''Bring me my pularys, please!'' - is the request you may still hear from your grandmother or grandfather in some regions of Poland. So what is a pularys?
Pularys, pulares or pugilares - all these names, although they sound slightly different, have the same meaning. It is an old term for wallet, which used to function in the dialect of Warsaw, Podkarpacie and Małopolska. Today, it is much less common, although it can still be heard from older residents. Interestingly, depending on the region, different diminutives were used, depending on the dialect used in those areas. Thus, in Podkarpacie we could hear polaros or palaros, in Małopolska pularesik and pularysek, and in Warsaw pulares.
The word pularys comes from the Latin pulagilares, and its original meaning was a writing tablet, a notepad. The secondary meaning is that it is a kind of small pocket folder with compartments for notes and documents - doesn't this description sound familiar?
First wallets
Let's move to medieval Poland, Kraków's market square. It's noisy, and crowded, with merchants shouting encouragement to buy their goods. Amidst all this hustle and bustle, one characteristic and recurring element is noticeable among the people - a leather pouch, proudly hanging at the waistbelt. Originally, it was only meant to protect its owner's money, but it soon became apparent that it could also serve a decorative function.
Already at that time, there was a desire among people to stand out and mark their social status - the more ornate the pouch, or later on, the small belt bags, the richer the owner.
Both panniers and pouches did not resemble the appearance of wallets as we know them today. However, they share the main principles and the material from which they were made. All wallet prototypes were created to safely store and carry cash, and because of their function, they had to be made with attention to detail and, above all, of durable materials.
It is not without reason that one of the most frequently chosen materials has always been leather.
PULARYS - more than just a wallet
The PULARYS brand was born out of a passion for leather goods. It is a nod to our family tradition based on working with leather. When our family business was founded, the word pularys was in common use - my grandfather called his wallet just that. Based on the knowledge of our ancestors, we are creating a new chapter of family history.
Our wallets are made of high-quality materials. However, we remember that the most important factor in the wallet-making process is people, their skills and their knowledge of the subject. The hand finishing of the products and attention to detail give them their own character and soul. For us, they are more than just wallets, which is why we hope to give them in good hands - your hands.
Protect your finances with style - take a look at our range of PULARYS wallets!