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Danish Middle Ages
1000 - 1536 |
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Explore some of the wonderful works of art created in praise of God in the Middle Ages, when the church played a huge role in Danish life. Almost 2.000 stone churches were built in the period 1100-1250 AD.
The galleries devoted to the Medieval period also features more prosaic items belonging to ordinary people, such as humble tools and coarse everyday clothing, including a unique collection of garments from medieval Greenland, which were unearthed in old church graveyards. The exhibition also includes luxury objects from the other end of medieval society such as the worlds´s largest colletion of aquamaniles - metal vessels used for washing hands, usually in the shape of animals, preferably lions or people on horseback. |
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Golden altars |
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Among the unique exhibits from 12th and 13th-century churches are the "golden altars". The central motif adorning the front of this altar from Lisbjerg church near Aarhus is the Virgin mary with the holy infant on her lap, depicted as a queen and her princely son. The Lisbjerg altar is the oldest of the five golden altars owned by The National Museum.
The decorative embellishments of the altars are made of oak and covered with rock crystals on dyed parchment that were as radiant as real precious stones. The underlying ideas may have been imported, but the altars were made in Denmark. |
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The Dagmar Cross |
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The Dagmar Cross was found in a grave in St. Bendts church in Ringsted and became part of the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities in 1695. The then curator believed that it had probably belonged to Oueen Dagmar, the highly popular wife of Valdemar the Victorious. She died in 1212, and was buried in Ringsted, hence its designation. It is now thought more probable, that it stems from the grave of Valdemars sister Richiza.
Copies of the Dagmar Cross have for generations served as a traditional gift to girls at christenings and confirmations. |
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World´s largest colletion of aquamaniles |
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| Danish Middle Ages and Renaissance boasts the world´s largest collection of aquamaniles i.e. ewers used for the washing of hands (aqua=water, manus=hand). Aquamaniles came in the form of both animals and people, such as this couple on horseback from Vigsø in West Jutland, with the galant knight playing music for his lady. Most of the aquamaniles in the National Museum were used in churches, but these two were used at banquets in prosperous homes. |
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Drinking horns |
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The National Museum has a huge collection of drinking horns that were mainly used by craft guilds in the towns. They are made from the horns of southern European cattle and have metal trimmings.
The horns were passed from hand to hand at meetings and gatherings as a symbol of sense of solidarity among the guild members. If anything was spilled, a fine had to be paid into guild funds. |
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