The roots of Decorative Arts lie in antiquity, where both Mediterranean and Chinese civilizations aspired to create objects that combined utility with artistry and elegance. The aim was not only for an item to fulfill its practical function, but also to emphasize the status of its owner and inspire admiration.
The value of these objects continues to grow thanks to their uniqueness, the limited output of their makers, rising prices of precious metals (such as silver, gold) and copper used in decorative arts, and the decreasing availability of such works on the market amid constant interest from investors and collectors.
Apostle’s Spoon with St. Simon, silver, 18th century
Spoon, so called "apostolic" with a handle topped with a full-figured figure of St. Simon Zelota holding a saw, which is his attribute. The head of the saint topped with a circular shield with a representation of a bird (probably a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit). Item of liturgical or collectible nature.
Apostle’s spoon with St. Thomas, silver, 18th century
Baroque lion figurine, silver gilt, 17th-18th century
Small, realistically reproduced figurine of a lion with clear detail of the mouth and mane, made of silver, partly fire-gilded. Set on a slightly curved, florist-decorated pedestal. Visible traces of handwork - chiseling and engraving. Probably a fragment of a larger object - a reliquary, ceremonial casket or processional gate.
Breslau Spoon, wrought silver, early 18th century
Silver tablespoon with a richly decorated flat handle, ending with a characteristic profiled button in the Baroque style. On the top side, finely engraved floral ornaments - typical of Central European Baroque. On the underside of the scoop part, two punches: the city mark of Wroclaw (St. John's head in a circle) and the probationer's mark (the letter "H" in a heart). A proboscis in the place of joining the handle with the scoop - an element typical of Lower Silesian workshops of the period.
Łyżka barokowa, srebro, Polska, ok. 1650
Srebrna łyżka stołowa wykonana na terenie Rzeczpospolitej około 1650 roku; barokowa z jajowatym czerpakiem, na odwrocie, przy łączeniu czerpaka i trzonka, grawerowany kartusz herbowy z pustą tarczą; trzonek w formie płaskiej, facetowanej sztabki, zdobiony grawerunkiem, pierwotnie zakończony profilowaną kopułką.
Bardzo podobne łyżki znajdują się w zbiorach Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie (m.in. MNK XV-307 https://zbiory.mnk.pl/pl/katalog/523365 ). Podobieństwa dotyczą nie tylko rozmiarów, ale także formy i sposobu zdobienia. Jest bardzo prawdopodobne, że powstały one w tym samym warsztacie lub kręgu warsztatowym.
Medieval chess figure (chaser), 12th century
A fragment of a medieval long bone figurine of an unspecified animal (probably a land mammal) in the form of a semi-plastic human figure. The head covered with a mitre was depicted in quite a detailed manner. On the chest there is a relief, pointed downward, which can be interpreted as an image of an ornamental belt constituting the hem of a chasuble. The lower part of the body (partially preserved) was probably entirely unornamented - smooth. At the back of the figure, the bone was heavily transformed: edges rounded, spongy structure preserved residually.
The figure is placed in a Plexiglas display on a base that is a reconstruction of its lower part.
Tin casket in the form of the tomb of King Stefan Batory, circa 1857.
Tin casket, so called "serviette", in the form of a tomb of King Stefan Batory. The body with convex sides, decorated with imitation fittings, supported on lion's feet. The lid depicts a model of the bas-relief from the tomb of Stefan Batory, located in St. Mary's Chapel in Wawel Castle. The king is shown in a semi-recumbent position with a scepter and apple, clad in armor and coronation cloak.
Casket designed by Wojciech Święcki and Kazimierz Stronczyński, made around 1857 in the Warsaw factory of artistic castings of Karol Minter.