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.
A spoonful of so-called. “Apostolic” with St. St. Thomas, silver, England, 18th century.
Baroque spoon, silver, Poland, ca. 1650
Silver tablespoon made in the Republic circa 1650.; baroque with egg-shaped scoop, on the back, at the joining of the scoop and the handle, engraved cartouche of the coat of arms with a hollow shield; the handle in the form of a flat faceted bar, decorated with engraving, originally ending in a profiled dome.
Very similar spoons can be found in the collection of the National Museum in Krakow (e.g. MNK XV-307 https://zbiory.mnk.pl/pl/katalog/523365 ). The similarities are not only in size, but also in form and decoration. It is very likely that they were made in the same workshop or workshop circle.
Baroque spoon, silver, Wroclaw, 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.
Chapel with Our Lady of Czestochowa and Eagle, Poland, 19th century.
A unique, 19th century chapel (pendant medal) of large format, depicting the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa with the infant Jesus. The front is decorated with an engraved representation of the icon with hand-polychrome faces, robes and halos. In the rim is a Latin inscription: "TERRIBILIS UT CASTRORUM ACIES ORDINATA" a quote from the Song of Songs, read as a symbol of Mary's strength as protector and queen.
On the back there is a classical eagle with a crown, coat of arms and outspread wings, typical of the iconography of the Kingdom of Poland, and a ribbon with an inscription: "REGINA POLONIAE - MISERERE MEI" (Queen of Poland - have mercy on me).The chapel is made of uniform silver-plated sheet metal (brass or alpaca), with a hanging handle. A product with a strong symbolic charge, popular especially during the periods of partitions and national pilgrimages to Jasna Gora.
Charles Julius Minter (1812 – 1892), Casket with lid in the form of a tombstone of King Stefan Batory, tin
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 ca. 1857 r. At the Warsaw art casting factory of Karol Minter.
Ivan Khlebnikov, Kovsh with horse’s head, silver, enamel, gilt, Moscow, 1860-1918
A unique kovsh from the famous Moscow factory of Ivan Khlebnikov, made of silver and maintained in the aesthetics of the Novorussian style. The surface of the vessel is decorated with enamel cloisonné - cells formed from thin silver wires soldered to the body, forming partitions later filled with colored glaze, repeatedly fired and polished. The result is a smooth, glossy decoration with floral and geometric motifs in vivid colors. A striking accent is the naturalistically chiseled silver horse's head forming the vessel's handle. The interior retains traces of the original gilding. The kovsh bears the punches: the inscription ХЛѢБНИКОВЪ, which is the signature of Ivan Khlebnikov's company with an eagle (marking the Imperial Court's suppliers), and the oval Moscow probationary mark - the profile of a woman in a coquina with the Greek letter delta and the number 84 (partially rubbed off), indicating the sample of silver.
Medieval chess figure (chaser), bone, Scandinavia (?), 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.
Polish votive plaque with an image of a nobleman, repoussed silver, Poland, 17th-18th century.
Przeworsk belt buckle, gilt silver, Poland, 17th century.
The buckle was part of the fastener of the Przeworsk belt, which was part of the representative attire of the Polish nobility. It was made in the 17th century, when Przeworsk belts were gaining popularity. It was forged from silver, and traces of old gilding remain in places.
The central part of the bracket is filled with a figural scene: a standing female figure between columns, with two seated women on either side. Above them are visible swans with their necks facing the central figure. Around the scene, a geometric pattern is engraved on the diagonal sides of the buckle, forming a decorative border. Rivet heads are visible at the edges. On the side there is a cast openwork application, the so-called "tongue".