A nobleman at home. The decor and furnishings of noble houses in the Zakroczym Land in the second half of the 17th century and in the 18th century

Abstract

The article characterises the objects listed in 238 lists of movables from the years 1677–1795 recorded in the registers from the chancellery of the Zakroczym nobility court. These items constituted the decor and furnishings of the houses of the nobility in the Zakroczym Land in Mazovia. The set of objects, which were used daily inside the residences by the owners and their closest family, was similar to that known from
other social environments and other regions of the Commonwealth of Poland. The differentiating elements, emphasising the social status, were: raw materials, colours, finishing, and ornamentation, as well as the quantity of items. The article indicates certain tendencies that were readily apparent in the analysed period, including the gradual disappearance of traditional elements of interior decoration (such as oriental textiles)
and in the second half of the 18th century more frequent use of screens, canopy beds, an increase in the average number of chests, table linen, and tableware, as well as the arrival (although still on a limited scale) of furniture novelties (for instance, round or folding tables, suits consisting of a sofa and chairs, chests of drawers), and use of faïence and porcelain vessels.