Danish National Museum

After a morning at Amalienborg Palace, just mum and I, we have returned to the apartment to pick up the boys. We decide to head to the Danish National Museum for the afternoon – it’s close (as it’s raining), has a children’s section and we hope that it will hold their attention for at least a couple of hours.

When we arrive we are disappointed to learn that the children’s exhibitions are currently closed. This is both annoying and frustrating to find out once we are here, there was nothing on the internet to suggest this being the case. Still, with the weather, we have limited other options and so decide to press on regardless.

The Bronze Age

We split up – mum takes Harley and I go off with Jasper. Jasper and I begin in the Bronze Age (approximately 3000 – 600BC), the period where weapons, tools and ornaments were all made of bronze. At this time, we know of gold, but there are no silver objects known from this time. Frequently, bronze ornamentation takes the shape of wavy bands, circular shapes, spirals and double spirals.

During the period, amber, a hardened resin secreted by some types of trees was also used to make ornaments, particularly animal carvings. These small, intricate creations (for the time), could be strung to wear as amulets or pendants. Most often the creatures carved were those most prized in the area. In Northern Europe we find bears, swans and elk, those hunted for food, fur and feathers in the region. Hunters often had a special kinship and respect for the animals they hunted as many lives depended on the meat and by-products that the animals gave.

We look at these fantastic little amber figures as well as a few daggers and knives, some jewelry and ornaments and quickly move through to the Iron Age.

The Iron Age

As we move through the collections, we reach the Iron Age. This was a period that brought another significant transformation in the materials and craftsmanship of the ancient world. Iron gradually replaced bronze as the preferred metal for practical objects, particularly swords, knives, agricultural implements and other cutting tools. Artisans continued to use bronze for decorative pieces, jewellery and finely crafted utensils. Silver and gold was increasingly popular for elaborate ornaments and personal adornments. Glass vessels also became more prominent, adding another dimension to the artistry and craftsmanship of the period.

This reminds me of other wonderful silver and glass pieces recently encountered at the National Museum of Beirut. Beirut has some truly extraordinary examples of ancient jewellery and decorative artefacts. (Jewellery at the National Museum of Beirut and Other Artefacts at the National Museum of Beirut).

One of the more fascinating aspects of this period is that the transition from bronze to iron. This did not happen everywhere at the same time. The dates traditionally assigned to the Iron Age differ considerably depending on geography, local resources and the development of metallurgical skills. Ironworking spread through a complex network of trade, migration, cultural exchange and technological innovation. Gradually, it made its way across Europe, the Near East, Asia and beyond.

It is a wonderful illustration of how knowledge travelled in the ancient world. A discovery made in one region could take centuries to influence another. Geography, trade routes and established traditions all played their part. What we often think of as distinct historical ages were, in reality, overlapping chapters in a much longer story of human ingenuity and technological progress.

Stag in the Garden of Eden

This beautiful mosaic, Stag in the Garden of Eden (Syria, AD 450–600), immediately catches my eye. I have always loved the intricate detail and artistry of ancient mosaics, and this piece brings back memories of some equally spectacular examples also recently admired at the National Museum of Beirut. It is wonderful to see how these intricate compositions have survived centuries. They preserve not only their craftsmanship but also glimpses of artistic traditions and beliefs of civilisations that created them.

The Importance of Atlas

Our exploration continues with some fascinating astronomical and astrological treasures, including this striking bronze and brass figure of Atlas, the mythological Titan condemned to hold up the heavens. Here, he supports a celestial globe, his powerful form capturing the Renaissance fascination with the cosmos and humanity’s desire to understand the universe.

The sculpture originally formed part of an elaborate, pyramid-shaped clock dating to around 1630. The globe bears the signature of Raphael Custodis, a German engraver and artist working in Augsburg in the early 17th century. Interestingly, the Atlas figure itself is believed to be considerably older, possibly dating to 16th-century Italy. This suggests that an earlier sculpture may have been incorporated into the later clockwork.

The piece was discovered at Gottorp Castle (Schloss Gottorf), in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, close to the Danish border. It belonged to the Duke’s remarkable Kunstkammer – a cabinet of curiosities in which art, scientific instruments, natural wonders and ingenious mechanical creations were brought together. These collections were much more than displays of wealth; they reflected the intellectual curiosity and ambition of European rulers, who sought to gather and understand the wonders of the world.

