Between 1795 and 1918, the Poles made several attempts to regain their independence. The first historic opportunity seemed to come with the Napoleonic Wars sweeping across Europe. The Poles joined the French Emperor, who was fighting against Prussia, Austria and Russia, in the hope that his victory would lead to the restoration of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This idea was only temporarily and partially realised by Napoleon’s creation of the Duchy of Warsaw, which lasted only until 1815, when it was replaced by the Kingdom of Poland, dependent on Russia. This display case also shows the influence of the Empire style on the officers’ armaments collected in the first section, which are striking for their rich ornamentation. The second section contains two Polish uniforms and square-topped hats typical of Polish troops. They had a significant influence on later military and civilian fashion in Europe. The third part is a reference to the November Uprising of 1831. These are souvenirs of veterans of the Napoleonic wars, generals Skrzynecki and Chłopicki, who were the leaders of the insurrection.
France (?), between 1790-1815
Iron, wood, brass, gold, forging, etching, bluing, gilding, casting, carving
Gift of Feliks ‘Manggha’ Jasieński, 1920
Poland, 18th c. (blade), early 19th c. (fittings)
Iron, brass, leather, wood, forging, etching, engraving
From the former armoury of Piotr Moszyński in Krakow
France, between 1805-1811
Iron, pattern welding, gold, bronze, wood, leather, copper, forging, casting, chiselling, gilding, punching, engraving
Gift of Władysław ‘Sefer Pasza’ Kościelski, 1902
France (?), first half of the 19th c.
Iron, bone, gold, forging, etching, gilding, punching, bluing, polishing
Deposit of the Academy of Learning, 1886
France, Versailles, manufacture of Nicolas-Noël Boutet, 1804
Iron, silver, gold, wood, mahogany, velvet, brass, alpaca, forging, casting, carving, blackening, punching, engraving, chiselling, inlay, gilding
Paris, France (stock), Belgium, Liège (barrells), ca. 1750
Iron, wood, silver, wood, bone, horn, forging, casting, chiselling, engraving, inlay
Pistols were given to General Stanisław Gawroński (1784-1860) by General Tadeusz Tyszkiewicz (1774-1852)
France, Klingenthal, 1800-1815
Iron, brass, forging, casting, chiselling, etching, punching
Italy, Naples, Real Fabbrica d’Armi, second half of the 18th c.
Iron, wood, copper, gold, horn, forging, inlay, punching, gilding, casting, engraving
From the formes collection of Feliks Ścibałło
Poland (?), 1812; France, Paris, 1810-1814 (epaulettes); Germany, Dresden, early 19th c. (hat)
Broadcloth, silver (buttons), metal, silver metal thread, gold metal thread, silk, felt, sewing, bullion, appliqué, embroidery, appliqué
Gift of Franciszek Paszkowski, 1923
on the uniform:
Poland, 1789
Silver metal thread, cotton thread, weaving
Gift of Henryk Stecki w 1911
Poland, Warsaw, between 1808-1812
Gold, silver, engraving, soldering, die stamping, enamel
Poland, between 1807-1813
Brass, silver, gold, casting, chiselling, gilding, openwork
Poland or France (?), 1812
Velvet, gold metal thread, sequins, linen, sewing, embroidery
Poland (?), between 1807-1815
Broadcloth, leather, cord, cotton, copper, feathers, sewing, repoussé, gilding, silvering
Poland, Warsaw, between 1807-1812 and 20th c. (cords)
Wood, paint, leather, cord, metal, painting, sewing
Gift of Irena Zaremba, 1990. Previously in the american collection of Andrzej Zaremba
Poland or France, between 1807-1814
Broadcloth, silver metal thread, brass, linen, sewing, appliqué, embroidery
Deposit of the Academy of Learning, 1907
at the uniform:
France, 1814
Broadcloth, cardboard, leather, silver metal thread, silver, brass, metal, sewing, appliqué, embroidery, lacquering, embossing, gilding
Deposit of the Academy of Learning, 1896
Poland or France (?), between 1812-1814
Broadcloth, leather, reed, silver metal thread, brass, metal, sewing, appliqué, lacquering, embossing, gilding
Deposit of the Academy of Learning, 1896
France, Paris, workshop of Andrzej Kownacki, before 1781
Iron, wood, gold, reed, forging, bluing, engraving, gilding, carving
From the former armoury of Piotr Moszyński in Krakow
France, Paris, manufacture Armand rue du Roule a Paris, ca. 1814
Iron, silver, gold, wood, bone, forging, bluing, engraving, chiselling, inlay, casting, gilding, carving
From the former armoury of Piotr Moszyński in Krakow
France, Paris, workshop of Jean Le Page, 1810
Iron, gold, wood, forging, bluing, gilding, carving, engraving, chiselling
From the former armoury of Piotr Moszyński in Krakow
Belgium, Liège, after 1830
Iron, pattern welding, gold, brass, leather, forging, gilding, casting, punching, chiselling, etching
Gift of Countess Bronisława Starzeńska, 1909. From the collection of Count Edmund Starzeński
France, 18th/19th c.
