Department IV - Decorative Art and Material Culture
Department IV - Decorative Art and Material Culture
The decorative art artefacts collected by the National Museum since 1984 include both Polish and foreign objects (which are usually associated with Poland in some way). The size of the collection and its wealth of valuable museum pieces make it one of the most important large collections of decorative art in Poland.
The collection was mainly acquired through donations, from both major collectors and private individuals donating single objects. The various objects collected over the years from many different sources and historical periods have now been divided into groups and arranged into a larger chronological whole providing an overview of the main line of development of Polish material culture.
The organisers of the National Museum in Krakow did not originally plan to collect decorative art. Allowance was made, however, for acquisition of 'historical relics' and 'memorabilia of important national figures' or 'persons involved in historical events'. The first pieces were donated in 1884, almost simultaneously. These included an open-work tower carved out of ivory by the Siberian deportee Jan Oksza-Czechowski, donated by the artist himself, and a side wall of a ceremonial carriage donated by Count Jan Marian Drohojowski. Among the early acquisitions especially noteworthy are the Adam Mickiewicz memorabilia sent from Paris by the poet's son Władyslaw. In 1891 the Museum received a deposit from the Polish Academy of Learning in Krakow – on the basis of a resolution adopted in 1889 it presented militaria and ancient artefacts to the Museum which had earlier been donated to the former Krakow Society of Learning.
The Second Museum Statute of 1901 sanctioned the collection of decorative art objects and decreed the establishment of the Artistic Industry Department.
In the period 1901-1939 the Museum acquired a series of large private collections, all of which included decorative art objects: in 1902 Włodzimiera and Adam Szołayski donated a number of gold pieces, several clocks, as well as porcelain and glassware; a year later Stanisław Męczyński endowed the Museum with more than 100 ceramic artefacts from factories in Korzec and Baranówka. The enormous collection of Emeryk Hutten-Czapski included valuable Polish and Saxon glassware, ceramics, Masonic memorabilia, chamberlain's keys, rings, and signet stones. In 1908 Stanisław Ursyn Rusiecki donated the Kruszwica Reliquary dating from the second quarter of the 12th century and in 1935-1937 a large collection of Polish and foreign glassware, a collection of mirrors including several made in the factory in Urzecz, as well as porcelain and furniture. In 1909 Edward Goldstein began to send donations from France of furniture, glassware, ceramics and miscellaneous objects. In the same year the Museum received a bequest from Zeneida and Teodor Dunin including glassware, ceramics, and Art Nouveau furniture, for example a set of furniture with maple leaf motifs painted by Warsaw artist Bronisława Poświkowa.
In 1912, at the auction of the collections of Lesser Giełdziński in Berlin, the Museum purchased furniture from Gdańsk: a large armoire, two smaller wardrobes decorated with carved depictions of Bacchus and Justitia, and other pieces.
In 1926 the Museum received a bequest of Kościuszko memorabilia from the legacy of General Franciszek Maksymilian Paszkowski, which had been in his family for three generations. These were left to the Museum by Franciszek Paszkowski, the General's grandson.
In 1929, after the death of Feliks Jasieński, the Museum took possession of the collection he had bequeathed to it in 1920 which included a large quantity of Polish and foreign furniture, for example secretary desk bureaus from Kolbuszowa, beautiful Polish jewellery chests, and also a large collection of Polish and foreign ceramics.
The collection was mainly acquired through donations, from both major collectors and private individuals donating single objects. The various objects collected over the years from many different sources and historical periods have now been divided into groups and arranged into a larger chronological whole providing an overview of the main line of development of Polish material culture.
The organisers of the National Museum in Krakow did not originally plan to collect decorative art. Allowance was made, however, for acquisition of 'historical relics' and 'memorabilia of important national figures' or 'persons involved in historical events'. The first pieces were donated in 1884, almost simultaneously. These included an open-work tower carved out of ivory by the Siberian deportee Jan Oksza-Czechowski, donated by the artist himself, and a side wall of a ceremonial carriage donated by Count Jan Marian Drohojowski. Among the early acquisitions especially noteworthy are the Adam Mickiewicz memorabilia sent from Paris by the poet's son Władyslaw. In 1891 the Museum received a deposit from the Polish Academy of Learning in Krakow – on the basis of a resolution adopted in 1889 it presented militaria and ancient artefacts to the Museum which had earlier been donated to the former Krakow Society of Learning.
The Second Museum Statute of 1901 sanctioned the collection of decorative art objects and decreed the establishment of the Artistic Industry Department.
In the period 1901-1939 the Museum acquired a series of large private collections, all of which included decorative art objects: in 1902 Włodzimiera and Adam Szołayski donated a number of gold pieces, several clocks, as well as porcelain and glassware; a year later Stanisław Męczyński endowed the Museum with more than 100 ceramic artefacts from factories in Korzec and Baranówka. The enormous collection of Emeryk Hutten-Czapski included valuable Polish and Saxon glassware, ceramics, Masonic memorabilia, chamberlain's keys, rings, and signet stones. In 1908 Stanisław Ursyn Rusiecki donated the Kruszwica Reliquary dating from the second quarter of the 12th century and in 1935-1937 a large collection of Polish and foreign glassware, a collection of mirrors including several made in the factory in Urzecz, as well as porcelain and furniture. In 1909 Edward Goldstein began to send donations from France of furniture, glassware, ceramics and miscellaneous objects. In the same year the Museum received a bequest from Zeneida and Teodor Dunin including glassware, ceramics, and Art Nouveau furniture, for example a set of furniture with maple leaf motifs painted by Warsaw artist Bronisława Poświkowa.
In 1912, at the auction of the collections of Lesser Giełdziński in Berlin, the Museum purchased furniture from Gdańsk: a large armoire, two smaller wardrobes decorated with carved depictions of Bacchus and Justitia, and other pieces.
In 1926 the Museum received a bequest of Kościuszko memorabilia from the legacy of General Franciszek Maksymilian Paszkowski, which had been in his family for three generations. These were left to the Museum by Franciszek Paszkowski, the General's grandson.
In 1929, after the death of Feliks Jasieński, the Museum took possession of the collection he had bequeathed to it in 1920 which included a large quantity of Polish and foreign furniture, for example secretary desk bureaus from Kolbuszowa, beautiful Polish jewellery chests, and also a large collection of Polish and foreign ceramics.