We arrived much later at the Wallace Collection than intended and after lots of walking about. First things first and a visit to the cafe was a must to recharge the batteries. I can recommend the cinnamon buns , excellent in taste and generous in size.
I took the chance to have a look at the armour collection, an old favourite of mine. Rather than flitting about I tried to have a really detailed look at a few pieces, inevitably the fifteenth century stuff ( whilst in the cafe we saw Tobias Capwell showing someone round, his Instagram etc are well worth a look btw) which is my favourite. Again I marvelled at the armourer’s skill, it was worth taking time…
Although it was nearly time for the Collection to close l was not rushed out by the attendants and could look ,admire and wonder in peace.
Sounds like a great time! That armored saddle is really neat.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fascinating collection. A lot of the armour in photographs in books comes from the Wallace . I liked the saddle too.
DeleteNice set of armour..
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not wearing the wrong trousers :)
Excellent!
DeleteSounds like a grand day out. :D
ReplyDeleteIt was . :)
DeleteInteresting to see these surviving deadly pieces close up, sanitised and abstracted as they are in a museum.
ReplyDeleteSome of these pieces look like they were still around in use handed down from one generation to another into the Armada muster period.
Reminds me of a display of trench raid fighting weapons at Dixmuide the preserved “trench of death” section from WW1 in Belgium alongside the canal / river frontiers.
No surprise that Tolkien was so influenced by the “Medieval” fighting in mud of WW1.
Very true re Tolkien. I believe the horse armour was put together in the nineteenth century as an amalgamation from various sources. There were photos in the Wallace of Indian weapons displays in a large country house arranged on a wall to bring a sense of exotica to the place. The sallet is quite workmanlike compared to the close iconic one I took photos of. I felt the combination of the aesthetic and the practical reminded me a little of the Mandalorian.
ReplyDeleteLooks really interesting... never been there despite living in London. I'll have to remedy that.
ReplyDeleteA must Alastair imho…
DeleteVisited the Collection many years ago, was thrilled. So many book illustrations came to life, and it was possible to link them to a particular title. Much used in 1960s and 1970s books.
ReplyDeleteFantastic collection of eastern arms and armour at Kedleston Hall, near Derby. Looked in there in around 1978, it closed not long afterwards, not sure if it's reopened.
It looked, the entire Hall, as though it had been changed for generations, sadly refurbishment removes the patina of these places, the aroma of dust, beeswax etc.
I shall look that up , sounds fascinating…
ReplyDeletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedleston_Hall
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kedleston-hall