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Presentation
Egypt’s Dispersed Heritage
Join us to hear about the project ‘Egypt’s Dispersed Heritage: Views from Egypt’ from our visiting Egyptian collaborators, researcher Heba Abd el Gawad and webcomic artist Mohammed Nasser, in conversation with curator Margaret Maitland.Maitland, Margaret
museum, storytelling, Egyptian archaeology, Egyptian heritage, comics, and Decolonization
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Journal article
Not so hidden messages
The written word is a powerful and persuasive tool that can inspire and revolt in equal measure. Equally, jewellery has the power to spread messages and has been used for generations to declare an individual’s position of allegiance or defiance. By incorporating a message, slogan or symbol, a jewel becomes...Rothwell, Sarah
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Abstract
Fractured mountains: quartz crystals and the Cairngorms
Dr Sarah Laurenson is Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary History and Head of the Modern and Contemporary History Section. She is responsible for the Scottish collections representing cultural, social, political, military and domestic history from c.1750 to the present.Laurenson, Sarah
collections, Scottish material culture, mountains, fragmented objects , research, natural environment, and mineralogy
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Book
The material landscapes of Scotland’s jewellery craft, 1780-1914
During the long 19th century, Scotland was home to an established body of skilled jewellers who were able to access a range of materials from the country's varied natural landscape: precious gold and silver; sparkling crystals and colourful stones; freshwater pearls, shells and parts of rare animals. Following these materials...Laurenson, Sarah
contemporary collecting, crafts, precious metals, Scotland, jewellery, natural environment, and material culture
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Interactive resource
Scottish material culture in historical coronations
On 6 May Charles III’s coronation will take place in Westminster Abbey – where English monarchs have been crowned since at least the 11th century. But Charles is not just king of England, he is king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as fourteen...Wyld, Helen
Scottish Material Culture, Coronations, Politics and Society, Fashion And Textiles, and Kings and Queens
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Blog post
The Majestic and the Mundane the material culture of coronations
With the approaching coronation of King Charles III, Georgia Vullinghs, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary History, has been looking at our collections of coronation material. From batons of ceremony and containers for holy oils, to souvenir cups, handkerchiefs, and biscuit tins, this range of material performs an important function...Vullinghs, Georgia
Coronation, Royal History , Scottish History, Politics, and Collections
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Blog post
The Black Watch at National Museum of Scotland
Rosie Waine is the William Grant Foundation Research Fellow at the National Museum of Scotland. Here she writes how the Black Watch Museum & Castle collection contributed to the exhibition she has curated called Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland. -
Journal article
History in the balance: a newly-discovered Anglo-Saxon runic inscription from Croy, Highland
A recent reassessment of the National Museums Scotland’s Viking-age collections revealed a new runic inscription from a previously overlooked scrap of copper alloy. The Croy Hoard is a mixed collection of objects deposited in the late 9th century AD, not far from what is now Inverness Airport. The Hoard was...Maldonado, Adrián
Old English rune, Viking-age collections, Anglo-Saxon runes, Early Medieval Scotland, Runic inscription, The Croy Hoard, and Bronze balance beam
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Journal article
Newly-discovered pilgrim souvenirs fit for a saintly queen
Lydia Prosser and Robert Webley take a look at the implications of the exciting discovery of a pair of medieval Scottish pilgrim badges. How did these items find their way to Cambridgeshire and what can this tell us about the use of such badges in the Middle Ages?Prosser, Lydia ; Webley, Robert
cult, metal detecting, Medieval Scotland, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, pilgrim badges, Portable Antiquities Scheme, and Saint Margaret of Scotland
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Lecture
Displaying ‘National’ Antiquities in the mid-19th century: Scotland, England and Ireland
This lecture will compare the mid-19th century classification and display strategies of the museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland with the British Museum and the museum of the Royal Irish Academy. Museum displays ‘perform’ meaning through labels, catalogues and physical arrangements. A comparison of such displays reveals the...Holder, Julie
classification and display strategies, Ireland, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, England, 19th century, British Museum, Royal Irish Academy, and Scotland
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Journal article
Framing colonial war loot: The ‘captured’ spolia opima of Kunwar Singh
This article investigates the provenance of four artefacts associated with the military commander Kunwar Singh (1777–1858), who fought a guerrilla campaign against the British during the Indian Uprising of 1857–8. By analysing how these objects were documented and inscribed, it can be shown that, through the invocation of what is... -
Presentation
Scottish Weapons: crafting and collecting identity
Join our conversation on the issues of provenance, repatriation, collections, and collecting practices, explored through the lens of material culture. This roundtable brings together researchers to discuss these topics as they pertain to the theme of object biographies from the experience of their various professional backgroundsRobertson, Calum
arms and armour , Scottish Weapons, crafting and collecting identity, national collections, and National War Museum Scotland
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Lecture
'The Viking-age Reuse of Insular Metalwork From Northern Britain'
The looting of Christian shrines and reliquaries in the Viking Age is so well-documented that it has been reduced to a cartoonish vision of pillaging heathens. A close look at the evidence for such ‘looting’ tells a different story – or rather a number of different stories. A recent reassessment... -
Lecture
Re-framing Mary: audience-focused collecting and display
During the life of the RSE project, and following the acquisition of the Mary Queen of Scots casket, National Museums Scotland re-framed the narrative it tells of Mary in the Chambers Street museum. This talk explores the museum’s role in mediating narratives of Mary’s life and impact, to argue that...Groundwater, Anna
casket, material culture, Mary, Queen of Scots, and museum collecting, interpretation and display
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Lecture
Highland Style: Fashioning Highland Dress, c.1745-1845
he period c.1745-1845 was a revolutionary chapter in the history of Highland dress. With the advent of the European Romantic movement, this once regional costume was revived and reinvented to reflect the changing times and preoccupations of its wearers. Associated with the warrior culture of Gaelic society, by the close...Waine, Rosie
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Lecture
The Traprain Treasure – latest research on a remarkable Roman silver hoard
The Roman Treasure from Traprain Law Excavated on Traprain Law in May 1919, this was one of the most spectacular discoveries of Roman silver ever made in Europe – and the biggest hoard found to date of ‘hacksilver’: 23kg, battered, crushed and chopped-up silver vessels. An international team of scholars...Hunter, Fraser
Late Roman Hoard, Traprain Law, East Lothian, hacksilver, elite tableware, and Silver Treasure
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Lecture
Viking Panic? Looking for the 9-12th centuries in Argyll
The story of early medieval Argyll is told through overarching narratives: the arrival of the Scots of Dál Riata; incoming missionaries in the age of saints; and the invasions of the Vikings. A recent reassessment of the National Museums Scotland collections from this period emphasises how material culture tells a... -
Presentation
Details on the Textiles in St John's Collection
Taking inspiration from the college's unique gallery of stunning medieval vestments, this conference will feature two day's worth of speakers and presenters. These presentations will be enriched by displays from both the college and Bodleian Library archives as well as a dynamic exhibition of works created during the conference workshops.Wyld, Helen ; Brooks, Mary
textiles, medieval, and church vestments
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Lecture
The Art of Tapestry
On day 1 you will hear from experts in the field and find out more about the Burrell Collection tapestries and Medieval and Renaissance Tapestries in general. We will also document and discuss the artistic value, nature, and identity of 21st century tapestry as a distinctive Scottish art form with...Wyld, Helen
Renaissance , Medieval , and European Tapestries
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Magazine article
'Mary, Queen of Scots' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Groundwater, Anna
Women's History Month, The Mary, Queen of Scots Casket, tomb, Monarchy, and Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587)
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Magazine article
'Phoebe Anna Traquair' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Blakey, Claire
Scottish Arts and Crafts movement, Women's History Month, and Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852-1936)
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Blog post
Inspiring Women: Helen Monro Turner
Helen Monro Turner (1901 – 1977) was a hugely influential Scottish glass engraver, designer, educator, and illustrator, as well as a highly respected role model for women pursuing careers as glass artists, designers, and makers. Her prominence in 20th century British glass made important inroads in a field which, until...Rothwell, Sarah
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Book chapter
The Matter of Slavery at National Museums Scotland
In the ‘Industry and Empire’ gallery of the National Museum of Scotland (NMS) in Edinburgh sits a gleaming cup of white porcelain, resting on its saucer. Text rendered in black lettering around the body of the cup reads: ‘and so it was that those long sea/journeys became yonder awa awa’....Laurenson, Sarah
Colonial Histories and Legacies, Slavery, Scotland, and Industry and Empire
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Abstract
Exploring literal and conceptual fragmentation through medieval material culture
This paper will explore meaning-rich fragmentation in a medieval context and suggest that relevant theoretical frameworks may be enriched by thinking about different kinds of deconstruction. The breaking and remaking of Christian reliquaries provide one opportunity – viewing things like the Monymusk reliquary not as one object but as many...Blackwell, Alice
Monymusk reliquary , fragmentation, Christian reliquaries, Archaeology, and deconstruction
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Abstract
Presenting a complex hoard deposit – the Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard is the focus of an ongoing research project at National Museums Scotland examining a complex Viking-age deposit composed of multiple parcels, with organic preservation and a variety of materials (gold, silver, copper-alloy, glass, rock crystal, minerals, leather, wood, wool, silk, linen, and animal gut). There may be...Goldberg, Martin
Viking-age hoards, Galloway Hoard , rock crystal, minerals, wool, research project, wood, animal gut, silk, linen, gold, copper-alloy, leather, silver, and glass
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Abstract
The long, strange journey of Viking-Age ringed pins
Ringed pins are the calling card of the Viking Age in Britain and Ireland: small, low-value metal cloak fasteners, found in dressed burials, and frequently encountered as stray finds. They have a complex trajectory, beginning as Irish dress items in the pre-Viking period. From the middle of the ninth century,...Maldonado, Adrián
Ireland, Scandinavia, burials, diaspora, Iceland, Newfoundland, Britain, Viking Age , Dublin, Ringed pins, and Irish Sea trading settlements
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Doctoral thesis
The typewriter trade in Scotland, from the 1870s to 1920s
This thesis explores the typewriter trade in Scotland from the 1870s to the 1920s. It analyses the businesses and individuals involved in the marketing, sale and use of writing machines, revealing the processes by which typewriters went from little known novelties in the mid-1870s to essential technologies for commercial and...Inglis, James
Typewriter , Scotland, Office, Commercial education, Technology, Shorthand, Women's employment, 19th century, Exhibitions, 20th century, Retail, and Typing
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Lecture
Preserving What Is Valued
Heather Richardson discusses historic examples of repair and mending in the collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum and National Museums of Scotland in her presentation, “Preserving What Is Valued”Richardson, Heather
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Magazine article
The Seafield Collection: A unique collection of arms and armour in Scotland
Within the imposing setting of Fort George in the Scottish Highlands, an impressive collection of weaponry and equipment is displayed in the eighteenth century Grand Magazine (figure 1). All the objects on display relate to the short-lived service of units raised in the 1790s by the landowner, politician, and hereditary...Robertson, Calum
Clan Grant, Castle Grant, arms and armour, Scotland, digitisation, and Seafield Collection
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Doctoral thesis
Understanding colour in Renaissance embroidery: new analytical approaches
Historical objects are often a reflection of the time they were created. Depending on the nature of the object, they can give insight into the necessities, fashion trends and mentality of the time they were used. To expand the information received from historic objects, scientific techniques can be applied, which... -
Journal article
Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard
Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard is a three-year UK Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) project (2021- 2024) which aims to challenge current understanding of the process of hoarding through an interdisciplinary study of one of the best-preserved hoards found in Britain to date.Harris, Susanna ; Goldberg, Martin
textiles, leather, golf, Galloway Hoard, organic and inorganic artefacts, and silver
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Blog post
Objects in Place: The Eildon Hills, Scottish Borders
The might of the Roman Empire is often likened to a shadow looming over the peoples along its ever-expanding frontiers. Yet, there is one place where this metaphor is inverted. As the winter sun sets behind the three peaks of the Eildon Hills in the Scottish Borders, it is the...Weinczok, David C
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Book chapter
Southern art on the northern frontier: a remarkable Iron Age harness fitting from Doune Roman fort
In 2010 excavations within the Flavian fort of Doune (Stirling) uncovered a remarkable bronze strap junction with red glass inlay, decorated in styles of Celtic art typical of southern Britain rather than its immediate environs (Figure 1). Unfortunately, post excavation funding for this phase of the work was not forthcoming...Hunter, Fraser
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Podcast
Iona and the Vikings: how raids on Iona introduced a new age
In this week’s episode of the podcast, Jackie discovers what brought the invaders from the north to Scotland, and what encouraged them to stay. Joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado, the Glenmorangie Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland and an expert in the Scottish Viking Age, Jackie looks at how the...Bird, Jackie ; Maldonado, Adrián
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Podcast
Galloway Hoard
In September 2014, a metal detectorist discovered the rarest collection of Viking-age objects ever found to date in Britain. The Galloway hoard displays a remarkable variety of material and treasures, not only from the United Kingdom but as far as central Asia. In this episode, Dr. Martin Goldberg, the Senior...Goldberg, Martin ; Jarman, Cat
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Book chapter
The Viking-Age Silver and Gold of Scotland
The Viking Age in Scotland reviews two decades of research that have taken place since the last archaeological survey of the Vikings in Scotland, published in 1998. Advances in scientific analysis have greatly improved our understanding of Scandinavian daily life between the late eighth and fifteenth centuries, and new discoveries...Goldberg, Martin
Archaeology, Scotland, Migration , Economy , Viking, Burial, Settlement, and Norse
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Journal article
Textiles in a Viking Age hoard: Identifying ephemeral traces of textiles in metal corrosion products
This paper presents a novel method and terminology to identify and describe textiles from ephemeral traces in metal corrosion products. Since the 1980s, mineralised textiles (positive and negative casts in Janaway’s terminology) have been an important source of archaeological evidence. A major issue now is the identification of textiles in...Davis, Mary ; Harris, Susanna
Textile , Mineralisation, Silver, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Microscopy, Copper corrosion, Viking age, and Anglo-Saxon
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Presentation
Loyal Exchange: the material and visual culture of Jacobite exile, c.1716 - c.1760
‘Exile’ was fundamental to shaping the experience of Jacobitism – loyalty to the Stuart dynasty – during the eighteenth century. This talk considers how the Stuarts and their supporters used material and visual culture to negotiate exile and absence. Expanding on the work of Edward Corp, it explores the physical...Vullinghs, Georgia
exile, network of exchange, Stuarts , Jacobitism, and material culture
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Blog post
An Edinburgh institution: Jenners in our collections and archives
With the approach of Christmas and festive shopping reaching a frenzy, this is the perfect time to revisit the history of an Edinburgh icon – Jenners department store. At National Museums Scotland we hold the Jenners Archive along with several objects from Jenners that have entered the museum’s collection. Join...Holder, Julie
Fashion, British, Retail history, Womenswear, Shopping history, Department stores, 20th century, Jenners, Edinburgh, Women's, Christmas, 21st century, 19th century, and Department store
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Presentation
The Art of Tapestry: In Conversation
Join Helen Wyld for the launch of her book The Art of Tapestry in conversation with Dovecot Studios Director Celia Joicey Tapestry expert Helen Wyld presents the first accessible publication on the history of tapestry in over two decades. Helen offers a fresh perspective on the history of tapestry across...Wyld, Helen
