"Paschalis Jakubowicz and His Manufactory in Lipków" - Beata BEDROŃSKA-SŁOTA

The article by Beata Biedrońska-Słota is devoted to the Armenian entrepreneur Paschalis Jakubowicz and the manufactory of kontusz sashes he founded in Lipków — one of the most significant phenomena in the history of Polish decorative and applied art of the second half of the 18th century.

Introduction and Context
The author continues the theme begun in Irina Skvortsova's article on Armenian sash-makers, noting that alongside Jan Madżarski (Hovhannes Madzharants), Paschalis Jakubowicz played an outstanding role in the development of silk sash production in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The article emphasizes that in the second half of the 18th century the kontusz sash became not merely a fashionable accessory of noble costume, but a symbol of national patriotism, especially during the period of the Great Sejm.

Biography and the Entrepreneur's Rise
The author traces the path of Paschalis, son of Jakub, an Armenian from the Anatolian city of Tokat, who came to Warsaw in the early 1760s:

• the opening of a "Turkish shop" selling Oriental goods;
• obtaining the status of permanent resident of Warsaw (1773) and of Kraków (fifteen years later);
• marriage to the Armenian woman Marianna Muradowicz and the founding of a family.

The Manufactory in Lipków
The central place in the article is devoted to the history of the manufactory:

• the establishment of production first in Warsaw jointly with Antoni Kreger;
• the organization of a manufactory near Warsaw, in Lipków, comprising 50 workshops with 100 workers;
• the purchase of the Zielonka estate in 1790 and the construction of a new building;
• a visit by King Stanisław August and the granting to Paschalis of a title of nobility together with a coat of arms depicting a "lamb with a banner," which became the manufactory's trademark.

The participation of leading craftsmen is noted — Franciszek Selimon, Kazimierz Blanchère, Wawrzyniec Świętanowski, and others — who creatively developed Oriental weaving traditions.

Decline and Historical Significance
The author points to the tragic turning point in the manufactory's fate, connected with Paschalis's support for Tadeusz Kościuszko's uprising and the subsequent partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which led to the decline of production.

Artistic and Technological Features
Special attention is given to the artistic decoration of the sashes (floral motifs, rosettes, medallions, the "carp-scale" pattern), the system of product marking ("Fecit Paschalis," "PJ" with the coat of arms), and the complex taquete façonné weaving technique.

Conclusion
Biedrońska-Słota concludes that Paschalis Jakubowicz's manufactory in Lipków represents an outstanding example of the synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions, and that the surviving sashes preserved in the collections of the National Museums of Warsaw and Kraków testify to the enduring artistic and historical value of this production for Polish culture.