In the 19th century, many researchers and travelers emigrated from Poland and reached the farthest corners of the world. At the same time, collectors also began to discover distant regions, such as Feliks Jasieński, who, fascinated by Japan, gathered in Krakow one of the largest collections of woodcuts from this country.
However, collectors’ items were not always acquired through travel but were purchase from antique dealers. The significance of the purchased items was not always understood, as they were seen primarily as products that added an element of exoticism and mystery to collections of domestic weapons.
Malay archipelago, 19th c.
Iron, silver, wood, forging, carving, etching
From the former armoury of Piotr Moszyński in Krakow
Bali, 19th c.
Iron, gold, brass, wood, gilding, forging, stonesetting, carving, openwork
Nepal, 18th-19th c.
Steel, iron, silver, wood, ivory, cotton, forging, repoussé, openwork, etching, punching, engraving
India, India, Tańdźawur, 19th c.
Iron, silver, forging, cast, etching, silvering
Gift of Jan Peroś, 1932