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Vienna – Kaiserliche Schatzkammer

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The Kaiserliche Schatzkammer or the Imperial Treasury of Vienna! Where we are hoping to see all the things that we have seen copies of so far! lol For people into medieval embroidery or early medieval gold work, this place really is a treasure trove. I was super excited to be here, before we even entered the building.

Tabard of the Herald of the Princely County of Tyrol -Johann Fritz (embroider)
Vienna, 1838, Silver lamé, velvet, gold, silver and silk embroidery, silver fringing braid.

From the Left: 1) Staff of the Grand Controllers – Southern German, 1600-1610. 2) Staff of the Grand Steward of the County of Gorlzia – Southern German, c.1660. 3) Staff of the Hungarian Grand Equerry – Vienna, 1700-1725. 4) Staff of the Grand Comptroller – Vienna, 1835. 5) Cane of the Grand Equerry – Vienna, 1790-1800. 6) Staff of a Master of Ceremonies – Vienna, 1800-1850. 7) Staff of a Junior Master of the Table – Vienna, 1800-1810. Staff of the Grand Master of the Table – Vienna, 1835. 8) Staff of a Master of Ceremonies – Vienna, 1800-1835. 9) Staff of a Grand Master of Ceremonies – Vienna, 1850-1900…. Wood or cane, bronze, gilded, and silver mounts.

The Hereditary Banner of Austria. Austria, c.1705.
Silk, damask, embroidered with metal and silk threads.

Keys of the Imperial Chamberlain, from 1711 to 1918.
As a sign of their privileged status chamberlains at the Habsburg court wore a key that symbolized their access to the ruler’s chambers. The office of chamberlain was reserved to members of the high nobility. The holders of this office belonged to the “first society” and were part of the emperor’s retinue at official ceremonies. The falconer’s gear as well as the tabards and staffs on view here are similarly the insignia of various officials or families in the hereditary lands and indicate their rank and status.

Dog Collar, Insignia of the Grand Master of the Hunt, Vienna, 1838.
Velvet, leather gold embroidery. Mounts silver mounted.

Austrian Archducal Coronet of Joseph II, c.1764. Silver glided, diamonds, semi-precious stones removed.
As early as the reign of Duke Rudolf IV (1339-65) the Habsburgs pursued the goal of being raised to the dignity of archduke. Their claim was finally recognized in 1453, and the archducal coronet, an insignia resembling a crown became the official symbol of Habsburg rule in the hereditary lands. Such an insignia was created for Archduke Joseph in 1764 based on medieval models.
The coronet’s gold foil frame, or “carcass”, is exhibited in this room. The jewels were soon removed from the coronet to be used for other purposes.

Insignia for the Hereditary Grand Master Falconer, Vienna, 1835. Leather, velvet, gold braid, gold embroidery and feathers. Falconers pouch and two falcon’s hoods.

Tabard for the Herald of the Roman King, Vienna, 1600-1650; gold lamé, satin, gold embroidery, finger border, glass beading.

Tabard for the Herald of the Roman Emperor, Vienna, 1613 and 1719.
Gold lamé, silk and glass.

Tabard for the Herald of Emperor Francis I Stephen, Vienna, 1775-1750.
Velvet, satin, gold and silver lamé, gold silver and silk embroidery, gold and fringe border.

Tabard for the Herald of the King of Bohemia, Vienna, 1600-1700.
Velvet, gold and silver embroidery, fringing braid, glass beading.

Tabard for the Herald of the King of Hungary, Vienna, 1600-1700.
Silver lamé, gold, silver and silk embroidery, fringing braid.

Crown of Emperor Rudolf II, later crown of the Austrian Empire
Jan Vermeyen goldsmith, Prague, 1602.
Gold, enamel, diamonds, rubies, spinels, sapphires, pearls, velvet

Imperial orb for the crown Rudolf II.
Andreas Osenbruck goldsmith, Prague, 1612-1615.
Gold, enamel, diamonds, rubies, sapphire, pearls.

Sceptre for Emperor Matthias for the crown of Rudolf II.
Andreas Osenbruck Goldsmith, Prague, 1615.
Ainkhürn (narwhal tooth), gold, enamel, diamonds, rubies, sapphire, pearls.

Ceremonial robes of a Knight of the Hungarian Order of St Stephen, Vienna, c.1764.
Velvet, fake ermine, gold and silver embroidery, gimped embroidery in gold.

Robes of a Knight of the Austrian Order of Leopold, Joseph Fisher (1769-1822), Vienna, c.1808.
Gros de tours, fake ermine, gold embroidery, metal foil, ostrich feather, silk

Mantle of the Austrian Emperor, designed by Philipp von Stubenraüch (1784-1848), Vienna, c.1830.
Velvet, gimped embroidery in gold, Paulette’s, gold braid, ermine and silk.

Robes of a Knight of the Austrian Order of the Cross, designer Philipp von Stubenraüch (1784-1948), Vienna 1815/16. Velvet, silver embroidery, leather silver embroidery.

Conronation vestments of the Kingdom of Lombardy and Venetia,
Designer Philipp von Stubenraüch (1784-1848), Vienna, 1838.
Velvet, gimped embroidery, gold, ermine, moiré, gold and silver embroidery.

The Robes worn by King of Bohemia as Elector, Vienna or Prague, c. 1625-1650…
Mantle, gloves and matching ermine hat.

Jewellery Box of Empress Marie Louise, Paris, 1870, silver gilded velvet.
Martin Guillaume Biennais (1764-1843) and Augustin Dupré (1748-1833).

Marie Louse, Empress of the French (1791-1847).
Francois Pascal Simon Gerard, Paris, 1812, oil on canvas.

Cradle of the King of Rome, Paris, 1811. Silver gilded, gold, mother of pearl, velvet, silk, tuile, gold and silk embroidery. Designers and craftsmen: Pierre-Paul Prud’hon (1758-1823), Henri-Victor Roget (1758-1830), Jean-Baprise-Claude Odiot (1733-1850), Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843).

Ewer and Basin used for Imperial Baptisms, Spanish Master, 1571, gold and partly enamelled.

Diamond Sabre, Turkish, 1650-1700, Vienna, c.1712.
Damascened steel, gold, silver, partly gilded, diamonds, wood, leather.

Two Chains of the Order of the Golden Fleece, court jeweller A.E. Kochert, Vienna, c.1873.
Gold, partly enamelled, diamonds, rubies.

Two Bouquets of Flowers, Florence, c.1680-1700. Gold, partly enamelled, silver gilded, precious stones.

LEFT: Hair Amethyst, Spain, c.1665-1700. Amethyst, gold and emeralds.
RIGHT: Fire Opal, Origin Hungarian, c.1650. Opal, gold and enamelled.

Hyacinth, “La Bella”, Vienna, c.1687. Garnet, gold, silver gilded, enamelled.

Egg Cup form the estate of King Louis XVI of France (1754-1793), Paris, c.1774/80. Silver gilded.

Family Tree showing Kings and Emperors from the House of Habsburg. Gold and chalcedonies.
Tree: Vienna, 1725-30. Intaglios: Christoph Dorsch (1675-1732), Nuremberg, 1725/30/

Cameo showing the Portrait fo Emperor Franz I – Giovanni Beltrami (1777-1854).
Made before 1840. Onyx, and enamelled gold.

Set of Jewels from the estate of Archduchess Sophie (1805-1872), Paris, 1809/19.
Gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, topazes.

Emerald Unguentarium, Dionysius Miseroni, Prague, c.1641. Emerald 2860 carat, enamelled gold.
‘As early as the 17th century the 2,680-carat emerald vessel was regarded as one of the most famous objects in the Imperial Treasury. The tremendous value of this unique showpiece, whose lid was cut out of the jewel’s interior, is illustrated by the story that Genoese jewellers declined to value it as security for a loan which Emperor Ferdinand III (1608-57) sought, avowing that they were not accustomed to dealing with such large pieces.’
Sadly the light in here is so bad, that I had to pluck an image off the internet.

Crown of Stefan Bocskay, Turkish, c.1605. Gold, precious stones, pearls and silk.

Case for the Crown of Stefan Bocskay, Turkish, c.1605. Fabric: Persian, c.1600, wood and silk.

Hungarian Opal Jewellery Set, Egger Bros, Budapest, c.1881.
Gold, enamelled, Hungarian opals, diamonds, rubies.

The “Two Considerable Treasures” – Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-64) bequeathed to his successor, Emperor Maximilian II, two treasures of special importance: an enormous agate bowl (about 50cm across), and the “Ainkhürn” or unicorn horn. It was laid down that these two pieces would forever remain in the possession of the eldest male member of the family in perpetuity as ‘inalienable heirlooms’ and could not be sold or given as gifts.

Agate Bowl, Constantinople, 300-400AD. Carved from a single piece of agate.

“Ainkhürn”or Unicorn Horn.
Ferdinand I received the “Ainkhürn” as a gift from King Sigismund II of Poland in 1540. During this age the mythical unicorn was thought to be an actual animal, which might only be captured in a virgin’s lap. The unicorn was thus regarded as an allegory of Christ, and its horn a symbol of divine power, from which secular dominion was derived. The horn, which was also thought to be an antidote to poison, was traded in Europe at tremendous prices. Only in the 17th century was it recognized that what had been believed to be unicorn’s horn was in fact the twisting tusk of the narwhal (Monodon monoceros).

I WANT ONE!

Amber Altar, Northern Germany, c.1640/45. Amber, partly painted, metal foil, wax, wood.


The Adoration of the Shepherds, Central Italy, Florence?, Early 17thC.
Oil on alabaster, wood, copper, silver.

The Bag of King Stephen of Hungary, Russia, c. 1080-1120.
Gold and silk embroidery on silk, smokey quartz.

Ivory Reliquary Box, Sicily, 12thC. Ivory on wooden core, brass fittings.

Christophorus Relief, Upper Rhine, c.1475-1500, cast copper, gold-plated, glass stones.

Chalice from the Propety of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico.
Circle of the Rondino Di Guerrino, Sienna, c.1375. Silver, gold plated copper, pit enamelled.

Late Gothic Chalice, Hungary, c.1500. Gold plated silver, gemstones.

Chalice with the Motto of Emperor Friedrich II, Southern Germany likely Nuremberg, 1438.
Gold plated silver.

Holy Blood Monstance, Transylvania, c.1475 contains older spoils.
Gold plated silver, rock crystal, precious stones, semi-precious stones, pearls.

Relicquay Oast Tensorium – Matthias Waltbaum (1554-1632), Augsburg, c.1600.
ebony, silver, partially gold plated.

Reliquary Casket, Venice late 1500s. Wood, sardonyx, lapis lazuli.

Emperor Ferdinand’s Prayer Book, Augsburg, 1590. Approx 5cm tall.
Gold, enamelled, parchment.

Devotional Book of Empress Claudia Felitcitas, Constance, Augsburg, c.1674. Silver and paper

Madonna with the Child and the Boy John – Adam Lenckhardt (1610-1661).
Wurzburg, c.1630. Ivory.

The Flagging of Christ, Rome, c.1635-40. Gold-plated bronze, lapis lazuli, ebony.
Christ: Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654).
Henchmen: Francois Duquesnoy (1597-1643)

Three Kings Reliquary, Paulus Baumann (1567-1634), Augsburg, 1630-35. Silver, gold plated, lapis lazuli.

The Carrying of the Cross – Johann Caspar Schenck (1630-1674), Vienna, c.1664-65. Ivory.

Chalice with Coat of Arms of Emperor Charles VI – Ludwig Schneider (1640-1729), Augsburg, c. 1710/15.
Silver gilded, enamel painting, glass

Christ as Judge of the World
Johann Baptist Känischbauer von Hohenried (1668-1739), Vienna, 1726.
Gold, partially enamelled, rock crystal.

Gloves, Palmero, before 1220.
Samite (silk), gold embroidery, enamel, niello plaques, pearls, precious stones.

Shoes, Sandalia – German, 1600-1625, Palermo, 1100-1300.
Silk, pearls, precious stones, tablet weave, lampas braid.

Blue Tunicella (Dalmatia), Palermo, Royal Court Workshop, 1125-1150.
Silk, gold embroidery, small gold tubes, gold with cloisonné enamel, pearls, tablet weave.

The semi-circular Coronation Mantle of red silk was produced in Palermo in the 12th and early 13th centuries; with its depiction of a lion subduing a camel, the long, richly embroidered outer garments-blue tunicella and white alba-as well as shoes, stockings and gloves together with the belt reflect, (in part based on their inscriptions in part on other evidence), a connection with the Norman kings of Sicily. The overall design and elements of the decoration are derived from the court attire of Byzantine emperors. The older textiles probably came to the Empire through the Hohenstaufen emperor Henry VI. He married the Norman princess Constance in 1186 and became king of Sicily in 1194. In the empire they were apparently thought to be priestly vestments, used for coronations and complemented by additional textiles.

Coronation Mantle, Palermo, Royal Court Workshop, 1133/34.
Samite silk, gold and silk embroidery, pearls, enamel, filigree, precious stones, tablet weave.

OMG… finally a chance to see this! I’ve been looking at pictures of these objects in books for nearly three decades. I can’t believe I get to see them in person.

The Eagle Dalmatic, South German, c.1330/40.
Red silk twill damask, embroidery in silk, gold, small axinites.

The Stola (below) imitates a ‘loros’ an older type of textile of Byzantine or Norman origin. The six metre-long sash of yellow silk was decorated with black imperial eagles in medallions, only one of which has been preserved. Differently than the original manner of wearing the “loros”, in the medieval Holy Roman Empire the long sash was worn as a priest’s stola, that is forming a cross across the breast. This can be seen in Albrecht Dürer’s famous portrayal of Charlemagne (Room 11). The purple Dalmatic is embroidered with eagles and crowned heads. In this way the wearer of the garment is associated both with the heraldic beast of the Holy Roman Empire and his predecessors as king.

Alba, Palermo, Royal Court Workshop, c.1181 with later additions.
Taffeta silk, Samite silk, fold wire embroidery, pearls, precious stones and tablet weave.

Stole, Italy, before 1328. Louise silk, gold threads, pearls, silver gilded appliqués with graduation, champlevé enamel and glass stones.

Imperial Cross, Western German, c.1030. Body: oak, precious stones, pearls, niello.
Base: Prague, later additions c.1352, silver gilded enamel.

The Burse of St. Stephen, Carolingian, 800-833. Wooden body, gold, precious, stones, pearls.

Imperial Crown, Western German, c.960-980. Cross: 1020. Arch: 1024-1039.
Gold, cloisonné enamel, precious stones, pearls.

Idealised portrait of Emporer Charlemagne (742-812).
Copy after Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), German c.1600. Oil on canvas.

Idealised portrai of Emperor Sigmund (1361-1437).
Copy after Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), German, c.1600. Oil on canvas.

Vestments worn by Emperor Francis Stephen I of Lorraine (Baroque copies of the Coronation Vestments of the Holy Roman Empire). Vienna 1763/64.

Stole, Vienna 1763/64. Gold lamé, silk embroidery, gold, partly enamelled.

Gloves, Vienna 1763/64. Atlas silk, gold embroidery, gold enamel, precious stones.

Dalmatic, Vienna 1763/64. Altas silk, gold, partly enamelled.

Mantle, Vienna 1763/64. Atlas silk, gold and silk embroidery, gold braid, enamel, precious stones.

Alba, Vienna 1763/64. Atlas silk, gol, silver and silk embroidery, precious stones.

Room full of extant herald’s tabards! Mostly 1700s, but just gorgeous.

Herald for the King-At-Arms and Herald of the Archduchy of Brabant, Brussels, c.1717.
Embroiderer: Louis Almé. Velvet, gold lamé, appliqué, gold embroidery and fringing braid.

Herald’s Tabard for the King-At-Arms and Herald of the Duchy of Burgundy, Brussels, c.1600-1700.
Velvet, silver lamê, fringing braid.

Tabard for a Herald of Maria Theresia (First King at Arms), Brussels, c.1742.
Embroiderer: Eldens. Velvet, gold and silver lamé, appliqué, gold, silver and silk embroidery, gold braid.

Tabard for the First King-At-Arms of Archduke Albrecht, Sovereign of the Netherlands.
Brussels, c.1599-1621. Velvet, gold and silver lamé, appliqué, gold silver and silk embroidery, fringing braid.

Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) – Bernhard Strigel (1460-1519), German, c.1500. Oil on Limewood.


Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy hoped to succeed Emperor Frederick Ill on the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. To achieve his aim, he assented to the marriage of his only daughter Mary to Archduke Maximilian, the emperor’s son and heir. The wedding, however, only took place after the duke’s death in 1477. Mary and Maximilian’s son Philip was born on 19 April 1478, ensuring the “Burgundian heritage” would ultimately remain with the House of Habsburg.

Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (1457-1482) – Francesco Terzio, Southern Germany, c. 1600 terracotta.

Tapestry Showing the arms of Emperor Charles V – weaver: Willem de Pannemaker, Brussels, c.1540.
Wool, silk, gold and silver thread.

Tabard for the Stattholder First King-at-Arms, called Towson d’Or (Golden Fleece), Brussels c.1580.
Velvet, gold and silver lamé, gold, silver and silk embroidery.

Order of the Golden Fleece Knight’s Chain, Burgundian-Netherlands, c.1435-1465. Gold and enamel.

Potence Chain of Arms of the Herald of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Netherlandish, c.1517.
Gold and enamel.

This is one of the most beautiful heraldic objects I’ve never seen. I’ve admired it for years… never thought I’d be able o see it.

I am completely unapologetic for the amount photographs that I took and have added here!

Just when you think the Schatzkammer has delivered up all it’s treasures – the next room contains only some of *the* most famous embroidered objects ever created. I like did a double take when walking in… it was like the first time I saw the Cluny Tapestries all over again. They are so amazing and so beautifully preserved! Just fucking spectacular!

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Cope of the Virgin, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.
Hood depicting the virgin.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Dalmatic, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls and velvet.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Cope of Christ (Pluvial), Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.
Hood depicting the Almighty.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Casula, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Cope of John the Baptist, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.
Hood depicting John the Baptist.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
ABOVE: Antependium (rear panel), Burgundian, c.1425-1440; the Trinity, prophets and apostles.
BELOW: Antependium (front panel), Burgundian, c.1425-1440; Mythical marriage of St Catherine
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass).

Phew! Man, I haven’t been a smoker since May 17th 1997… but damn, after that I need a cigarette and a good lie down. Back out in the Real World, I had to make do with some bratwurst and a Coke Zero!
What an amazing visit! I think this has now officially out paced the Museé de Moyen Age as my favourite museum.

Hanover and Landesmusuem

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Literally around the corner from our hotel was Hanover’s famous art museum, the Landesmuseum. Naturally, we knew we could spend a few hours there checking out numerous artworks, the likes of which would get an entire wing dedicated to them should even one of these pieces be in a museum back home!

St Peter,
Evert van Roden (attributed)
Münster, c 1460


Madonna Enthroned
Lower Saxony, c. 1180 Linden wood, originally painted.

Death of Mary, Lower Saxony, c.1300/1310, Oak
The altarpiece from the former Augustinian convent in Wennigsen has only a few surviving panel paintings from the early 14thC. The apostles and a bishop have gathered at Mary’s deathbed. In the middle appears Christ, who has descended from heaven to collect Mary’s soul in the form of a small, white-clad figure.

Ten Commandments panel. Master of the Göttingen Jacobi Church Altar, c.1400. Oak.
The wings of this work, were originally mounted on both sides of the central panel, have been lost. Therefore, only six of the ten commandments can be seen. They are recited by God, who appears in a rainbow, and illustrated using stories from the Old Testament.

Christ with the Wise and Foolish Virgins, Lower Saxony, c. 1310-1320, Oak.
The heavenly judge turns to five expectant women with burning lamps. The ladies on the other side, however, are denied the kingdom of heaven. They had managed their finances poorly, and the oil in their lamps had run out before the longed-for bridegroom appeared in the night. The panel admonished the women in the Isenhagen monastery to live a life pleasing to God in preparation for the Last Judgement.😮

Childhood and Passion of Christ, Lower Saxony or Westphalia, c,1390, oak.
The two panels acquired from the Aegidienkirche in Hanover Münden once formed the wings of an altarpiece, the middle of which has been lost. When opened, the work was almost eight meters wide. The scenes from the life of Jesus are separated from one another by an artfully painted decorative architecture. A differentiated color scheme and a special interest in costume details characterize the painting.

Panel 2


Annunciation to Mary and Coronation of Mary, Masster Bertram Minden, c.1340-1414/14, Hamburg, oak.
The panels formed the outside of the altar on the left. The Annunciation to Mary and her coronation in heaven highlight the importance of the Mother of God in the salvation process. The robes, halos, crowns and angel wings once shimmered in gold and silver, the lions identify Mary as the Queen of Heaven.

Passion Altar, Master Bertram Minden, c. 1340 – 1414/15 Hamburg, Oak.
It is rare to be able to link the painters mentioned in the written reports with surviving works. In northern Germany, Master Bertram is the exception: he came from Westphalia, was familiar with the art of the imperial court in Prague and with the latest painting in the Netherlands, and ran a successful workshop in Hamburg. The altarpiece was probably created in his studio.
Inv.

The Gottingen Barfusseraltar, Gottingen, c.1424, oak and spruce.
St Francis of Assisi’s followers were committed to poverty, as itinerant preachers in towns and cities, they walked barefoot or clad in simple sandals, for that reason they were also know as ‘barefoot friars’ (German: Barfuss).

The Golden Panel
Lüneburg, c. 1420-1430, Oak

The ‘back’ or outside of the Golden Panel… simply stunning.

Arm reliquaries of Saints Valerius and Pancras, Lower Saxony, c. 1150/1175, Lime wood.

Reliquary bust: 1 of the 11,000 virgins Depicted as St Ursula, Lower Saxony (Lüneburg?), c.1300, oak.

Two reliquary busts of the 11,000 virgins, Lower Saxony (Lüneburg?), c.1432, lime wood, silver-plated.

Reliquary box, Lüneburg, 15th, Wood, silver-plated and gold-plated.

Reliquary box, Lüneburg, 15th, Wood, silver-plated and gold-plated.

Reliquary in the form of a book/ ivory tablet from the Romanos group
Lower Saxony, 14th/15th century / Constantinople, around 950, wood, linen fabric, parchment / ivory

Cross base with the resurrected Adam, West Germany, 11th/12th century Bronze, remains of gilding

Two ivory boxes, Sicily or southern Italy, 12th/14th century.

Cain and Abel chest, Lower Saxony, Westphalia, 11th century… c. 1230, oak core,

Enamelled reliquary box, Lower Saxony, Rhineland, Maas region, 12th-13th century, wood, copper, pit enamel, brown varnish

Abraham casket, West Germany, Lower Saxony, c.1025-1050, oak, copper-gilt fittings.

Two bowls for washing hands, Limoges, late 12thC, copper, enamelled, gold-plated
The magnificent bowls bear the coat of arms of the French ruling dynasty of the Plantagenêt. They were originally used for washing hands during courtly table ceremonies. They probably came to Lüneburg via Richard the Lionheart. HOLY SHIT!!!

Leather box, Lower Saxony, around 1300 wood, leather-covered, stamped and then painted.

Portable Triptych Relics, German, c.1432, wood, painted, horn discs.
According to the inscription and coat of arms, the triptych belongs to the foundation of Duke Bernhard I of Brunswick-Lüneburg. A large number of relics are kept behind transparent horn discs, for example pieces of the the Holy Cross, from James the Elder and from the Holy Sepulchre.

Octagonal container,
Italy, 14th C
Leather, parchment, pastiglia

The container covered with colored parchment strips is an extremely rare and beautiful piece. Before it was converted into a reliquary, it may have served as a cover for a drinking cup.

Lambert Altar, Master of the so-called Hildesheim, 12 panels of a Passion Altarpiece, c.1420/30, Oak

Diptych, Lower Saxony (Hildesheim), c.1420, Lime wood

The Tree of Life, c.1400, Master of the Richardson Triptych active in Sama (1370-1418), poplar wood.

Crucifixion Altar c.1506, Hans Raphon (1460-1512), Göttingen or Northeim, lime wood.

Mercy Altar, c,1510/1520, Tilman Riemenschneider (and workshop operating 1460-1531), Heiligenstadt/Eichsfeld, Würzburg, Lime wood.

Family altar, Lower Saxony, c. 1500/1510, Lime wood (?)
St. Anne, Mary’s mother, was particularly popular in the late Middle Ages. A chapel was dedicated to her in the Hanover Kreuzkirche, for which the winged altar was created. Her daughters, grandchildren, husbands and sons-in-law have gathered around the saint. On the wings there are various scenes from her life on the left, and the birth of Mary on the right.

Mother of God Altar c.1510 to 1515,, Hans Raphon, Göttingen or Northeim c,1460-1512 and Bartold Kastrop, Northeim c.1465-1531/1532 Göttingen, oak wood.
The Madonna is based on a copperplate engraving by Albrecht Dürer. His works of art printed on paper quickly spread and were often used as templates by other artists. The altarpiece was created for the Einbeck collegiate church of St. Alexandri,

Rosary altar, c. 1500, South Lower Saxony (Einbeck), oak.
The center of this winged altar is occupied by the Mother of God accompanied by angels.
Mary stands on a crescent moon and is surrounded by a halo of rays; the crown also identifies her as the Queen of Heaven. (I love the facial expression on the guy in the bottom right image)

Christ and Mary on Golgotha, c.1505, Hans Holbein the Elder, Augsburg, (1465- 1524), lime wood.
The thorn-crowned Christ sits on the cross and is mourned by Mary. A moment of pause is captured on Mount Golgotha, which Holbein characterizes as a hilly landscape and makes recognizable by skulls and bones.

John the Ev. and Jacob the Elder, c. 1510, oak
The two saints are deceptively realistic painted sculptures set in a stone architecture made of reddish marble. Such painted sculptures were particularly popular in the Netherlands. They were usually found on the outside of the winged altars, which then unfolded their full splendor of color when opened.

Portrait of a Man, Jakob Elsner, c.1507.
Nuremberg 1460/1465-1517 Nuremberg, Parchment or paper on oak.

Portrait of the Astronmer Johann Schöner, c.1528, Master of the Neudörfer Portraits active in Nuremberg around 1500-1530, Linden wood.

Female Saint, c.1510, Tilman Riemenschneider, Heiligenstadt/Eichsfeld, active 1460-1531, Würzburg,
Limewood, painted in color – the figure is carved from limewood, a material that can be worked in many different ways. The garments form a delicate relief. The carver has masterfully crafted the turban-like headdress, the veil and the wavy hair. Originally a standing figure an early collector sawed off the bottom of the work and converted it into a bust.

John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene, c. 1515, Hans Suess von Kulmbach (1470 – 1522),
Nuremberg, lime wood

The Saints Sebastian and Rochus, c.1518, Hans Suess von Kulmbach, (1470-1522),
Nuremberg, linden wood.

Venus with Cupid, c. 1515-1520, Lucas Cranach the Elder
Kronach 1472-1553 Weimar, transferred to plywood
The painting corresponds entirely to the Renaissance’s renewed interest in the female nude.
Venus appears life-sized. Her skin color and posture are reminiscent of ancient sculptures.

Lucrezia, c.1525, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Kronach 1472-1553 Weimar. Beechwood.

Martin Luther and Katharine von Bora, c.1528, Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) Weimar, beechwood
In 1525, the former Augustinian monk, Martin Luther married the nun, Katharina von Bora. By marrying, both broke their church vow of celibacy. The portraits became so popular at the time that numerous replicas were soon created.

The martyrdom of the seven sons of Felicitas c. 1530/1535, Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), Weimar, Oak wood.

Salvator Mundi panel, c.1537, Hans Kemmer (1495- 1561) Lübeck, oak wood.
The woman’s jewelry helps to identify the couple praying to the Savior: it is quite likely that her shoulder amulet shows the heraldic animal of the Lübeck merchant Carsten Timmermann. The couple probably commissioned the painting in memory of a deceased child. It was executed by Cranach’s student Hans Kemmer, who was the leading painter in Lübeck since the Reformation.
Inv.

Portraits of a Donor Couple, c.1520, Bartholomäus Bruyn the Elder (1493-1544), Cologne, oak.

Lucrezia, c.1510, Sodoma (actually Giovanni Antonio Bazzi) Vercelli, 1477- 1549 Siena, poplar wood.

Portrait bust of Grand Ducke Fernando I de Medici, c.158790,
Pietro Francavilla Cambrai (1548 – 1615), Paris, marble.
In antique idealization, the portrait bust shows the third ruler of the younger Medici line, Ferdinando I (1549-1609). Under his leadership, the House of Medici achieved its greatest power and significant influence throughout Europe.

Annunciation to Mary, c.1500/15150, Sandro Botticelli (workshop), Florence 1445 – 1510 Florence, poplar wood. Once developed, compositions were used more frequently in Sandro Botticelli’s studio. The Annunciation angel resembles a painting in the Uffizi in Florence, and the Virgin Mary resembles a painting now kept in London. The work was created for the private devotion of the woman kneeling in front; the black robe and white bonnet identify her as a widow.

St Peter in a wreath of fruit, c.1470-80. Pietro Perugino, (1448-1524), Fontignano, poplar

Adoration of the Child with the Infant Saint John, c.1490.
Sandro Botticelli (workshop), Florence 1445 – 1510, poplar wood.

Portrait of Francesco Alunno, c.1510.
Lorenzo di Credi, Florence 1459-1537 Florence, poplar wood.
The art writer Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) praised Lorenzo di Credi’s painting style highly: It shows a finesse that surpasses any other painting. This alludes to the smooth texture of the oil painting, which also characterizes the charming portrait of the young scholar. An inscription identifies the person depicted as the lexicographer Francesco Alunno from Ferrara.

The Arrival of Aeneas at Dido’s c. 1460
Apollonio di Giovanni, Florence 1415/1417-1465, poplar wood.
In the 15th century, a bride was led to her new home in a wedding procession. Chests were carried along and used as furniture. The love story of Dido and Aeneas is shown on the chest front. Above, Aeneas arrives in Carthage; on the right, Dido welcomes him in the hall of a temple.

The Banquet and the hunt of Dido, c. 1460
The second chest front shows further events from the Aeneid by the ancient poet Virgil (70-90 BC). On the left, a banquet is being prepared for Aeneas, on the right, the company goes hunting. There, Dido and Aeneas are surprised by a thunderstorm. They flee into a cave, the scene of their night of love.

I can’t believe that I got all the way through adding these photos in, and translating descriptions and adding those in too – and totally forgot the one thing I made a mental note about while I was in the musuem! There are sensors EVERYWHERE in these galleries – and when you step too close to the artworks, a recording comes on, (with music) saying, (in English) quite loud, “STOP IN THE NAME OF ART! Before you break some art!” Kinda to the tune of the song, “Stop in the Name of Love!”, which was equal parts initially alarming, then amusing and eventually annoying. Wouldn’t have been so bad if you only heard it once or twice, but it was going off constantly – and you know why? Because the information plaques are so close to each of the artworks, and some as much as 30cm BEHIND artworks that stood proud of walls, meaning every time some old biddy leaned into to read the descriptions, or some finickity history nerd like me leaned in to take a photo of the descriptions, the damn sensors were triggered and the hideous recording went off. Again and again. It must have been set off over 50 times for the couple of hours we were in there. Never seen such an obnoxious security system in a museum before (unless you count the overly stern and officious ‘Shushhh’ing Nuns of The Vatican Museum’ – those women are seriously obnoxious but unsurprisingly, very efficient!

Aaaanyway… after checking out the medieval galleries of the Landesmuseum, we decided to take a wander through the Maschpark, Historical Garden. Gotta say, Hanover has loads of beautiful green spaces and feels like a very liveable city.

In this prettyish kind of wilderness is an enormous lake full of ducks and probably e-scooters!

the Neues Rathaus – or New Town Hall.

Started to rain, so we decided to bail and leave the very goose looking ducks to their weather.

Metz, Metz.

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We chose to go to Luxembourg today via Metz. Two reasons really, 1) I wanted to see the Metz Cathedral which is supposed to be quite something and 2), Angus has never been to France, so he wanted to stick his toes onto the other side of the border.

Metz Cathedral is the main seat of the bishopric of Metz, Catholic, and is dedicated to Saint Stephen. The Catholic Church in this area dates back to the 4thC, but the current cathedral was *only* built in the early 14thC – *only*? Like that is a short time ago! Hello?! Australians here, buildings, architecture and artworks are never more than 200 years old where we come from! Six hundred year old cathedrals aren’t *only* anything, in our minds.

It has a gorgeous stone facade.

The Portal of Christ entrance, which was the main entrance to the Cathedral until the 18thC. This was originally a Gothic designed entrance, but over time it languished unmaintained, until the 1700s when it was completely redesigned and rebuilt in a later style.

Metz Cathedral has a distinctive yellow coloured stone, that is mined locally. It is called Jaumont stone and is rich in iron oxide, which gives the stone a glorious golden hue. It is said that even in foul weather, the Cathedral photographs well due to the warm yellow limestone used in its construction.

The Portal of the Virgin is an entrance facing the Place d’Artmes and was used as the main entrance of the cathedral until the 18thC. It was built in 1225, and had become quite dilapidated and covered over (presumably by vegetation… the brochure didn’t make it very clear what had covered it over?). The sculptures were created by Augusta Dujardin and were restored in 1885; apparently recent research has found pigments in trace amounts that show the sculptures were painted in red and green, orange and blue hues. It sounds like it was extremely colourful and would probably have been really garish to our modern sensibilities.

Just above head height are these delightful details in the stone work… love them! The pelican looks more like an eagle, but c’est la vie. 🙂

The Nave of Metz Cathedral one of the tallest in France (3rd tallest or something), and it is all done in a fabulous Gothic style – finished between 1486 and 1520. The cathedral has long been nicknamed “The Good Lord’s Lantern”, (La Lanterne du Bon Dieu) due to it’s simply enormous square footage of stained glass which comes in at a whopping 69,920square feet of glass! Or 6,498sqm for those not using ‘Murican Freedom units.

It’s hard to make it out – but the entire walls leading up to this stunning vaulted ceiling appear about 50% stained glass.

The bulk of the glass is done in Gothic and Renaissance styles by master glass makers Hermann von Munster, Valentin Bousch and Theobald of Lixheim… or no doubt, designed by them dudes and actually executed by a bunch of their forever nameless apprentices.

A Roman 3rdC bath holds pride of place just inside the main doors and it is primarily used for baptisms.

So much glass!

The walls of the church are lined with these discreet, heavily carved timber confessionals.

In keeping with the Good Lord’s Lantern theme of the church – there is also more modern artistic glass work here done by Charles Laurent Marechal (Romantics period), Roger Bissier (a Tashist), Jacques Villon (Cubist… yuk!) and Marc Chagall and Kimsooja. It’s truly spectacular how they’ve tied in all this beautiful old work with these creations with modern artist.

It’s weird to see such modern decorative art techniques side by side with obviously medieval design elements, but the overall atmosphere of the cathedral is really stunning. The construction itself was a huge and very long undertaking…

Sadly, the famous Metz covered markets were closed today. Mondays in Europe, suck.

After the Cathedral, we wanted to see some of La Cour D’Or Museum, which is supposed to house some of Metz’s most interesting local Merovingian artefacts. We ran into some immediate hiccoughs; the museum is created in an old monastery and the curators/designers decided that the medieval collections belonged in the medieval cellars under the buildings (at least four floors down and back up again – not in the least bit accessible and my bung knee hated so many flights of stairs). And we also had a lot of info lost-in-translation… mainly because there were none. Translations that is. I’ve tried to record what I could, but a lot of this is just going to remain vague.

The Gallo-Roman galleries were particularly poorly labelled, nothing that wasn’t in French and many objects with no placard at all! From what I could read these objects ranged from 1stC BC to 3rdC AD… which looks about right to my exisiting knowledge base.

House gravestones, all found locally from Roman periods.

House Gravestone, limestone, c.3rdC BCE, local origin.

No idea, not a sign, plaque or info sheet in this room.

From what I could gather this room was curated to centre on representations of various Roman gods, but given the eroded state of the pieces, it was difficult to make out which gods were being depicted.

Altar to Mogontia, Gallic goddess and healer of springs, limestone 1st-3rdC AD.

Mithra’s Relief, Gallo-Roman period, limestone.
The large Mithraism relief was designed as an architectural decoration in which the framing of small layered scenes plays a key role around the central scene. Gods and a sacrifice scene in the centre.

Below: Metalworking has existed in Lorraine (the region Metz is located in), since the Iron Age. While the Gauls worshipped Belisama, the goddess of metal craftsmanship, in Rome, the cult of Vulcan, god of fire and patron of blacksmiths, was growing in this area. Some metal deposits were found in the Vosges, north of Lorraine and the southern Sarre region. Minerals were extracted and processed in workshops from ingots. There were around a a dozen of these workshops in Gallo-Roman times in the Mediomatrici region.

Remains

Merovingian beads, most of the of indeterminate provenance. 🙁

Round Cloisonnee fibula. 6thC, silver and garnet. Houdreville.

Merovingian Belt buckle.

Merovingian belt buckles.

Bucket, Merovingian style. Modern reproduction.

Merovingian beads.

Reliquary box, lid lost. 10th-11thC, cetacean bone.

Saint-Arnoul Elk Horn, c.1000AD (possibly older).


Reputed to have come from the ancient Saint-Arnoul Abbey in Metz, (subsequently owned by a Metz collector, a Parisian antique dealer, a Russian Prince, Tsar Alexander III, then a Dutch Banker), the elk is carved with a frieze incorporating lions, snakes, dragons and hybrid vcreatures in intricate scrollwork. According to Metz historians, the elk horn was believed to have been suspended from the vault of the funeral chapel of Emperor Louis the Pious (814-840), and believed to have been a symbol of power for the son and successor of Charlemagne.

The museum is built into a sprawling old monastery, it is enormous to get around.

Relief map of the city of Metz, c.1829-1850.

Underground cellar space housing GalleoRoman sculpture, sarcophagi and carvings.

After our wander through the museum, we had to find some lunch – at a French cafe of course.

Angus choosing a Poulet Cordon Bleu, and I went for the Steak Tartare! And of course, when in France, champagne with lunch. ❤️

The Cathedral dominates the town here, every direction you turn, you get another amazing view of it’s beautiful yellow limestone facades.

Stopped for a baguette (so Angus could make himself a proper jambon beurre later) and saw these cute chocolates – didn’t buy any, because chocolate, but thought they were cute.

Fort de Queuleu

Memorial to the Resistance and Deportation, inaugurated on 20 November 1977, when the fort became the property of the city of Metz.

Fort de Queuleu was built in 1868 when Lorraine was still under French rule, as part of a fortification system southeast of Metz. While construction was interrupted during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), it was continued and improved by the German Empire between 1872-1875 after they conquered the area and renamed it, Fort Goeben. It was then part of the first line of ring defence in the fortifications of Metz. It wasn’t operational during WWI as it had no strategic purpose and saw no military action at that time, but it was repurposed as a detention centre during WWII to house, detain and interrogate members of the French Resistance.

When the local Moselle valley was under German control during WWII the fort was being used by German occupiers as an internment camp (S Slonderlager) to house members of the French Resistance. The fort was called the “Hell of Queuleu” and while it wasn’t a concentration camp per se, it was used as an interrogation/torture centre for captures and arrested members of the Resistance.

Between 1500 and 1800 people were detained at Queuleu, and put under the command of one, Schutzstaffel Hauptscharfuhrer Georg Friedrich Hempen. 36 people died at the fort, and only four managed to escape via a ventilation shaft. Many well known resistance prisoners were held there – Joseph Derhan, Jean Burger and company. Almost all of the prisoners that were held there were transferred to concentration camps as the American forces approached Metz in 1944, and the fort was evacuated entirely by 17 August 1944, with people moved to Ravensbruck, Struthoh or Schirmeck.

This appeared to be a (rather disturbing) art project from a local school. It’s a Jewish child cuddling a teddy bear made entirely out of bullet casings.

Outside, Fort Queuleu now seems primarily repurposed as, dare I say it, some sort of summer camp where school kids come to recreate and get a bit of uncomfortable history smashed into them. There are accomodations here, hiking trials, playgrounds and all sorts.

Thus endeth out day in Metz, and onwards to Luxembourg we went.

Still in Bruges

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Today was mostly work, but we did find time to pop out for some breakfast – I had a waffle and realised I have never had one before. Not in a restaurant, not on a cruise ship, not at home… it was ridiculously sweet.

There are loads of waffle houses here, so you can pick and choose by Google ratings which one you want to visit.

Sweet and savoury offerings at this place.

After breakfast we went back to the hotel and worked until about 4pm when we went out to find a drink by the canal and watch the world go by. We ended up at Jan Van Eyck Square in a tapas bar? Ok.

There’s some cool civic art in these old cities and then some weird civic art in these old cities.

The Bruges Belfry that was built in the 13thC is 83m tall and is one of the three iconic towers of Bruges, (this and the Church of Our Lady and the St Salvator’s Catheral). There are 366 steps to climb to the top to see the famous views of the city. At the top, there is an enormous impressive music roller that controls the carillon, and a lower room where there is a keyboard which the carillon bells are played with now – since we got here, I’ve been wondering who I write to, to ask them to stop playing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ on the damn bells! Seems such a weird fucking choice, but it here it is, every hour on the hour.

Mr K went for the walk up the top to check out the view for me… no way my knee is having any part of this.

On the way up, is the city’s schatzkammer – or the imperial treasury. Here is where the city hallmarks, the city seal and the city treasury were kept in the Middle Ages… in a teeny tiny coffer, they’d have us believe.

The views look amazing.

The carillon mechanisms.

Back on the ground, we went to find a place for dinner and ended up at a Flemish restaurant (after vaguely toying with the idea of going for sushi, lol) called Vlaminck.

The food was delicious. Beef carpaccio, cheese croquettes, the obligatory frites and the Flemish stew was the best one we have tried.

Dubrovnik

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So I’m really looking forward to going to Dubrovnik, when I was last in the Mediterranean back in 2016, I was quite disappointed that our itinerary wasn’t going to make it to Dubrovnik, but here I am back again. We were heading in particularly early today as there were many from our group going on a boat cruise this afternoon.

Now I am really wishing I had gotten to Dubrovnik years ago… Game of Thrones references everywhere are really disappointing in an ancient city that has so much history. Feels like the shops and restaurants even are totally catering to popular culture hounds instead of people who used to come here for the history of this medieval walled city. :/ Shops lining the Main Street, mostly selling either gelato or souvenirs. I’m just not sure I need a Peter Dinklage “I drink and I know things” t-shirt as a souvenir of Dubrovnik, you know? It’s kinda weird how they’ve co-op’d the franchise so hard. The city is still beautiful though and the worn smooth cobbles are incredible. The whole inner city is pedestrians only which makes for a nice change to dodging Vespers and cabbies. I love European women – they’re unapologetically themselves. <3 Some of the dross in the shops that wasn’t GoT. And I walked into this candy store, but mostly out of curiosity – the entire shop had bees buzzing around it – and many of the piles of confectionery had actually bees on the lollies. As far as I know, bees don’t carry germs around with them, but I’m not sure I want a bag of sweets that has had bees climbing all over it? I’m assuming they’re not a problem as the shop owners were making zero efforts to keep them out or shoo them off. Decided to stop for some lunch at a lovely cafe with a view… could have been the alcohol, or might have been the scenery and the company, but I think this was one of the nicest meals we’ve had since we started this trip.Marinara pasta and a huge mojito! Just what you need in the middle of an intense few days of walking. It was delicious even if I couldn’t finish it. Angus of course ordered a hamburger. 🙂

The view from the cafe. After lunch, we met back up with the group and head down to the Marina to get a boat cruise over to one of the islands. I fear the term ‘boat cruise’ means something different in Croatian to Australian as I was expecting us to be pottering about on the boat for a few hours, lazily taking in the beautiful blues of the Adriatic… whereas in reality, it was a quick ferry ride to a nearby island that has 1) a simple taverna, 2) a fancy over the top exclusive resort and 3) a famous nudist beach. So I think you can guess how I chose to spend my afternoon… ‘Another G&T please!’ 🙂The guys from the boat found a spot to swim – was very glad I hung back with our Icelandic friend Ingie, as there was zero shade to be had over there and the rocks for a beach is not my idea of ‘beach’… Australians have always been kinda spoilt in the beach department. At least two sunburned peoples on the boat on the way back.

After our little boat trip – and my three G&Ts, we went back to Trebinje for the night. Everyone was exhausted. Simon was attempting to recommend a restaurant, but most of us went flop and had dinner on the patio at the hotel restaurant. It was pretty good too – dinner for two plus drinks about AUD$32.

Tomorrow – Kotor!