It is easy to see why such an object would have captivated visitors centuries ago. Combining classical mythology, intricate craftsmanship and astronomical science, it is a wonderful reminder of a time when the boundaries between art, science and imagination were far less distinct.

Astrological Theories

Crafted by Josias Habrecht in Strasbourg in 1572, this exquisite clock, is crowned with an intricate armillary sphere (pictured above). It is a remarkable marriage of Renaissance craftsmanship, astronomy and scientific curiosity. Its four-sided case is adorned with an array of astronomical and timekeeping details. They display the hours, quarter hours, latitude and days of the week.

Perhaps most fascinating, however, is the celestial model itself. The Earth sits firmly at the centre of the universe, with the Sun and Moon revolving around it. This reflects the geocentric view that had dominated scientific thinking for centuries.

Yet the clock was created at a particularly intriguing moment in the history of astronomy. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) had already challenged this established understanding, proposing that planets revolved around the Sun. His revolutionary work, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), was published in 1543, almost three decades before this clock was made. The old and new visions of the universe therefore coexisted, even as foundations of modern astronomy began to take shape.

Copernicus’s intellectual curiosity extended well beyond the stars. He also explored monetary economics, writing about currency debasement and the relationship between money and prices. His work contributed to the development of ideas later associated with the quantity theory of money and Gresham’s Law. Gresham’s Law is the principle that bad money drives good money out of circulation.

Standing before this extraordinary instrument, it is fascinating to consider how much was changing during the Renaissance. Even as new ideas were challenging centuries of accepted wisdom, beautifully crafted objects such as this clock continued to reflect the world as people had understood it for generations.

Onto Armor

I could stay here all day but Jasper is getting bored and tired. We move through the rest of the museum and come across this astonishing figure of a man and horse in full armor from 1545. The date is inscribed on the breastplate and it is known that the masterpiece was crafted in Innsbruck in Austria. The horse’s armor is designed to protect the knight – if the horse was injured or killed the knight was in grave danger.

The Rollers

The enthusiasm is wearing thin. We get to something a bit more modern and interesting (for the young ones at least), just as the announcement that the museum is soon closing comes across the PA system.

The Rollers are musical toilet rolls that have been created by the children of Denmark. Recycled materials such as pipe cleaners, buttons, glitter, small gadgets and a load of imagination have gone into creating over 30,000 of these small singing and dancing Roller Stars. They have appeared on the children’s TV channel, Ramasjang, in a mini Eurovision type contest.

Inspired by the Ramasjang Rollers, children visiting the museum have created their own rollers to reflect historical figures – knights, queens, Egtved Girl, Harold Bluetooth and Tycho Brahe.

Personalities from the Collection

The Egtved Girl was a Nordic Bronze Age girl whose well preserved remains were found outside Egtved, Denmark in 1921. Her remains have been dated to c. 1390–1370 and it is know that she was aged 16–18 at death, she was of slim build, around 160 cm tall and had short, blond hair and well-trimmed nails.

Harold Bluetooth has nothing to do with what we may associate bluetooth with today! He was a king of Denmark and Norway c. 958 – c.986AD. His father had been the first recognized ruler of the Danish kingdom from the Jelling dynasty and he introduced Christianity to Denmark, consolidating his rule over most of Jutland and Zealand.

Tycho Brahe (1546 – 1601) was an astronomer, astrologer, alchemist and writer, known for his astronomical and planetary observations. He is best known for being particularly factual and it is said that his observations were some five times more accurate than the alternate best available observations at the time. This leads me to wonder how this was measured and what else may have been touted as fact.

In the end we don’t manage to identify any of these characters specifically. After a browse around we make our way down to the gift shop where mum and Harley are waiting. They enjoyed themselves too and Harley has had an ice-cream treat, which means that Jasper now wants one too. The all important purchase completes just in time as the museum shop closes up for the day. We are ushered out into the grey afternoon drizzle.

Would I Return?

Yes. There is plenty to do here for the whole family, especially on days when the children’s exhibition is open. The various sections might not, of themselves, be enough to hold the young one’s interest, however, there is certainly enough to pique their interest as you go through.

I could have spent the whole day here. There were some very excellent exhibitions related to medieval religious artifacts that were of particular interest to me (but not to the kids!).