Screen

Fireplace screens have been known since the Middle Ages, and were originally used for practical reasons. They were placed in front of fireplaces as a shield from excess heat or the glare of the fire. They were sometimes combined with desks used for reading and writing. Over time, they also came to be used as a covering for the extinguished hearth of a fireplace. Fireplace screens became decorative trinkets. From the 18th century onwards, many variations were created in very different materials. The presented screen is a compilation dating from the 19th century, imitating Oriental products. The shield in the shape of a modern Spanish heraldic shield is covered with fabric on both sides. The face features an application of a coat of arms from an older, reused fabric (possibly 18th century?). It is unlikely that this is a random decoration arranged in the shape of a coat of arms emblem, as its composition is in accordance with heraldic principles. The surface of the shield is filled with alternating horizontal stripes of cloth of gold and light (originally white) silk. On their background there is an emblem consisting of three chevrons (the name used in heraldic terminology for the described figure). The appliqué emblem is made of red velvet (faded). The presented coat of arms is foreign to Polish heraldry. The cover in the shape of a shield was suspended with the help of braided chains on a wooden stand imitating Baroque products. The velvet-lined structure is decorated with brass studs. To date, the circumstances in which the presented screen found its way into the collection of the Potocki family in Łańcut remain unknown. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967