Rzemiosło artystyczne na Zamku Tarnowice Stare. Omówienie dawnych technik zdobniczych mebli na podstawie kolekcji zgromadzonej w Zamku Tarnowice Stare
Craftsmanship at Tarnowice Stare Castle. Analysis of Furniture Decoration Techniques Based on the Castle Collection

Summary/Abstract: Collection of furniture in Tarnowice Stare Castle remains characteristic in terms of their artistic forms, their individual decorative aspects, ornamentation, and of high quality materials used in their production. The furniture collection presented in the castle rooms, has been gathered by the current private owner of the castle and includes mostly items originating from today’s German sites and other European countries such as the Netherlands, France and England.The varied collection of furniture and other objects in the castle enabled deeper analysis of the developing diversity of furniture decoration techniques throughout the centuries, and therefore the most interesting objects of the furniture collection allow to illustrate major trends in the European furniture art within the frames of the 1st phase of furniture craftsmanship development from the Renaissance period to the 19th century and further, omitting the point of 2nd phase where mass production initiated those old decoration techniques to be forgotten.Studying the objects of the collection, one may observe the furniture decorated with the technique of intarsia with inlays not only made of various kinds of wood but also made of brass and tortoiseshell. Furthermore, bronze applications are also known and used as part of furniture decoration. One of the most important exposition in the castle is placed on one of the rooms there and presents variety of bronze applications that firstly appeared in 17th century and later in the 18th century spread throughout the Europe. Those elements, like for example: door handles, edges, furniture legs etc., didn’t only perform the decorative role, but they also often protected delicate elements of the furniture.By choosing the subject of furniture decoration techniques, efforts were concentrated on depicting a conscious dialog between the human and the particular object, in terms o fcraftsman’s mindful awareness of the final product’s shape and form. Finally, in the era of industrial revolution and mass-production, the point was reached, where furniture were deprived of their individuality, decorative and artistic values. Along with mass production furniture became soberly practical and utilitarian object, losing their former status of piece of craftsmanship art.

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