Manchester University Press
4 Where do Polish carpets come from?
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Tomasz Grusiecki
Abstract
Chapter 4 examines the group of carpets termed tapis polonais (French for ‘Polish carpets’), which were mistakenly given this name in the nineteenth century despite their Iranian provenience. Today, these artefacts are often described as the ‘so-called Polish carpets’, emphasizing the historical confusion that led to the epithet. Relying on evidence from both early modern and modern archival and literary sources, this chapter argues that to uncover the significance of tapis polonais, however, we must embrace their transcultural contexts. Woven on Iranian looms, the carpets were often commissioned by Poles, Ruthenians, and Lithuanians; until the late nineteenth century, these objects were held in Central and Eastern European collections. Carpets based on similar designs were even produced in Poland-Lithuania, further complicating the discussion of these objects’ cultural status. Tapis polonais effectively challenge outdated assumptions that the origin of an art form must be linked to a single nation or geography. These woven things engender a more horizontal narrative that treats with equal interest the many entangled places where tapis polonais were made, traded, consumed, and reinterpreted. Stressing the recontextualizations and reappropriations of these artistic objects, this chapter accordingly foregrounds the ongoing creation (and re-creation) of cultural forms that cannot be simply assigned to a single cultural region and its historical traditions.
Abstract
Chapter 4 examines the group of carpets termed tapis polonais (French for ‘Polish carpets’), which were mistakenly given this name in the nineteenth century despite their Iranian provenience. Today, these artefacts are often described as the ‘so-called Polish carpets’, emphasizing the historical confusion that led to the epithet. Relying on evidence from both early modern and modern archival and literary sources, this chapter argues that to uncover the significance of tapis polonais, however, we must embrace their transcultural contexts. Woven on Iranian looms, the carpets were often commissioned by Poles, Ruthenians, and Lithuanians; until the late nineteenth century, these objects were held in Central and Eastern European collections. Carpets based on similar designs were even produced in Poland-Lithuania, further complicating the discussion of these objects’ cultural status. Tapis polonais effectively challenge outdated assumptions that the origin of an art form must be linked to a single nation or geography. These woven things engender a more horizontal narrative that treats with equal interest the many entangled places where tapis polonais were made, traded, consumed, and reinterpreted. Stressing the recontextualizations and reappropriations of these artistic objects, this chapter accordingly foregrounds the ongoing creation (and re-creation) of cultural forms that cannot be simply assigned to a single cultural region and its historical traditions.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Acknowledgements xiii
- A note on names xv
- Map xviii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Where is Sarmatia? 30
- 2 How do you dress like a Pole? 57
- 3 Who speaks for Poland? 101
- 4 Where do Polish carpets come from? 147
- Epilogue 194
- Bibliography 203
- Index 237
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Acknowledgements xiii
- A note on names xv
- Map xviii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Where is Sarmatia? 30
- 2 How do you dress like a Pole? 57
- 3 Who speaks for Poland? 101
- 4 Where do Polish carpets come from? 147
- Epilogue 194
- Bibliography 203
- Index 237
