MEDIA KIT

QUEENSLAND MUSEUM11 DECEMBER 2015–10 APRIL 2016

WORLD PREMIERE | AUSTRALIAN EXCLUSIVE

Cover image: Wingham Brooch, silver-gilt, niello, garnet, glass and shell, 575-625, England © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

Medieval Power: Symbols and Splendour is a new exhibition curated by the British Museum featuring many objects that have never before been on public display anywhere in the world.

Queensland Museum is hosting the world premiere of Medieval Power: Symbols and Splendour, and is the only museum in Australia to hold this exclusive exhibition.

Spanning the period AD 400 to 1500 the exhibition features over 270 medieval artefacts, some more than 1000 years old.

Medieval Power: Symbols and Splendour is a collaboration between the British Museum and Queensland Museum, and is delivered in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Marketing, with support from Singapore Airlines and Accor Hotels.

MEDIEVAL POWER: SYMBOLS AND SPLENDOUR

1. The Formation of Europe The decline of the Roman Empire in the AD 400s provides the turning point at which this exhibition begins. At this time, migration led to the establishment of new states and objects on display will highlight how cultures fused as people went to war or assimilated with each other. Other pieces reveal the practicalities of territorial expansion or the items given to sure up alliances.

2. Royal PowerThis section of the exhibition includes some of the most sumptuous pieces, including gold jewellery, seals of high office, stone and wood embellished with gold leaf or painted with rare vibrant pigments and elaborate items made of ivory. These items were once owned by royalty and the European elite, as well as high-ranking churchmen. Besides displaying the wealth of kings and their closest supporters, this section will also highlight the impressive skills of the medieval craftsman.

3. Heavenly TreasuresChristianity was central to the medieval world view and a fundamental part of everyday existence. Kings, like the rest of society, sought divine support in worldly matters as well as provision for the afterlife. Likewise, the Church acquired worldly riches and protection from monarchs. However this seemingly mutually convenient relationship was not always amicable.

4. Courtly LifeThe royal court in the Middle Ages was not only administrative, but was also a social space where rulers entertained their closest supporters and advisers. This section will look at the wealth, culture, splendour and function of the royal court and the relationship between the king and the court.

5. Urban LifeWhilst the upper echelons enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, the vast majority of people worked hard just to survive. Towns grew as people moved for work and the wealth generated by trade. The lives of ordinary people and the growth of cities are explored in this part of the exhibition.

6. The Medieval LegacyAlthough the medieval period is commonly seen to have come to a close by the early 16th century, the legacy of this period continues to this day. Objects in this section reflect the diverse ways in which the medieval legacy lives on.

EXHIBITION SNAPSHOTMedieval Power: Symbols and Splendour will include objects from the British Museum’s world class collection, many of which have not been displayed before. These treasures will be used to explain key events, highlight famous figures and introduce the visitor to various aspects of the medieval world.

Visitors will learn what life was like for all levels of society, including monarchs, the clergy and the masses living in Europe’s towns and cities.

Visitors will be guided through the exhibition themes:

Figure of a knight in armour, stone, 1375-1425, England © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

Lewis Chess King, walrus ivory, 1150-1200, found in Scotland © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

COLLECTION SNAPSHOT

King from the Lewis ChessmenThe legend of the Lewis Chessmen has fascinated museum visitors and historians alike in the nearly 200 years since their discovery.

Believed to be 12th century Scandinavian in origin, a set of 93 individually ivory and whale tooth carved pieces were found buried on a remote beach on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland in the early 1800s.

The Lewis Chessmen are probably the most well-known archaeological find from Scotland and despite their miniature size are hugely popular with audiences worldwide for their comic qualities and their representation of the characters of feudal medieval society.

In recent years, they have found new fame from their inclusion in the 2001 film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Disney’s 2012 animated feature Brave.

Objects of battleIncluding…

• Germanic steel war helmet - AD 1400s

• Viking axe head - AD 1000–1100

• Iron long sword - a knight’s primary weapon of choice crucial to their status as warriors - AD 1200–1300

• Iron arrowheads - AD 1400s

• Rowel spur used by knights to control horses in battle - AD 1200–1300

Royal objectsIncluding…

• Crown fragment of gold, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and pearls - one of the few medieval crowns surviving today - AD 1250–1300

• Royal coins minted under rulers from across Europe - AD 1200–1400

• Chertsey Floor Tile depicting Mark the tragic king described in the Tristan and Isolde legend - AD 1200–1300

Objects of worshipIncluding…

• Limoges reliquary casket - enamelled casket showing the three wise men which once held holy relics - AD 1250

• Papal ring associated with Pope Pius II - AD 1458–1464

• Engraved limestone Cross Shaft - AD 900–1000

• Panel of Christ’s baptism - AD 1300–1400

• Prayer bead to the Virgin Mary - AD 1400–1500

Images © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

Objects of devotionIncluding…

• Pin with a unicorn, carved in bone - depicting the delicate head of a unicorn, a symbol of grace and purity. The wearing of this by a woman was perhaps a public statement on her virtue - AD 1500–1600

• Gold circle brooch - courtship gift engraved in French ‘I am a brooch to guard the breast / that no rascal may put his hand theron’ - AD 1200–1300

