Bench 001

Bench 001

Chest bench for sleeping; dialectal names: ślabanek, bambetel, kanapa. This piece of furniture is richly decorated with engraved, carved and lathed elements. The backrest is finished with a cornice, which consists of a series of lathed columns and a centrally located, carved, volute – a plant shaped comb. The front, engraved ornamentation of the chest is 3 four-leaves and symmetrically located single plant sprouts. Benches appeared in the countryside near Przeworsk at the end of the 19th century. They were the equipment of parade chambers, called “izdebka” or “alkierz” (“walkierz”, “walkirz”) in wealthy peasant cottages. The rich ornamentation of rural furniture is an example of the creative inspiration drawn by rural carpenters from the ornamentation appearing on the furniture from the circle of bourgeois culture in Przeworsk. The bench was used for sitting during the day. At night, the lid of the chest was removed and set on a support. Without hinges, the lower part of the bench was pulled out like a drawer. The chest was filled with bedding.

The pattern on a rectangular plan, exposed on three panels of a wooden backrest, was made using the deep engraving method. It features asymmetrical, contour pattern: in the middle panel - a symmetrical contour plant flagellum, two panels on the sides decorated with a four-leaf motif (a four-petal flower).

Item: chest bench for sleeping

Material, technique: wood; woodcurver’s decoration

Dimensions: height 103 cm, width 58 cm, length 183 cm

Creation time: the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries

Origin: Dębów

Owner: The Museum in Przeworsk The Palace-Park Complex