Coupé

A coupѐ is a two-person city carriage drawn by four horses. It was purchased from a renowned imperial and royal carriage company, Marius Hoffwagenfabrik, in Vienna in 1885. The name coupѐ means “cut” in French, as the two-person coupѐ with a single seat facing the direction of the ride resembled a four-person truncated Berline carriage, which had two double seats, placed vis-à-vis. A coupѐ was the most popular type of carriage ˗ it was used by royals, magnates, noblemen and the bourgeois during ceremonious and family occasions, as well as daily city trips, for travels; it was also a rental vehicle. The described Łańcut coupѐ, one of several that are displayed in the Potocki coach house, is related to the wedding of Roman, the elder son of second ordynat and Maria née Sanguszko, who married Elżbieta née Radziwiłł in June 1885. The coupѐ was ordered for this occasion especially by the groom. It has a heraldic decoration ˗ on the door panels and the back side, there are two double emblems: the Potocki Pilawa under the count crown with a jewel and the Radziwiłł Trumpets under the ducal mitre: the coats of arms of both spouses marked the vehicles used for the wedding ceremonies. It also has a sophisticated interior, in the colours of the Potocki coat of arms, upholstered with dark sapphire-coloured satin and decorated with a silk flowery haberdashery ribbon. The wheels are lined with white bands, which were applied only in elegant city carriages, as they reduced the rattle of the wheels on the cobbled or stone streets. The carriage was varnished in black which was common for city carriages; the body was uniform in colour, the chassis had golden stripes. The box was chest-type, upholstered with dark blue cloth. The lamps are attached at the front of the body, at the sides of the front window. Similarly to the windows in doors, the frontal window pane is lowered on bands. This enhanced the comfort of travelling ˗ in the summer, lowering the windows allowed for circulation of air inside. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska