castelsardo According to medieval tradition, the laymen who gathered around churches organised themselves into fraternities and confraternities, which was supposed to consolidate their faith, build a community and also celebrate the moments important to society, including funerals for fellow brothers. |
Did you know that “Train your eyes and hands for the defence of your Homeland” – About the Brotherhood of the Rooster of Kraków The traditions of the Brotherhood of the Rooster in Europe date back to the 14th/15th centuries. They were the first formation tasked with preparing city residents to defend themselves in the event of danger. Along with the towns founded under the Magdeburg law, fortifications were also built (over time, both the construction and defence of individual fragments of the walls... |
Spoons of the Ainu people Rise spoon A flat spoon made from a single piece of wood, with a paddle-like bowl with a triangular ending, and with the handle also having a triangular end. It is decorated with a characteristic geometric ornamentation in the form of a plaited rope, hinges and various cuts. |
Signboard with movable types (the Foltin family) The signboard promoted services and products offered by Leon Foltin, who was a car mechanic and an enthusiast of motorisation in the pre-war period in Wadowice. He descended from the famous family of printers who, for almost 100 years, formed the publishing and bookselling market in Wadowice. Three members of the Foltin family with the Franciszek name — grandfather, father and grandson — cherished the printing and publishing tradition in the town. |
Tadeusz Kościuszko’s sukmana coat The homespun sukmana coat is traditionally believed to belong to Tadeusz Kościuszko, sewn of ashen cloth, with long sleeves lined at the end with red fabric, widening from the waist down. The upright collar is sewn with a red fabric inset. On the collar, along the hook-and-eye clasp, at the waist and the coat tail cut, there are brown braids of woollen string. At the bottom of the right coat tail there are four horizontal zones of blue and yellow embroidered with wool. |
Did you know that Garbage dropped at the neighbours’ door – the Christmas Eve customs of Cracovians According to Seweryn Udziela, Cracovians celebrated certain activities on Christmas Eve, believing that they would bring them prosperity in the coming year... |
Did you know that As a sign of modesty According to a Jewish tradition, married women, but also divorcees and widows, should, as a sign of modesty (cnius), cover their hair in public places. This prescription is imposed in various forms. In orthodox environments, women still shave their heads and cover them with headscarves, called tichel, although according to Halakha (religious law) it is not necessary. |
Did you know that Palm Sunday customs The custom of blessing Easter palms dates back to the Middle Ages. Palms were a symbol of resurrection, they played an important role, ensuring good crops, a long life, and even... a good death. Sticking palm branches into the roof of a house or farm buildings guaranteed protection from lightning strikes or fire... |
Did you know that Painted eggs in Lithuanian tradition The custom of blessing food and eggs, belonging to the Easter tradition, has always been its main component. They were eaten, given as gifts, and used for magical treatments to ensure a good harvest and the success in husbandry as well as in games. In Lithuania, apart from the Easter period, a common custom was making Easter eggs on St. George’s Day (April 23), the traditionally adopted date of the first cattle grazing in spring. |
Did you know that The first Polish café in Vienna and coffee with milk Although the custom of brewing coffee did not catch on in Poland right away, it is worth remembering that Vienna cafés owe their fame to a Pole – Jerzy Kulczycki. He used his knowledge of the Turkish language during the siege of Vienna of 1683; as a spy, he forced his way through the Turkish camp... |
Did you know that From the crisis of Kraków tea to coffee from the Pluton roasting plant The tradition of drinking coffee in Poland dates back to the 17th century (though initially a lot of people showed distrust towards it). In noble houses and manors, consuming this beverage was a sort of ritual — the green coffee beans were bought, then they were roasted in special devices, brewed in melting-pots, and served in cups... |
Device — coffee roaster Only a few of those who have visited the museum in Kęty are able to determine what the presented object was designed for. It is similar in shape to tea brewers, which were popular until recently, but its considerable size excludes this function. The device dates back to the 2nd half of the 19th century... |
“Flower” calligraphy by Chuei Sekiguchi (alias Kyōso) From the dawn of history, the Japanese have observed nature carefully. The elements of nature, including various flowers with their symbolic meaning, became frequent motifs used in art and ornamentation. To this day, these natural phenomena are reflected in Japanese customs and traditions. An old custom hanami (in Japanese “watching flowers”) is still hugely popular when, in spring, whole families have picnics under blossoming cherry trees. |
Sculptures of young couple from Indonesia Loro Blonyo – sculptures of a young couple representing Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice, and her husband Sadhono. The Loro Blonyo figures are an inseparable couple. Like the deities, they are considered symbols of fertility, granting the ability to have many descendants and to ensure good harvests, happiness, and prosperity, as well as a long life in good health and peace. |
Sculpture “Angel” by Karol Wójciak The author of the sculpture, Karol Wójciak, also known as Heródek (1892–1971), is considered to be one of the most original amateur artists. The angel is represented in a primitive way. Its head and torso are made up of a block of wood with a round section, truncated flat on both sides. The wings nailed to the back are made of triangular pieces of wood with a non-planed surface. |
Easter egg from Kaunas This Easter egg might illustrate the roads by which the objects (including Easter eggs) arrived there in the first years of existence of the Ethnographic Museum of Seweryn Udziela in Kraków . Sometimes, entire collections gathered over the years, and sometimes only individual items were donated here—the result of social sacrifice, fascination and exploration of folklore, and sometimes accidental encounters. |
Tree of life “Gunungan” — shadow theatre figure “wayang kulit purwa” from Indonesia Gunungan is one of the most important figures that opens a traditional performance of the Indonesian shadow theatre wayang kulit purwa. It depicts a tree of life representing the five elements making up the universe: earth, air, fire, wind and water. It also symbolises a palace, forest, and sea, as well as the above-ground and underground worlds. |
“Ima/Now” Calligraphy by Rikō Takahashi The calligraphy depicts an ideograph Ima今 (Now) written with black ink on white paper. At the bottom of the work, to the right, there is a red seal with the letters Rikoh in the Latin alphabet. This is the artist's name written in one of the versions of the Japanese language transcription. Novices in painting and calligraphy were encouraged to carve their own seals − the art of carving seals was called tenkoku. |
Gypsy wagon In the extensive exhibition devoted to the history and culture of the Romani/Gypsies, the exhibits particularly attracting the attention of visitors are the colourful wagons presented in the courtyard of the Ethnographic Museum. Preserved in the Polish landscape in the 1st half of the 20th century as well as in Polish pop culture thanks to the song by Maryla Rodowicz, they make an interesting memento of the vagabond, truly “Gypsy life”. |
Did you know that Superstitions and Christmas customs of the Cracovians On the one hand, religious, on the other hand extremely superstitious and eager to be protected against the interference of supernatural forces, not necessarily those of divine provenance. |