Private Works - Ex Libris
Among the works Czeslaw Slania
has made for private individuals are the Ex Libris. Below are shown the
four ex-libris he made throughout his life.
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The Ex Libris belongs to Castle
Mainau in Germany and Count Lennart Bernadotte, and is of a particular beauty
and elegance.
According to "Czeslaw Slania Catalogue of Works" from
Fischer Publishers in Poland, the ex-libris shows the coat of arms of
the Bernadotte family, after the effigy on the heraldic shield, placed
above the entrance to the castle.
25,000 copies were printed in
offset for use in the count's library. The die belongs to the count, and
only very few copies are known to be printed by Slania before he passed
the die on the the count.
Slania has also made private labels
- perforated like stamps - of Count
Lennart and Countess Sonia, which are equally on display on this
site (scroll to the bottom of the page). |
| This Ex Libris engraved by Czeslaw
Slania belongs to the Swedish Noble Family Beck-Friis. The name "Corfitz
Beck-Friis" refers to the person bearing the the same name (who
lived 12 February 1824 - 16 April 1897).
Nothing more is known about this
work. Very little information -- if any at all -- about this family is
online, and in any case only in Swedish language.
The ex-libris is most probably engraved in the
beginning of the 1960s. |
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The below ex libris belongs to
the Swedish von Wachenfelt family, and shows the Pater Familias Miles von
Wachenfelt.
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He was a multi-talented person, and has undoubtedly designed
the ex libris himself, reflecting both his family roots and many
interests.
In the upper selvedge is his coat of arms, together with his
private slogan, and a small plant, most probably reflecting his engagement in
the Agrarian Academy.
Behind the person in the chair
is a silver candlestick and a silver cup, referring to his collection of ancient
silver.
The painting in the background shows his agrarian interests - he was
agrarian attaché at the Swedish embassies in London, Dublin, and The
Hague. Apart from the "agrarian connection" these items reflect
also his artistic interest, such as quoted in his slogan. |
The small plant in the flower
pot in the lower left corner refers to his gardening interest, which the late
king Gustav VI Adolf helped him develop. Many of the plants in his garden
at Stejla originated from Sofiero, the King's summer residence on the west coast
of Sweden, just north of Helsingborg. On the flower pot is engraved the
name "SLANIA", see the enlargement.
The two crosses surrounding
his name at the bottom refer to his engagement and grades in the Order of St.
Hieronimus, and as mason of the 10th degree. The die belongs to the von
Wachenfelt family, and no private prints exist. (Source: Joachim von
Wachenfelt).
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Czeslaw Slania being born in 1921
made his 75th birthday in 1996 a double jubilee, as the Postal Museum in
Wroclaw in Poland also celebrated its 75th birthday that year.
At the occasion Slania engraved
this Ex Libris for the museum.
The die belongs to the museum,
which has printed 200 copies as a present to the guests at the birthday
reception. These are all numbered in the left corner.
The colour of the "museum
print" is dark violet. Slania himself printed a few copies in
other colours before he passed the die on to the museum. |
Sources and links:
Also many thanks to Mr. Jerzy
Krysiak (Sweden) for providing information about the ex libris and works
shown on this page.