Card and Chess Table
Inventory No. MNS/3791/S, KW 18755
Material: wood, inlaying, brass fittings, cloth

Dating: late 19^th century
Dimensions: height 76 cm, unfolded top 72 x 5 x 82.5 cm 

The manor house from Rdzawa features a very interesting 19^th century game table in the landlord's room. The wooden piece of furniture rests on four massive turned legs, connected with crossed strips in the lower section. The table top, unfolding at two sides, set on the legs was placed on a rectangular chest-like structure with a drawer. At the surface, the table has an inlaid chess board, while after unfolding, its shape resembles a square, lined with green cloth and provided with a brass band. The four corners of the table feature round hollows with brass bowls for tokens. In the 19^th century, a lot of free time in manor houses was spent indoors. The residents engaged in social games, sung songs and played music. The most popular activities for women included playing music instruments, reading and needlework, e.g., embroidery. Among men, chess was greatly popular along with card games which offered an opportunity for exchanging news and gossip. Not only household members participated in the games, but the invited guests, too: a priest, a local doctor, neighbours and friends. The most popular card games in the middle of the 19th century included, among others, bezique, whist, as well as vint. Familiarity with the rules of whist was one of the basic social skills of a contemporary well-bred man. Writing in 1839, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski said, ‘Wist, jak niedawno cholera, jest u nas w powietrzu. Idź dokąd chcesz, w małym domku, czy pałacu, pierwsza rzecz, z którą gospodarz cię spotka, to te pięć kart, które ci tka pod nos z zapytaniem – wszakże będziesz grał?’ Bridge also made a rapid career in the inter-war period; it enjoyed great popularity, irrespective of age and social status of the players. It was played virtually everywhere: in burgher townhouses, magnate residences, during private meetings and at official banquets, on trains and in cafés. The popularity of card games quickly transitioned from homes to exclusive clubs, casinos and inns, where the stakes often included the entire property of a player.

Tapestry With Hunting Scenes
Inventory No.: MNS/2317/S, query No. 10606
Dating: 1840.
Material: cross-stitch with wool with an admixture of silk on cotton canvas
Dimensions: 200 x 300 cm

The manor house in Rdzawa features a Biedermeier embroidered tapestry in the corner of the landlord’s room. It consists of five scenes executed separately and then sewn together and surrounded with a border. Each of them is signed with different initials, indicating the authorship of four persons. The central, vertical section, twice as large as the others, presents a man preparing a meal, sitting in front of a stool with a bowl, in the company of a dog resting its head on his knees. The scene is set in the interior with a decorative stove, a striped carpet and hunting accessories hanging on the walls. On the sides, two smaller panels were placed, one above the other, showing scenes of rest and hunting. On the left hand side at the top, we can see a pair of people with two dogs sitting at the bank of the river and two saddled horses in the background. Below, against the background of rugged rocks, two men are standing, one of them with a dog on a leash and the other engaged in saddling a horse. At the side, a woman is sitting on a fallen tree trunk and feeding a dog. On the right side of the tapestry, at the top, there is a hunting scene with a man pointing his gun towards a bush sniffed at by a dog; in the lower section, the hunter is holding a dead pheasant in his hands. The rifle is lying at his feet and the dog is sitting next to him. All the scenes are surrounded with a black border with realistic flower bouquets and a neo-Rococo ornamentation. The tapestries, which are amateur products, were made most probably by rich burghers or women from courtly circles. Hunting themes were closely related to the courtly culture, where hunting played a great role and was an inseparable element of the contemporary lifestyle. Hunting motifs, which were the subject matter of man’s creative expression since time immemorial, appeared in Poland on a huge scale in the 19^th century. To a certain extent, this was related to the political situation in the country, where there existed the necessity of nourishing the old Sarmatian traditions and customs, including hunting, which was also a local social event. The hunting passion of the landed gentry, noblemen and burghers was reflected in art and handicrafts with hunting motifs, present in almost every Polish manor house. They featured, among others, paintings, tapestries, vessels or pipes with hunting or animal scenes, furniture and household items with hunting motifs, cutlasses, knives and firearms, often richly decorated. The tapestry is an excellent example of a product forming a part of the group of items described above. It may be assumed with a good deal of certainty that it was created as decoration for the landlord’s room, which probably also featured other hunting trophies. They were a must-have in a typical manor house.

