Hanging cupboard

The disappearance of traditional forms of interior décor for country houses began in West Pomerania and the Prussian partition in the second half of the 19th century, growing in intensity in the early 20th century. Technical advances progressing in the countryside, opportunities to earn a living outside agriculture and increasing contact with the city meant that old household appliances, especially in young people's homes, were being replaced by new ones modelled on bourgeois fashion. One example of this trend is the cabinet on display. Its external appearance, in particular the lack of polychrome and painting, the rich woodcarving decoration featuring floral motifs in vogue at the time, such as bunches of grapes, and the delicate lock suggest an urban-type piece of furniture. On the other hand, the open and barred panel of the single-leaf door clearly suggests a continued role as a food cupboard. At a time when fridges did not yet exist, such items were primarily used to store dairy products, oil, spirits or other foodstuffs. They were erected or hung in airy and often cool places, and air circulation allowed the various products to remain shelf-stable for longer. Iwona Karwowska