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Gunpowder container with the coat of arms of the Lubomirski Szreniawa family

Part of the collection: Broń, instrumenty, varia

Popularization note

The appearance of firearms on the battlefield brought about changes to military activity and the emergence of additional equipment to efficiently use the new weapons. This equipment includes the morion helmet that protected the head of the soldier, and additionally ensured a good field of view, so needed when firing. This equipment also includes many types of bullet pouches, from bags, simplest in form, through wooden containers in the shape of bottles, to more extensive ones, practical as well as decorative. The bullet pouch of the Polish cavalry is composed of three parts, e. g. the pouch proper, in the form of a slightly bent prism, the carry belt, and the decorative component, most commonly a piece of sheet metal fixed to the pouch cover flap. The container of the artillery is a wooden case covered with a fabric or leather, with sleeves for bullets or ammunition meaning, rolled-up portions of black gunpowder in paper sleeves, together with the bullet, drilled out. The belt of the cabinet was used to hang it so that the rider, fighting when mounted, would have easy access to the individual portions, hence it slightly bent shape so that it would fit the upper body of the soldier as best it could. The decorative component of the container (usually a piece of sheet metal) was placed on the cover, with the decorations themselves related e. g. to the extended cult of Holy Mary (e. g. her image); decoration also included own coats of arms or marks/ coats of arms of the wealthy who provided their own units. Such is the case of the Łańcut cavalry ammunition container, which is a wooden, slightly bent rectangular cabinet for seven pieces of ammunition; sadly, the belt did not survive, and a decorative piece of sheet metal on the cover. The main component decorating the metal is the Szreniawa coat of arms with the initials SL (Stanisław Lubomirski 1583-1649), with the cartouche and decoration around it partly gilded; the cartouche and decoration are placed below a crown. The equipment includes stylised depictions of cannons, maces, spears, bows with quivers, flags, with the date 16 – 13 on the side. The rich decorations, extensive depictions of arms, in particular the coat of arms of  Szreniawa, and the initials of Stanisław Lubomirski, voivode of Kraków and Ruthenia, owner e. g. of Wiśnicz and Łańcut, the viceroy of Chocim from 1621, may suggest that the arms container belonged to a soldier of a private unit formed by Stanisław Lubomirski.

Information about the object

Information about this object

Other names

Gunpowder magazine with the coat of arms of Szreniawa, date 1613 and letters SL

Author / creator

unknown

Dimensions

height: 10.5 cm, width: 18 cm

Object type

Weapons, instruments, varia

Technique

cast

Material

metal, wood

Creation time / dating

19th (?) century, 17th century

Creation / finding place

powstanie: Poland (Europe)

Owner

Castle Museum in Łańcut

Identification number

S.1450MŁ

Location / status

object is not displayed now

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