• Mirror case of carved ivory - love token on which playful romantic and sexual imagery abounds. Surrounded by foliage, signifying fertility - AD 1370–1400

• Silver ring - formed of two clasped hands representing love and fidelity AD 1400–1500

Pin with a unicorn, Bone, 1500-1600, England © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

Personal objectsIncluding…

• The Wingham Brooch - a magnificent brooch found in a high-status grave in Wingham in Kent - around 1400 years old

• Visigoth buckle - a Visigoth once wore this gilded buckle decorated with animal art and garnets AD 525–575

• Falcon whistle - birds of prey were favourite pets of the wealthy AD 1500–1600

• Shoe - found in the River Thames, this shoe would once have been worn by a fashionable person in London – AD 1400–1500

• Drinking horn - stands proud like an animal with two gilded bird-like feet AD 1400–1500

• Ear scoop - a tiny spoon designed to clean out ears - AD 1450–1550

Objects from Medieval societyIncluding…

• Map of the world by Johannes Schnitzer - at the heart of this map sits Jerusalem, which was the centre of the medieval Christian worldview 1482–1486

• Seal matrix for Port of London - made during the reign of Edward I, this seal matrix was used to give the royal seal of approval for goods coming in and out of the port – 1272–1307

• Astrolabe - perfected in the Middle Ages by Muslim scholars, the fashion for astrolabes spread across the courts of Europe. They were designed to tell the time during the day and the night, and had a star map to aid surveying and astronomy - this brass astrolabe is the earliest signed and dated European instrument - AD 1342

Historical figuresIncluding…

• The future King Richard III’s personal seal matrix – one of the most controversial medieval kings, made famous as a villain by Shakespeare, he was the last king to die in battle on home soil and was buried in Leicester without pomp. His remains were lost for more than five centuries when the church in which he was buried was dissolved at the time of the English Reformation. The exhumation and reburial of Richard III began with the discovery of his remains within the site of the former Greyfriars Church in Leicester in 2012 - AD 1461

• The Earl of Warwick’s finger ring - sometimes known as ‘Kingmaker’ because of his crucial role in the Wars of the Roses, a series of battles fought between two rival branches of the English royal family, the houses of Lancaster and York - AD 1449–1471

• Henry VII Tudor rose plaque - following his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, Henry cemented his claim to the English throne by marrying Elizabeth of York, niece of Richard. His dynasty, the Tudors, adopted the red-and-white rose as their emblem, combining the roses of Lancaster and York - AD 1450–1500

Playing card, hand-coloured woodcut on paper, c.1560-1590, France © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

After DarksExplore the Middle Ages after hours while enjoying medieval fare and modern day revelry

11 December 2015

29 January 2016

26 February 2016

8 April 2016

Tickets $29 available at qtix.com.au

Public talk12 December 2015

Naomi Speakman Curator of Late Medieval European Collections, British Museum

Free

ABOUT THE BRITISH MUSEUM MEDIEVAL COLLECTIONThe British Museum holds over 10,000 objects in its medieval collection, with two galleries devoted to its pre-eminent collection of medieval material. Some of the Museum’s greatest British, European and Byzantine treasures form the centrepieces of this space, which covers the period from 400-1500 AD.

Found within this gallery are unique, spellbinding objects such as the celebrated Royal Gold Cup, an intricately carved citole, the world famous Lewis Chessmen, sacred art, icon paintings and ivories, wooden figure carvings, jewellery and many of the world’s greatest medieval treasures.

EXHIBITION CURATORS

Naomi SpeakmanMs Speakman is the curator for late medieval European collections at the British Museum. Her current research interests are gothic ivory carving, late medieval metalwork and collecting history. Prior to joining the British Museum Naomi has worked at Bonhams and the V&A, she is currently undertaking a PhD at the Courtauld Institute of Art on the British Museum’s Gothic Ivory collection.

Dr Michael LewisDr Lewis is Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, and oversees the recording of archaeological finds found by the public in England and Wales. He has a special interest in medieval archaeological small finds from c.1000 onwards, particularly items associated with personal adornment and religion and the representation of medieval culture in art.

Brooch, Gold ruby and emerald, 1300-1400 Ireland © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

IMAGES FOR MEDIA USEA selection of object images from the exhibition are available for media use and additional images can be sourced on request.

Supplied photo credits must accompany publication.

Pilgrim badge of a sword, Lead alloy, 1350-1450, England © Trustees of the British Museum (2015). All rights reserved.

TICKETSAdults: $22

Concession*: $19

Children: (3–15 years): $12

Family (2A + 2C): $59

Groups (10+): $18

Schools: $10 ($14 booking fee applies)

Season PassesUnlimited entry to Medieval Power: Symbols and Splendour with a season pass.

Adults: $44

Concession*: $38

Child: $24

Family (2A + 2C): $118

MyMuseum members receive a 10% discount.

* On presentation of Concession Card

MEDIA ENQUIRIESChristine Robertson christine.robertson@qm.qld.gov.au (07) 3840 7789

Sarah McCormack sarah.mccormack@qm.qld.gov.au (07) 3842 9388

CONNECT WITH THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUMfacebook.com/qldmuseum

Twitter: @qldmuseum

Instagram: qldmuseum

#medievalpower

www.qm.qld.gov.au