Harmonium
Inventory No.: MNS/3818/S, KW 18903
Dating: early 20^th century
Karl Fricke Company from Legnica
Material: polished wood, porcelain, cloth
Dimensions: 125 x 15 x 48.5 cm

The manor house in Rdzawa features a harmonium in the landlady’s room, dated at the beginning of the 20^th century. The shape of the wooden instrument resembles a piano and is included in the group of keyboard wind instruments. To produce a sound, the player had to press two rectangular pedals with his/ her feet when playing it. Above the keys, there are several dozen levers ended with knobs, which allowed for producing very diverse sounds – from calm and moody to solemn, strong tones. For a number of years, the harmonium functioned as a home organ and was ideal for making music with family members. Due to its sound that was similar to the sound of the organ, it was often met with success in small churches and chapels as a substitute for the pipe organ. Usually, the instruments were richly decorated and elegantly finished and for this reason, apart from their music function, they were also an attractive element of stylish interior design. The history of the instrument dates back to 1810 when Gabriel Joseph Grenié, a French producer of music instruments, made a first attempt at constructing a harmonium. Its subsequent improved version was patented in 1842 by Alexandre-François Debain. The instrument in the manor house was made at the beginning of the 20^th century by the company owned by Karl Fricke from Legnica, which existed since 1905, as testified by the inscription over the keys: ‘Karl Fricke Liegnitz.’ The company specialised in the production of pianos and quite rapidly became one of the most popular in the industry. In the middle of the 1920s, a shop was set up at the Legnica market square at No. 35 where pianos and other instruments could be purchased, along with sheet music, gramophones and gramophone records. In the 1930s, the store was moved to the neighbouring townhouse at No. 38. During WWII, the factory was engaged in the production of wooden doors for cabinets for the German army. After the end the war, the company was managed by the son of the owner, Erwin Fricke, who moved it from Legnica to Ansbach in Germany. The company continues to operate to this day, offering music instruments, repair and maintenance services.

Chromolithographic Print ‘Poland in Chains’
MNS/1867/S, query No. 8661
1^st decade of the 20^th century, chromolithographic print, 50 x 37 cm, in frame: 65.5 x 51.5 cm.

The landlady's room in the manor house in Rdzawa features a painting with patriotic themes, presenting Christ sitting under the cross and a young woman clad in black kneeling in front of him – the allegory of Poland. In her left hand, she is holding a scroll, attached with a long chain, inscribed with the caption, ‘God Save Poland’. The cross features the date of Poland’s Christianisation, a heart in a crown of thorns and an anchor, while the sash draped on the arms of the cross is inscribed with, ‘The moment of absolution has not yet come’. At Christ’s feet, there is a red, white and blue banner with armorial bearings and crests of Poland, Lithuania and Ruthenia and an image of the Virgin Mary of Częstochowa. Above, under the flagpole, there are dates: ‘1791, 1772 and 1773’, and on the sashes of the bow tied on it, more dates related to the insurrections and partitions of Poland: ‘1794, 1795, 1830, 1863, 1848’. The background features the royal castle in Warsaw and the Wawel Hill. On the right hand side is the sun in the sky with the inscription, ‘3 May’ and a white eagle in flight, adorned with a crown. The prototype of this chromolithographic print was a religious painting with patriotic undertones, probably dating to 1891 and showing a woman in a black dress embracing Christ sitting under the cross with the inscription ‘1791, 1891’. At the bottom of her dress are the dates of the national insurrections and on the banners lying on the ground are the dates of the partitions. The Wawel Hill and the castle in Warsaw are in the background. Based on this illustration another, slightly modified picture was made, distributed since 1907 and titled ‘Poland in Chains’, printed in the Kraków company of Julian Kurkiewicz. This was the largest distributor of religious and patriotic pictures in the city, which opened shop in 1889. Earlier, the centre of production for these types of products was Jasna Góra where, after the fall of the January Uprising, pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Częstochowa with a patriotic prayer on the reverse were created. After the tsarist authorities introduced censorship, the production was moved to autonomous Galicia and situated in Kraków. The major production centres providing Poles with patriotic pictures were the Catholic Bookshop of Doctor Władysław Miłkowski, the printing houses of Józef Angrabajtys and the aforementioned Julian Kurkiewicz. The  ‘Poland in Chains’ scene printed in large numbers around 1907 gained popularity very quickly. Over the years, several versions of this scene were created, differing in minor details such as the choice and the location of dates on the cross, and the banners and the location of the armorial bearings that were presented in the place of, or together with, the picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Częstochowa. However, there were always some common elements: the cross, views of Warsaw and Kraków, the white eagle in the sky and the sun with an inscription. Under the illustration, a fragment of the song ‘God Forbid’ (Polish: ‘Boże coś Polskę’) was shown most frequently: ‘Przed Twe ołtarze zanosim błaganie, Ojczyznę, wolność racz nam wrócić Panie!’ A significant growth in the number of religious and patriotic pictures, also featuring other themes, took place on the eve of WWI. At that time, they functioned as holiday cards and cards for family celebrations. During the war, they were sent to the fighting soldiers and the texts of poems of Polish poets and national and military songs placed on them were meant to keep their spirits up.

