Tatra Museum in Zakopane
address: Zakopane, 8, Koziniec 8, tel. (+48)18-20-129-35,
Oficjalna strona Muzeum Tatrza雟kiego: www.muzeumtatrzanskie.pl
The gallery is based in the Kozia雟ki residence erected in the early 1920s,
representing a style called 'manorial', a subtrend of historism. After World
War II, the residence was purchased by the Bureau of the Cabinet and, in 1981,
conferred on the municipality of Zakopane which in turn put it in charge of the
Tatra Museum as the future seat of the Eastern Rug Gallery. Earlier, in 1977,
Anna Piotrowicz-Kulczycka donated the W這dzimierz and Jerzy Kulczycki rug
collection to the Museum.
The collection dates back to 1906 when W這dzimierz Kulczycki (1862-1936), then
a professor and later Rector of the Veterinary Academy in Lvov, acquired his
first eastern rugs. As a collector he always had a scholarly bent and, parallel
to rugs, collected specialized literature and acquainted himself with this
peculiar aspect of the material culture of the Orient. He wrote several studies
on rugs. Between the World Wars his collection was presented at several
exhibitions. His son Jerzy Kulczycki (1898-1974), Ph.D. in archaeology, art
historian, inherited W這dzimierz's collecting passion. While enriching his
possessions, he respected his father's original intent: all the nations of Asia
Minor, Central Asia, Iran and the Caucasus were to be represented in the
collection. It survivied World War II without major damage in Jerzy Kulczycki's
flat in Lvov. After the war Kulczycki settled in Warsaw and had his collection
transported there. In 1964 he settled in Podhale for health reasons and decided
to split his collection. As a result sixty-four items were sold to the Wawel
Castle collection in Cracow. The remainder, including folk art objects, just as
valuable as the former, found itself in Podhale. After Jan Kulczycki's death
Anna Piotrowicz-Kulczycka put the collection in charge or the Tatra Museum in
accordance with his will. 
For conservation reasons, the collection is available to the public in summer
months (July and August). In other months exhibition of Tatra landscapes and
Marek 真豉wski's paintings are held in the gallery. (The artist worked in
London. After his death his works were donated to the Museum.)
Zbigniew ζdyginysladyg@cyf-kr.edu.pl