Iron, bronze, gold, mother of pearl, forging, etching, gilding, chiselling
From the former armoury of Piotr Moszyński in Krakow
Paris, France, first half of the 19th c,
Iron, brass, wood, gold, shagreen, forging, casting, chiselling, engraving, etching, gilding
Gift of Countess Bronisława Starzeńska, 1909. From the collection of Count Edmund Starzeński
Belgium, between 1832-1839
Iron, bronze, leather, forging, casting, chiselling
Gift of Countess Bronisława Starzeńska, 1909. From the collection of Count Edmund Starzeński
Poland, early 19th c.
Iron, silver, bronze, ebony, gold, gilding, forging, casting, etching, appliqué, chiselling, carving
Gift of Countess Bronisława Starzeńska, 1909. From the collection of Count Edmund Starzeński
France, Paris, Jean Le Page, ca. 1821 and 1830 (conversion to percussion ignition)
Iron, wood, leather, brass, gold, wood, burl wood, plusz, forging, bluing, engraving, inlay
Germany, Remscheid, sign.: Bocker & Hilger, ca. 1820
Steel, wood, silver, horn, forging, bluing, inlay, engraving, gilding
France, Paris, 1831
Silver metal thread, bullion, broadcloth, cardboard, brass, sewing, appliqué, enamel, gilding, embroidery
Gift of Countess Bronisława Starzeńska, 1909. From the collection of Count Edmund Starzeński
Poland, ca. 1816
Oil painting, linen
France, Manufacture d`Armes St. Etienne, ca. 1805
Steel, wood, brass, forging, casting
Gift of Włodzimierz Tetmajer, 1914
France, ca. 1805
steel, forging, rolling
Gift of Janina Kornecka z Kowalskich, 1939
France, Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne, turn of the 17th and 19th c.
Steel, wood, brass, forging, punching
Russia, 1825
Steel, brass, wood, leather, forging, punching, etching, cast
Gift of Janina Kornecka, 1939
Russia, 1828
Steel, brass, gold, wood, gilding, cast
Poland, 1831
Copper, silver, gold, die stamping, riveting, soldering, gilding
Poland, between 1807-1813
Brass, silver, gold, casting, chiselling, gilding, openwork
Poland, Warsaw, between 1815-1831
Brass, silver, silvering, die stamping
Gift of Stanisław and Leon Czajkowski, 1911
Russia, 19th c.
Steel, brass, wood, leather, forging, punching, cast
Gift of Janina Kornecka, 1939
Russia, 1825-1850
Steel, brass, wood, leather, forging, punching, engraving
Gift of Janina Kornecka, 1939
France, Manufacture Imperiale de Mutzig, after 1805
Steel, brass, wood,forging, punching, casting
Gift of Edward Goldstein, 1909
Austria, between 1800-1820
Steel, brass, wood, leather, forging, casting, sewing