Rosenthal Tea Set
Inventory No.: MNS/2586/S, KW 12472
Dating: early 20^th century
Material: hand-painted and gilt porcelain 

The landlady's room in the Rdzawa manor house features a porcelain tea set called ‘Maria’, executed in the 1920s by the German porcelain factory, Rosenthal. The set comprises fourteen elements: six cups, six saucers, a jug and a sugar bowl. The vessels have a characteristic octagonal form and geometric handles. The edges of the items are decorated with a gentle border resembling a pomegranate flower. Every element has colourful flower decoration executed in the decal technique comprising, among others, red roses, violet and orange bell-flowers, blue forget-me-nots and yellow and orange dahlias. The founder of the Rosenthal factory was Philipp Rosenthal, the son of a Bavarian porcelain wholesaler, who had contact with delicate, white ceramics since early childhood. At the age of 18, having acquired commercial knowledge from his father, he set off to the United States where he started working in the company of the Meyer brothers, who imported porcelain. In 1879, noticing that the American market lacked decorated porcelain, Philipp decided to set up a porcelain paint shop located in the castle in Erkersreuth, in the vicinity of Selb. Initially, two hired painters were handling the orders and decorating porcelain items produced in the Hutschenreuther factory in Selb. The small paint shop had its first commercial success after marketing a painted ash-tray with the inscription, ‘resting place for a cigar’. Soon, the company numbered sixty workers and the enterprise started to enjoy a growing position on the market. In 1889, Philipp Rosenthal launched his own porcelain factory, producing and decorating items with extremely attractive forms and patterns. One of the most popular was the ‘Maria’ set, which made its début in 1916. Its creation and its name was inspired by Philipp’s regard for Maria, his second wife,  who was 35 years younger than him. The set was produced both in the white version and with decorations, among others an elegant blue garland (Maria Rosenkante blau) and summer flowers (Sommerstrauss), i.e., exactly the ones that decorate the porcelain set in the manor house.

Crucifix in the Chapel in the Rdzawa Manor House
Inventory No.: MNS/2091/S, KW 9509
Dating: end of the 19^th century
Material: polychromed wood
Dimensions: 161 x 90 cm

One of the premises in the manor house in Rdzawa (near Bochnia) features an interesting wooden cross with a figure of Christ. The cross, dated at the turn of the 20^th century, has rich wood-carved decorations in the form of a vegetal vine encircling the sides of the cross’s arms. The endings are adorned by three-leaf motifs and additionally embellished with angels’ heads.  In the place where the beams are joined, there is an elaborate sunburst with rays radiating out to four sides. The polychromed figure of the crucified Christ was sculpted realistically: it is emaciated, with clearly tense hand and leg muscles. Christ's head is resting on his right shoulder and is adorned with a crown of thorns. The cross was made by an unidentified sculptor from Siedlec. In the 1970s, the artist's son donated the crucifix to Rev. Marian Wcześny, the contemporary parish priest in Nawojowa, as acknowledgement for saving his life during WWII. The room where the cross is located was used as a chapel in the past. The presence of such room in a secular manor house is related to the events from the 17^th century when canons regular from near Trzciana used to reside here for 50 years. Due to the fact that the monastery suffered significantly during armed conflicts, the contemporary owner Stanisław Baranowski agreed to have an area in the manor house be assigned temporarily for monastic needs. In effect, walls in two rooms were decorated with an exceptional polychrome painting with sacred subject matter, referencing the history and the tradition of the order. In the smaller room, functioning as a temporary chapel where the cross is located, the paintings present the allegorical wandering of a human soul looking for God. The monks left the manor house in 1703 and the property returned to the Baranowski family and subsequently the Wesołowski family. In 1945, it became state property and in 1969 a decision was made to transfer the facility to the Sądecki Ethnographic Park.

