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. 
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. 

Thank you very much to Javier Vázquez for supply me the scan.

This ex libris belongs to the Swedish von Wachenfelt family, and shows the Pater Familias Miles von Wachenfelt.

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). 
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: Wikipedia, Janusz Dunst: Czeslaw Slania Catalogue of Works, ISBN 83-88352-41-5 and personal info from own investigation and emails with Jerzy Krysiak.