Craft, English tapestry, Tapestry design, Method, Weaving, English, National Trust, Material culture, Tapestry history, Production, European tapestry, and Tapestry
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Lecture
An unpublished cartoon fragment from the Triumphs of Scipio, and the role of England in disseminating Italian tapestry design
Convegno internazionale organizzato dai professori Guy Delmarcel e Koenraad Brosens (KU Leuven), in collaborazione con l'Academia Belgica, 25-26 ottobre 2022 Nell'ottobre 2021 ci ha lasciato Nello Forti Grazzini, riconosciuto a livello internazionale per i suoi studi sugli arazzi antichi. Forti Grazzini ha dedicato numerose pubblicazioni fondamentali agli arazzi dei Paesi...Wyld, Helen
Italien tapestry , Tapestry design, Trade, Tapestry cartoons, Weaving, Artistic relations , Triumphs of Scipio, Italy, European tapestry, and Tapestry
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Conference paper (unpublished)
William Morris and La Vie Seigneuriale: New light on the revival of tapestry weaving in England
The artist and designer William Morris taught himself to weave in 1879 and went on to produce some of the most celebrated tapestries of the 19th century. But how far can Morris’s writings on the revival of Medieval craft be accepted as the ethos behind his tapestries? Previously overlooked evidence...Wyld, Helen
English tapestry, La Vie Seigneuriale , Tapestry, William Morris, Weaving, England, Medieval craft revival, European tapestry, 19th century , and Arts and crafts
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Book chapter
The shanghai dandy: Men in the city
Styling Shanghai is the first book dedicated to exploring the city's fashion cultures, examining its growing status as one of the world's foremost fashion cities. From its origins as an international treaty port in the 19th century, Shanghai has emerged as a global leader in the production, mediation and consumption...Breward, Christopher
Asian fashion, Gender, Menswear, Fashion, Chinese fashion, Shanghai , Masculinity, Men's fashion, Styling, and Urban fashion
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Book chapter
Introduction
Styling Shanghai is the first book dedicated to exploring the city's fashion cultures, examining its growing status as one of the world's foremost fashion cities. From its origins as an international treaty port in the 19th century, Shanghai has emerged as a global leader in the production, mediation and consumption...Breward, Christopher
Urban fashion, Fashion, Textile manufacturing, Styling, Gender in fashion, Asian fashion, Shanghai , and Chinese fashion
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Book
The art of tapestry
Extensively illustrated, this is the first accessible publication on the history of tapestry in over two decades. Woven with dazzling images from history, mythology and the natural world, and breath-taking in their craftsmanship, tapestries were among the most valuable and high-status works of art available in Europe from the medieval... -
Book chapter
Monochrome Man
At a moment of unprecedented creativity in men’s fashion, and continuing reflections on gender, contemporary designers are questioning established forms, seeking to liberate wearers from traditional models of masculine dress. This book combines fashion with artistic and broader cultural histories – looking at the designers, tailors and artists who have... -
Journal article
Scottish heart brooches a re-evaluation of the luckenbooth
This article presents a study of Scottish heart brooches, primarily from the 18th century, using the collections of the National Museums Scotland, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the Highland Folk Museum and those reported to the Treasure Trove Unit. By researching over 350 heart brooches it has been possible to...McGill, Lyndsay
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Lecture
Buying Power: Archaeologists as Dealers in Egypt and Sudan
Exhibitions and displays of Egyptian objects in museums across the world continue to inspire awe and fascination for millions of visitors. As museums tell the stories of the ancient world, they also tell their own collecting stories of how the objects came to be part of their collections. These narratives...Potter, Daniel
Dealers, Collections, Archaeology, Antiquities, Sudan, John Garstang, Edwin Ward, Charles Trick Currelly, Egypt, and William Matthew Flinders Petrie
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Book chapter
The suit, perfection for purpose
Fashion has been discussed, questioned, criticised and admired for centuries, often without the historical knowledge of how or why it takes the form it does. This applies above all to menswear, since fashion has often been associated primarily with women’s fashion. In historical terms, fashion from the 18th century onwards...Breward, Christopher
masculinity, mens fashion history, fashion culture, fashion history, cultural anthropology , fashion, and menswear
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Presentation
Guest Curator at Craft Scotland Conference 2022 - The Power of Glass Symposium at the National Museum of Scotland
Sarah Rothwell is the Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design, in the Department of Global Arts, Cultures and Design at National Museums Scotland (NMS). Where she is responsible for the British, European and other 'Western' glass, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery and industrial design circa 1945-present collections. Her research focuses on...Rothwell, Sarah
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Exhibition-related event
Bernat Klein
Bernat Klein had a visionary career spanning four decades, from the 1950s until his retirement in 1992. Based in the Scottish Borders, his radical use of colour blending and texture – inspired by the Scottish Borders landscape – transformed haute couture, home-made fashions and interior design. Lisa Mason will discuss...Mason, Lisa
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Exhibition-related event
Spotlight On: Bernat Klein
Inspired by our exhibition, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour, curator Lisa Mason discusses Bernat Klein’s legacy and how his design philosophy can influence personal style, colour psychology and wellbeing today.Mason, Lisa
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Newspaper article
Shedding new light on some of Scotland's greatest Roman silver treasures - Dr Fraser Hunter
One of the greatest treasures on display in the National Museum of Scotland is the late Roman silver hoard from Traprain Law in East Lothian, which fills three cases in the Early People gallery. Found in excavations in 1919, it’s been on display pretty much constantly since 1920. Now, more...Hunter, Fraser
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Lecture
Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard contains an unusual variety of materials and artefact types beyond the silver bullion so often found in Viking-age hoards. The find included heirlooms, ecclesiastical items (one of which names a previously unknown Northumbrian bishop), and the rare preservation of organic materials wrapping parcels and distinct groups. A...Goldberg, Martin
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Podcast
The Galloway Hoard
Listen in as Dr Adrián Maldonado and Dr Tim Carlisle discuss: ‘What is a hoard?’ and ‘what makes The Galloway Hoard so unique?’Maldonado, Adrián ; Carlisle, Tim
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Lecture
A shot in the arm for QR Codes in museums
QR codes in museums & galleries draw strong reactions from many in the GLAM community. The COVID pandemic has given these little black & white squares shot in the arm, but how can museums ensure they’re used considerately and enhance the visitor experience? Adam Coulson has been testing out how...Coulson, Adam
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Blog post
The Jenners Archive: your ultimate guide to unrationed chic
The Second World War was a time of clothes rationing. We hold the Jenners Archive in the museum’s library which documents the clothes that were available. Library Assistant Linden Williamson delves into the archive to guide us through the fashion trends of the day through the eyes of a housewife... -
Video
Robert Burns on film
As part of Burns&Beyond 2021 celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns with curator Dr Calum Robertson and objects from our collection.Robertson, Calum
Music and performance, Belief, Military, Books and printing , Film , Scottish History and Archaeology , and Ceramic and glass
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Journal article
William Littler in West Pans; His Marriage to Jane Booth
The hamlet of West Pans, 1 1/4miles east-north-east of Musselburgh on the south side of the Firth of Forth, included a rocky foreshore on which stood the saltpans from which the name is derived. However, it is not just salt production there from at least the 12th century, but the...Haggarty, George R ; Gaskell, Tony
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Book
Little black dress: a radical fashion
In 1926, Coco Chanel designed a simple, short black dress described in American Vogue as 'the frock that the entire world will wear'. This lavishly illustrated book with contributions from experts explores interpretations of the 'LBD' throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.Ripley, Georgina
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Late antique Scotland: The earliest Christians in Galloway
This paper will cover the evidence for the arrival of Christianity in south-west Scotland, in particular focusing on new research on Kirkmadrine and Whithorn. It is argued that the missionary model for conversion to Christianity is insufficient, and explores other archaeological evidence for contacts between this region and the late...Maldonado, Adrián
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Abstract
At the edge of the waterscape: Interaction at the boundaries between drainage basins in early prehistoric Britain and Ireland
River catchments and drainage basins are being increasingly used as units of ecological and socio-political organisation. There is also ample evidence in the archaeological record that knowledge of drainage basins was important in the past. This paper will explore a wide array of archaeological evidence that the watershed boundaries of...Goldberg, Martin
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Abstract
Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard: Object Biographies in the Galloway Hoard
The stereotype of Viking-age hoards in Britain is that they are products of an international context of mobility, migration and raiding, buried at times of stress or under duress. Initially heralded as a ‘Viking’ hoard par excellence, the ongoing conservation and research on the Galloway Hoard from southwest Scotland continues...Goldberg, Martin ; Davis, Mary
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Book chapter
Technical case studies of particular vessel types
The objects in the Traprain Law hoard have been grouped according to their shape and function. The characteristics and construction of each major group are discussed below, with examples. Radio-graphs referenced here can be found in the Catalogue section.Lang, Janet ; Troalen, Lore
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Book chapter
The technology of the Traprain Treasure
When the hoard was first found, according to Alexander Curle, the metal was greyish-brown and 'appeared to be embedded in a purple paste'.Troalen, Lore ; Lang, Janet
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Book chapter
Insights from unidentified fragments
Alexander Curle's published catalogue consists of 152 entries, which correlate directly with National Museums Scotland catalogue nos GVA 1-152. His entry 144 is for a 'collection of irregularly-shaped fragments of undecorated, thin pieces of plate which has probably broken off platters or other flat dishes.Hunter, Fraser
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Presentation
Jacobite material culture
Vullinghs, Georgia
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Blog post
The many lives of the Traprain Treasure’s Roman silver
One of the greatest treasures of our museum is the late Roman silver hoard from Traprain Law in East Lothian, which fills three display cases in the Early People gallery. Found in excavations in 1919, it’s been on display pretty much constantly since 1920. Now, more than a century after...Hunter, Fraser
Traprain Treasure, Silver, and Roman
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Lecture
From Gaul to Galloway: Early Celtic Art and Iron Age Connections
Galloway has produced remarkable treasures of early Celtic art such as the Torrs pony cap, found near Castle Douglas, but their stories are little known. Fraser Hunter, principal curator of prehistoric and Roman archaeology at National Museums Scotland, uses art and archaeology as witnesses to the area’s ancient past. How...Hunter, Fraser
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Lecture
Dressing the cultural imaginary: whose ‘gypsy’?
Emily Taylor and Benjamin Wild discuss the collector Charles W. Stewart.Tayor, Emily ; Wild, Benjamin Linley
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Confronting colonial histories and legacies in Egyptian and Sudanese collections at National Museums Scotland
Maitland, Margaret
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Not So Hidden Messages – an Exploration of Contemporary Artist Jewellers Using Text as Persuasive Statement
Rothwell, Sarah
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Conference paper (unpublished)
The Body Beautiful: Addressing Cultural Diversity in Museum Fashion Collections
Collecting as a practice and the collections that result from this practice are crucial for museums. Collecting and collections embody power on many different levels – providing insights and basic knowledge, illustrating specific practices of our work to the widest audiences, and forming a basis for contextualizing our world. How...Ripley, Georgina
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Lecture
Insights into the Dan Klein Collection
The British Museums Object Conservator Stefka Bargazova and National Museums Scotland Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design Sarah Rothwell join us to discuss the Dan Klein Conservation Project, a wonderful collaborative project that they initiated in 2017 that brought conservators, curators, and practitioners together to share their knowledge to...Bargazova, Stefka ; Rothwell, Sarah
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Journal article
Nouveaux départs ? Écrire l’histoire de l’art par ses déplacements
Depuis une dizaine d’années, on observe un glissement dans l’historiographie française des institutions culturelles et dans les études sur la vie sociale et culturelle des œuvres. Dans le cadre d’une histoire classique des collections, qui perçoit l’artefact surtout à travers la formation des collections privées et publiques, des logiques de... -
Journal article
An exhibition like no other
IN AUTUMN 1961, THE DOORS OF GOLDSMITHS’ HALL opened for an exhibition like no other. This, according to the late Graham Hughes, Art Director of the Goldsmiths’ Company and curator of the show, was to be ‘an art exhibition of a high order, intended to raise the standing of jewellery...Rothwell, Sarah
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Journal article
Matriarchal Journeys: Identity and Generational Exchange in the Travels of Lady Grisell Baillie and Margaret Calderwood of Polton, <i>c.</i> 1730–1757
In 1731 Lady Grisell Baillie began a tour through Europe to Naples with her husband, two daughters, son-in-law and eldest granddaughter. Prompted by an order abroad for her son-in-law’s health, the journey to and from Naples took in cultural sites and offered unique opportunities for shopping. In 1756 Margaret Calderwood...Taylor, Emily
Scotland, women, dress, learning, shopping, and 18th century
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Journal article
Noninvasive Characterization and Quantification of Anthraquinones in Dyed Woolen Threads by Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy
The anthraquinone components of the roots of various species of madder (like Rubia tinctorum L. and Rubia peregrina L.) have been used for millennia as red colorants in textiles, carpets, tapestries, and other objects. To understand the selection and preparation of dyestuffs in various cultures and historical periods, these dyes...Chavanne, Clarisse ; Troalen, Lore G ; Fronty, Isabelle Bardies ; Buléon, Pascal ; Walter, Philippe
Dyes and pigments, Optical properties, Color, Extraction, and Liquid chromatography
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Blog post
Unwrapping stories revisiting the costume at Paxton House
Nestled on the bank of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, Paxton House is an eighteenth-century home and museum with exceptional collections. The Chippendale and Trotter furniture is recognised as being of international importance, and the building itself is Grade A listed. But what else lies hidden in storage?Tayor, Emily ; Murrell, Fiona Salvesen
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Lecture
Beyond Treasure: new findings from fieldwork on Scotland’s prehistoric hoards
Hoards evoke stories and generate questions: Why do people collect things, both now and in the past? How do ordinary things become treasured objects? And why do we find these discoveries so fascinating? Hoards help us imagine particular events – the moment of burial, the moment of discovery – but...Freeman, Emily ; Knight, Matthew
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Lecture
The Galloway Hoard latest findings
Hoards evoke stories and generate questions: Why do people collect things, both now and in the past? How do ordinary things become treasured objects? And why do we find these discoveries so fascinating? Hoards help us imagine particular events – the moment of burial, the moment of discovery – but...Goldberg, Martin
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Blog post
Collecting Scottish constitutional politics: 5 representative objects
Scottish politics is currently undergoing one of the most consequential and controversial periods in its modern history. Recently, important questions about the status of Scotland within a political union, the United Kingdom, have been posed. These politics are not only played out in formal debates and institutions, but in the...Vullinghs, Georgia
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Blog post
‘Woman’s dress of dark blue cotton, Ukraine, c.1880’: the complex reality behind a simple description
Alongside the human cost of conflict, the nihilistic destruction of centuries of historic heritage in Ukraine has provoked alarm, outrage and offers of support across the international museum sector. At the outset of hostilities, we looked to provide practical support where we could. For example, in the supply of wooden...Breward, Christopher
Dress , Russia , Ukraine, Embroidery , and Textiles
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Book chapter
Introduction
The period c.1745-1845 was a revolutionary chapter in the history of Highland dress. With the advent of the European Romantic movement, this once regional costume was revived and reinvented to reflect the changing times and preoccupations of its wearers. Associated with the warrior culture of Gaelic society, by the close...Waine, Rosie
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Book chapter
Foreword
The period c.1745-1845 was a revolutionary chapter in the history of Highland dress. With the advent of the European Romantic movement, this once regional costume was revived and reinvented to reflect the changing times and preoccupations of its wearers. Associated with the warrior culture of Gaelic society, by the close...Breward, Christopher