Coffee Roasting Pot
Inventory No. MNS/1769/S, KW 8192
Dating: beginning of the 20^th century
Material: cast-iron sheet, wood
Dimensions: 20.5 cm x 56.5 cm

The coffee roasting pot forming a part of the kitchen utensils in the manor house in Rdzawa is an interesting item. The device comprises a cylindrical container with a cover with an oval opening covered with a lid on hinges. Inside, there is a metal rod to which a mixer consisting of metal petals ended with a crank and a wooden handle was attached. The mixer has a holder in the shape of an elongated, metal rod which ends with a wooden handle. Coffee beans were put in the container and roasted on a stove – proper temperature had to maintained and the beans had to be stirred regularly. Coffee roasting at home was a difficult activity, and thus is was usually performed by one of the servants, who had to be familiar with the roasting technique, time and temperature. In ‘Pan Tadeusz: Or the Last Foray in Lithuania’, Adam Mickiewicz describes preparation of coffee:

‘Takiej kawy jak w Polszcze nie ma w żadnym kraju:
W Polszcze, w domu porządnym, z dawnego zwyczaju,
Jest do robienia kawy osobna niewiasta,
Nazywa się kawiarka; ta sprowadza z miasta
Lub z wicin bierze ziarna w najlepszym gatunku,
I zna tajne sposoby gotowania trunku,
Który ma czarność węgla, przejrzystość bursztynu,
Zapach moki i gęstość miodowego płynu.’

The history of coffee in the area of Poland dates back to the second half of the 17^th century. Coffee appeared here together with travellers and merchants. Initially, it did not enjoy popularity; on the contrary, it was believed to be unsavoury and harmful to health. However, in the course of time the drink started to become more and more popular and in the 18^th century became an easily accessible product. In 1794, Wincenty Karczewski penned a paper translated from French, titled ‘Brief Discussion on Coffee: Its Properties and Effects on Human Health’ (Polish: ‘Krótka wiadomość o kawie: O jey własnościach i skutkach na zdrowie ludzkie spływających’), which is considered the first guidebook for coffee lovers. Initially, coffee in Poland was consumed without additions, in the eastern mode; however, such ingredients as milk or fat cream started to be added soon. The first cafés appeared in the 18^th century in Gdańsk and quickly spread to all large cities in the country. At the same time, coffee roasting at home was still popular, in particular among landed gentry and wealthy noblemen. It was only at the end of the 19^th century that coffee previously roasted in cafés started to be offered for sale.

Riding Whips
Inventory No.: KW 18987, MNS/3850/1-9/S
Dating: early 20^th century
Material: bamboo, reed, silver fittings, leather
Dimensions: length 60-79 cm

In the manor house in Rdzawa, the wall in the hall is decorated with a hanger with a variety of riding whips. A riding whip comprises a stiff rod, used to control the horse during horseback riding. The Polish term ‘szpicruta’ derives from the German word ‘Spießrute’ denoting a thin, pointed branch used to speed up or to flog a horse. These items were usually made of bamboo or reed and lined with leather or plaiting. On the one side, they were ended with a handle with diverse shapes with fittings and decorations and on the other with loops made of straps. Riding whips often had decorations that referenced horseback riding and hunting. They play an important role in horseback riding. They are used primarily to strengthen the horse’s calf, but also to punish it and to direct it. Their use requires experience on the part of the rider, who should be able to use them wisely so as not to cause any unnecessary tension and stress in the animal. The primary purpose of the whip is to communicate with the animal and not to inflict pain on it. The presence of riding whips in the manor house testifies to the popularity of horseback riding, which was both a form of entertainment, sport and transport. It was a difficult skill, requiring proper preparation and long practice under the supervision of a wise teacher. In his horseback riding manual of 1896, Marian Stipal writes: ‘Mojem zdaniem, by na koniu, jako tako jeździć, by tylko wyjść z początkami nauki jazdy konnej, trzeba się pod okiem sumiennego nauczyciela co najmniej przez 6 miesięcy ćwiczyć, a głównie trzeba samemu starania dokładać, by wskazówki i upomnienia nauczyciela znalazły zastosowanie (…).’