Câlѐche à la d‘Aumont

A câlѐche à la d‘Aumont is a gala carriage for a team of four purchased in the Parisian company Mühlbacher by Mikołaj Potocki. The sophisticated câlѐche à la d‘Aumont was brought to Łańcut in 1923, as part of inheritance after Mikołaj Potocki from Paris, who made a distant cousin, Alfred Antoni Potocki, fourth Ordynat, his successor. Previously, the câlѐche was kept in his coach house next to Hȏtel Potocki at Av. Friedland in Paris. Soon after being brought to Łańcut, it was used during the visit of King Ferdinand and Queen Mary of Romania in June 1923. The carriage brought the guests, accompanied by Ordynat and his mother, from the train station to the castle. It was used once again during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Kent in Łańcut in 1937. The câlѐche à la d‘Aumont is the most elegant gala carriage, also used for ceremonial outings. The Łańcut câlѐche has a picturesque silhouette with an arched bar and springs in the shape of letter “C” visible above the wheels, next to which the light, shallow body with doors was suspended. There are impressive heraldic emblems on the doors. At the front, on the metal frame, there is an arched mudguard. It has two two-person seats, positioned vis-à-vis with a leather collapsible hood with mudguards. The upholstered back rest of the front seat adjoins the front mudguard. Behind the body, there is a two-person chest-type bench for servants. The servants opened and closed the doors, unfolded and folded the stairs and operated the brake ˗ a manual lever located at the side of their bench. Two lanterns are placed at the front, with canopies matching the arch of the front mudguard. Between the springs, there is a chest-shaped rear part of the carriage. The carriage does not have a coachman's box ˗ it is driven from saddles in the à la d’Aumont style. A four-in-hand in a collar harness is driven by two postilions seated on left horses and wearing short jackets and riding caps with flat pompoms, resembling rosettes. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska