The Basiliscoe Mercury 302

The Internet newsletter for the arms and armour community

Sadly Margaret Vining of the Smithsonian died in the last month but she leaves a wonderful legacy. Otherwise another sword from a lake - this time in Sweden - Portuguese cannons, Welsh castles and the Eighty Years War.

Arms and armour in the news

Obituaries

Margaret Vining
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newbernsj/obituary.aspx?n=margaret-simmons-vining&pid=190411465
http://americanhistory.si.edu/profile/528

Ancient arms

90,000 year old stone knife out of Africa
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-bone-knife-hints-special-tools-appeared-early-africa

Horse and chariot found in Iron Age Yorkshire site
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/iron-age-horse-and-chariot-discovered-in-east-yorkshire-town-1-9376726

Roman legionaries graves found in Bulgaria?
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news%2C31093%2Cbulgaria-polish-archaeologists-discover-rich-graves-roman-period.html

This week swords in a lake - Swedish, pre-Viking
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45753455

Roman legionaries graves found in Bulgaria?
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news%2C31093%2Cbulgaria-polish-archaeologists-discover-rich-graves-roman-period.html

Grave stories

Grisly remains of the victims of Civil War 2000 years ago found in Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/mass-burial-site-uncovered-in-jerusalem-evidence-of-holy-kings-bloody-reign/

3D copy of the Man of Janisławice - oldest skeleton found in Poland http://disq.us/t/36tgb4x

Through the arrow-slit . . .

Investigating Offa’s Dyke and Chirk Castle
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45592682?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c1038wnxyy0t/archaeology&link_location=live-reporting-story

Update on excavations at Sheffield Castle
https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-castle-dig-shows-site-s-potential-as-new-finds-fire-public-imagination-1-9376227

Cannons to the left, cannon to the right

Genoese cannon in Spain
http://www.sansebastian1813.es/440786309

Piece on a 17th century Macao-Portuguese cannon in Oman
https://timesofoman.com/article/225395/Oman/17th-century-Portuguese-cannon-a-blast-at-National-Museum

British cast-iron cannon found in fort in Lahore
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1815411/1-inquiry-launched-cannons-discovered-lahore-fort/#

Back to the front

Update on Bosworth planning decision
https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/battle-bosworth-field-planning-historical-towton-sites-historians-george-goodwin-horiba-mira-car-track-archaeology/

80 years’ war from the Spanish point of view?
https://elpais.com/cultura/2018/09/30/actualidad/1538326311_241582.html

News from Culloden
https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/culloden-thanks-local-community-this-autumn

Exploring the lives of Fort Douglas’s 19th century soldiers
https://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=46395469

Living in the past

Medieval re-enactor killed in accident in Kentucky
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/107818079/medieval-reenactor-dies-after-2m-lance-spears-his-abdomen

Princesses and Amazons

Woman warriors of the ancient world
https://theconversation.com/warrior-women-despite-what-gamers-might-believe-the-ancient-world-was-full-of-female-fighters-104343

Nautical news

16th century Portuguese wreck found near Lisbon
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/24/400-year-old-ship-found-off-portuguese-coast-cascais

The truth about Edward Barlow - EICo sailor
http://artdaily.com/news/107992/British-curator-uncovers-rape-confession----300-years-on#.W7iH6jHQZ9A

More bits of HMS Severn found off New Jersey, lost 1804
https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2018/10/04/remnants-of-214-year-old-shipwreck-found-on-a-jersey-beach/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-45798633

Update on this season’s work on HMS Erebus
https://www.livescience.com/63704-franklin-expedition-artifacts-recovered.html

Diving Cornwall’s U-boats
https://divernet.com/2018/08/08/the-u-boat-coast/

Museum news and exhibitions

News

Store of Deutches Museum in Ingolstadt destroyed by fire
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/fire-consumes-depot-at-deutsches-museum

Updates from Rio fire
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/comment/rio-national-museum-fire-restoration
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/national-museum-in-rio-starts-rebuilding-efforts-with-temporary-exhibitions

New museums

Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, re-opens
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/sweden-s-biggest-museum-goes-free

Gallery of Japanese Culture re-opens in the British Museum
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/japanese-collection-back-on-show-from-armour-to-the-a-bomb

V&A Photography centre
https://museumcrush.org/va-photography-centre-one-of-the-most-inspiring-collections-of-photography-in-the-world/

Museum musings

British museum defends its collections against accusations of looting
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/oct/12/collected-histories-not-everything-was-looted-british-museum-defends-collections

What to do with the Berghof?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/25/what-to-do-about-hitler-alpine-retreat

Conservation corner

Conserving Breughel
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/death-triumphs-at-the-prado

Conserving a Japanese armour
https://blog.britishmuseum.org/conserving-a-suit-of-samurai-armour/

Exhibitions

Bellini and Mantegna in London
http://artdaily.com/news/108152/Exhibition-at-The-National-Gallery-presents-a-tale-of-two-artists--their-families-and-their-cities#.W7sUczHQZ9A

Oceanic art in London
http://artdaily.com/news/107939/Royal-Academy-of-Arts-opens-first-ever-major-survey-of-Oceanic-art-held-in-the-UK#.W7iKHDHQZ9A

The Tsars in London
http://artdaily.com/news/107818/New-exhibition-marking-100-years-since-the-death-of-Russia-s-last-Tsar-opens-at-the-Science-Museum#.W6nxBzHQZ9A

Roger Fenton’s Crimea War photographs in London
https://museumcrush.org/the-birth-of-war-photography-roger-fenton-and-the-crimean-war/

Unicorns in Paris
https://www.boutiquesdemusees.fr/fr/selection/magiques-licornes-5338/1/

Louis Phillipe in Versailles
https://www.boutiquesdemusees.fr/fr/selection/louis-philippe-versailles-5447/1/

80 Years’ War in Amsterdam
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/80-years-war

Brueghel in Vienna - a stunner!
http://artdaily.com/news/108018/Kunsthistorisches-Museum-opens-once-in-a-lifetime-Pieter-Bruegel-the-Elder-exhibition#.W7iHdDHQZ9A

History of embroidery at Winterhur
http://artdaily.com/news/108095/-Embroidery--The-Thread-of-History--at-Winterthur-explores-needlework-as-a-document-of-record#.W7iFxzHQZ9A

Royal British portraits at Houston
http://artdaily.com/news/108101/Unprecedented-loans-from-the-National-Portrait-Gallery--London--chronicle-500-years-of-the-British-monarchy-#.W7nBNzHQZ9A

Books

New publication from Ingolstadt
https://www.donaukurier.de/lokales/ingolstadt/In-neuem-Licht;art599,3941229

Books from the Rjiksmuseum
https://www.rijksmuseumshop.nl/en/books-and-dvd-s

Online book

Selection of arms and armour articles available till December
http://explore.tandfonline.com/page/ah/yaaa-15th-anniversary-vsi?platform=hootsuite

Popular Culture

Searching for the original Wolf Hall
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/oct/03/remains-of-real-wolf-hall-discovered-by-archaeologists-hilary-mantel-novel

Cai Guo-Qiang in Florence
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/chinese-artist-and-netflix-star-cai-guo-qiang-to-get-major-show-at-uffizi

Peter Jackson brings colour and sound to the First World War
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-45806234/the-lord-of-the-rings-director-peter-jackson-makes-ww1-in-colour

Rachel Whiteread’s 1918 memorial
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/rachel-whiteread-turns-a-nissen-hut-inside-out-for-her-first-uk-permanent-piece

Celebration of Where Eagles Dare
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/03/broadsword-calling-danny-boy-where-eagles-dare-geoff-dyer-review

Events

Sales Fairs and auctions

Lion of Punjab treasure leads Bonham’s Islamic and Indian Art sale in London http://artdaily.com/news/108258/Lion-of-Punjab-treasure-leads-Bonhams-Islamic-and-Indian-Art-sale-in-London#.W8BaLjHQZ9A

17 Oct 2018 London
The Marine Sale
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24654/

23 Oct 2018 London
Islamic and Indian Art including Sikh Treasures and Arts of the Punjab
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24624/

24 Oct 2018 Edinburgh
The Sporting Sale
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24759/

Catalogues for Hermann Historica autumn sale out
https://www.hermann-historica.de/en/Auktionen/Laufende

Websites and downloads
1066 etc

New website for Veste Coburg
https://www.kunstsammlungen-coburg.de/en/home/

Wallace Collection
https://www.wallacecollection.org/?gclid=CJKYnb63jsICFSX3wgod56QATg

News from Paris- latest edition
http://www.musee-armee.fr/fileadmin-cru-1539353676/user_upload/Documents/Echo-du-Dome/museearmee_echodudome_43.pdf

1066 etc: London guilds, Gawain, fighting clerics and Norwegian kings
http://www.medievalists.net/2018/10/the-importance-of-london-for-craft-and-industry-in-medieval-england/
http://www.medievalists.net/2018/10/gawain-scribe-also-artist/
http://www.medievalists.net/2018/10/medieval-church-military-power/
http://www.medievalists.net/2018/10/the-leaders-king-sverre-and-king-haakon/

Finally

This fortnight I’ll be tweeting pictures from Slovenia
https://twitter.com/Basiliscoe

Compiled by Ruth Rhynas Brown – 14 October 2018

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