unknown

A travel and leisure countryside sleigh, intended for riding without servants and with a professional coachman. Driven with one or two horses in a Hungarian harness made of brown leather. The sleigh was used for leisure trips ˗ at such occasions, the horses were wearing bells; the sled was also used for hunting ˗ then, the bells were not used in order not to frighten the game. The described sleigh, due to the fact that it was used only in the property and thus a countryside one, is in the natural wood colour and such was called “yellow” in Łańcut. Next to the wooden, fitted runners, there are outer drawbars made of wire next to which bars are hung. On the sides of the box, there are bumpers ˗ wooden, fitted slats assembled to the bodywork with fitted cantilevers. The bumpers prevented the sleigh from tipping over ˗ it was only careening to the sides ˗ which could happen at greater speed, as the sleigh is very light. The body of the sleigh has a high ogee-shaped snow protection at the front (it protected the sleigh passengers from clumps of snow kicked by the horses) under which there is a low rein holder. There are two seats in the sleigh, one behind the other ˗ the front one is a slightly arched bench occupied by the driver. Behind it, there is the main seat with a back rest and high side walls ˗ two passengers could sit there or the owner driving the sledge ˗ in such case, the front bench remained empty and the reins rested on the rein holder by the snow protection. At the corners of the body of the sledge, there are fitted pegs for the loops of the sheepskin attached to the front bench and thus tightly covering the footstool and a part of the main seat. The upholstery of the seats and the sheepskin (additionally lined with brown sheep fur) is made of brown corduroy. The thick sheepskin was necessary during sleigh trips made in cold weather. The passengers were also wearing two-layer fur sawn together, which was put on their own clothes, as well as high boots made of fur or felt. The coachmen were also wearing high boots, fur lined livery and warm caps. The described sleigh after the Potocki family from Łańcut, together with two other items of a similar type in the Łańcut coach house, preserved in the original condition, is few of such vehicles preserved in Europe. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska