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Last king of Poland's card table returned to Warsaw

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 30.04.2015 17:04
A card table that once belonged to the last king of Poland has returned to Warsaw after disappearing during World War II.
Minister of Culture Małgorzata Omilanowska unveils the table. Photo: Ministry of CultureMinister of Culture Małgorzata Omilanowska unveils the table. Photo: Ministry of Culture

The Rococo table was unveiled by Minister of Culture Małgorzata Omilanowska at the so-called Palace on the Water, a part of the Łazienki Royal Gardens complex.

King Stanisław August Poniatowski, who reigned from 1764 to 1795, was a renowned connoisseur and patron of the arts.

After many adventures, including a spell in Russia while Poland was wiped off the map in the 19th century, the table was confiscated by the occupying Nazi Germans in Warsaw in 1940, but in 2013 the piece surfaced at an auction house in Munich.

Stamps on the table confirmed the antique's royal provenance, and the Ministry of Culture managed to intervene and stop the piece from being included in the auction sale.

“It's a small table with an interesting history and I am delighted that it has come back to us,” the minister commented.

“It is an important piece as it says a lot about the culture of the Stanisław August Poniatowski's court, and what people did in their spare time." (nh)

Source: PAP

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