Szkoła zakopiańska. Pudełko drewniane. XX wiek.

The "Zakopane style" and "Zakopane school" brought elements of Podhale folk culture into the national culture. There was even a time, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was believed that the Zakopane style best reflected the characteristics of Slavic art, and attempts were made to attribute a patriotic, national character to it.

It is an indisputable fact that Zakopane, the School of Wood Industry, and the A. Kenar Art High School have become permanent fixtures on the map of Polish art. The works created there, primarily sculptures, continue to captivate with their distinctive style, compositional perfection, and universalism. They are appealing regardless of current fashions and trends in art. It has become even more than its creators planned. Every average Polish apartment has an element of "highlander culture." Leather shoes, a highlander's hat, an embroidered serdak, or the immortal wooden ciupaga. But that's another story about the charms of mass culture.

I found the box I am exhibiting in Warsaw's Kole district. I am unable to determine its age. It could just as well be a product of the pre-war "Ład" cooperative as it could be a post-war "Cepelia" product. It could also have been made in the workshops of one of the schools in Zakopane. One thing is certain, it has nothing to do with the tackiness of market stalls.

The box is unique. It has a perfectly composed scene decorating its lid. It intrigues and, through the artistic means of expression used, refers to the best traditions of Zakopane. Cubism, the geometry of planes, the use of chiaroscuro, the clarity of the closed composition. Perhaps I am being indecent, but I can almost feel the longing of a highlander listening to the sounds of highlander fiddlers.

Unfortunately, the box is not in the best condition. It has a cracked and poorly glued bottom. The lid is slightly warped. It requires a lot of work to restore it to its former glory. This alone prevented me from setting a prohibitive price.

The box measures 24 cm by 16 cm. Its height is 8 cm.