Carriage
A calash was originally a light four-wheeled traveling wagon with a folding top and four seats, drawn by a single horse as a draft animal ; later carriages were also driven by two and four horses.
Origin of the designation
The word probably comes from the Slavonian kolasa or kolossnitza and appears in Italian as calessa , in French as calèche . In the Tristien of Ovid you can still find the verse in older editions
- gens inculta nimis vehitur crepitante colossa.
- The uncivilized people drive with the creaking carriage.
The place has since been deleted as spurious, but proves the spread of the word.
The mention of a koleschenknecht - a court coach - in a Pomeranian court order dates back to 1575.
Furnishing
According to Krünitz , a calash is “a light, open wagon that has an open box on the frame instead of an ordinary chaise box, in which a wicker basket is usually inserted. It differs from a common wagon in that it is more graceful and comfortable with neat seats, and is also painted. ”In addition, a carriage is characterized by a folding top.
Naming
The vehicle's folding top, in turn, inspired the fashion designers to call a certain type of hat with a folding brim a calèche .
Web links
- Kalesche in the Economic Encyclopedia of Krünitz