Ruler

The hunting vehicle (in Łańcut known as “linijka”) is an open four-wheeled carriage to be driven by a team of five horses. It was purchased by Roman Potocki and used during the famous Łańcut hunting seasons. It is a specific type of vehicle, typical for Polish hunting; it is an open four-wheeled carriage with a bench and a long seat with a low stair where huntsmen sat side-facing. The passengers, when they noticed game, descended from the slowly moving vehicle (starting from the coachman's box) to take a shot and then took a seat at the end of the bench; the vehicle continued to move without stopping. The luxury vehicle from Łańcut is one from a pair of such hunting carts purchased by Roman Potocki. It differs from a typical hunting vehicle by its luxury fitouts (springs, manual brakes, lamps, handles for rifles) and top quality materials used for the finishing. The aesthetic quality of the cart is also increased by mock “C-springs” which make an impression that the chassis is suspended on bands. The cart was used primarily to get to the hunting appointments during the autumn hunting in Łańcut. The cart has a suspended coachman's box with a wedge seat and at the sides, there are handles for lamps, with front window panes covered with vertical white and emerald stripes (in the colours of the Potocki coat of arms, Pilawa). It has a long seat, set sideways, on which the huntsmen sat back to back, with a full, two-sided back rest. Both the padded benches have wide, low stairs at the ends connected to the side mudguards made of brown leather and installed on a frame. An additional high mudguard was placed at the front under the bench ˗ next to it, three handles for rifles were assembled on the side of the seat. At the rear, behind the main seat, there is a rear-facing padded seat for two servants who operated the manual brake ˗ two levers are placed on its sides. The upholstery of all seats is made of beige corduroy and brown leather. This cart of the Potocki family is one from a pair; both of them are kept in Łańcut; they are one of few carts of this type which have been preserved in Europe. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska