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Sumerian antiquities at the Louvre – 2

Sumerian seals were typically cylindrical, although simple square and cubical seals are also known. All a trader had to do was to run the seal across the clay sealing the merchandise while it was still wet and everyone would know its owner.

Frankish antiquities at the Louvre – 4

Such intricately carved examples of drinking horns, it is hard to believe that these are over a millennium old!

Frankish antiquities at the Louvre – 3

In an era of uncertainty and increasing poverty and hardship, gold got increasingly concentrated in the hands of the church, leading to such extravagant constructs as this reliquary, one of hundreds built during the latter half of the first millennium ACE and well into the second, to house the relics (bones, limbs, blood, ashes what … Continue reading →

Frankish antiquities at the Louvre – 2

Frankish antiquities at the Louvre – 1

My posts haven’t been regular in coming in, and I have not posted pics in any chronological order. I wandered from one room to another, one section to another randomly; I marveled at all that I saw, and I felt like a time-traveler with a time machine whose buttons stuck at times, throwing me into … Continue reading →

Medieval Arms at the Louvre – 5

Flintlock pistols and muskets manufactured by Bertrand Piraube, France’s leading gun-maker in the 17th century. His works were sought after by Europe’s royalty and are today some of the most prized firearms among collectors and museums across the world. Seeing the quality of the product and the details, it is not hard to understand why … Continue reading →

Medieval Arms at the Louvre – 4

As a kid, reading the Three Musketeers and similar fiction, I used to wonder why they were called powder “horns”. Over time, I guess, I stopped thinking about it completely. Much later I found out that they were made of animal horns. These exquisite samples reminded me of childhood in an odd way. The carvings … Continue reading →

Medieval Arms at the Louvre – 3

Medieval Arms at the Louvre – 2

Medieval Arms at the Louvre – 1

The armoury section at the Louvre is not a large one; that is fitting, given how much else they have to share with the world. The beauty of the pieces on display though is remarkable indeed.