Ah, The Wallace Collection! Even as I contemplate only tackling the highlights, the vastness of this collection overwhelms me and I know that it is a practically impossible task.
Still, today I am in London and, after a long, long time, have returned to my favorite museum. Although I do love a good museum and have been fortunate enough to have browsed through many a fine collection, The Wallace Collection is firmly at the top of my list. So I am certainly not going to let a little thing like whittling the collection down to a select few get me down. And so, I begin.
Oriental Armoury
The Oriental armoury section contains East European, Turkish and Indo-Persian arms, armour and works of art. The style is distinctly different from the Western European armour section, more colorful and decorative in a different way.
This particular type of helmet, known as khula khud, originated in Central Asia. They were worn by soldiers of the Persian Empire during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The bowl shape of the helmet was designed as either low and flat, or high and pointed and they were primarily made of steel. This particular example has gold, brass and textile embellishments although there are a lot more examples in the collection.
This sword hilt is highly decorated depicting both a hand and fish. This particularly elaborate example appears to be produced with enameling.
Good To Know
The Wallace Collection was established in 1897 from the private collection of the Marquesses of Hertford. Although he was illegitimate, Sir Richard Wallace, whom the collection was named for, inherited the collection and the house from his father the 4th Marquee. It was Sir Richard’s widow who bequeathed the collection to the British nation and a few years later the state purchased the house such that the collection remained on display here. The Wallace Collection opened to the public in 1900.
See some of the other rooms in The Wallace Collection or explore another of my favorite museums:
- European Armoury II
- East Gallery II
- The Front State Room
- Manolo Blahnik: An Enquiring Mind
- The Smoking Room
- National Museum of Beirut
- Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar
- National Gallery of Australia
Would I Return?
Yes. Absolutely and unequivocally yes.
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