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Zach Luna
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 Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 8:20 pm Post subject: Photos from the V&A, London |
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Hello All,
During the same journey this spring where I visited The Cluny Museum in Paris and The Tower of London and The British Museum, I also visited the V&A.
The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design (that is: old stuff that looks cool) it's located in London, and I'm fairly sure the organization system there is determined by some sort of game involving a blindfold and lawn darts. It is a meandering labyrinth of nifty-looking objects stuffed anywhere and everywhere with no clear progression as to why one room of stuff is next to another. Getting lost there is easy, but getting lost there is kind of fun.
Anyway, I snapped a few photos of the swordly stuff and thought I'd share them here.  (Click to enlarge)
Quick shot of the exterior:
After stepping into the main entrance
Whatever this thing is:
Hallway towards more stuff. Marble statues all through it for some reason.
A giant life-sized rhino puppet. Why not?
Right then. Swords. Have an authentic nihonto or two:
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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MORE!
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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Some more shots of the bare blade. (Tried forever and could not get the tip in-focus. My point-and-shoot camera found the wall of the display case much more interesting )
A tachi. Covered with gold and silver inlay, of course.
An iron articulated model snake. Apparently Japanese armorers would make things like this in their downtime to hone their metal-working skills.
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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More stuff! Stuff everywhere!
Medieval parade shield:
Buckles from one of the medieval rooms!
Knife set with scabbard:
Tapestry. There are swords in it.
This thing is really intricate. A crucifixion scene carved out of wood. Took a picture:
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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Projectiles and such.
More knives
The spear.
Repro mitten gauntlet you could try on.
Armor!
Astonishing gauntlets.
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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Some proper weapons from the same area.
A cinquedea with scabbard:
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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One of my absolute favorite hand-and-a-half swords. So much that I just took a bunch of nose-to-the-glass detail shots instead of a full length  :
(It looks like this in profile: http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m7/Lunaman..._jpg_l.jpg )
More knives:
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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Other stuff that's there.
(Yes, that's a copy of the David stuffed in the corner. Cast in plaster directly off of the original in Florence. It's just hanging out in some room.)
Full-sized Trajan's column, sure.
A SPECTACULAR gilt smallsword.
A statue drawing a yat.
This guy:
The cafe area.
And just for fun, this little box from the 18th century that probably costs more than the house I was raised in. It's only purposes were to store snuff and impressed people when you pulled it out of your pocket:
If you're ever in London town, the V&A is well worth checking out. Free admission and hilarious wandering fun all afternoon.
Thanks for looking,
--Luna
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William P
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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oh my, amazing...... thats all i can say right now
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Eric W. Norenberg
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jul, 2011 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: Photos from the V&A, London |
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| Zach Luna wrote: |
Whatever this thing is:
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Zach, that thar is what Dale Chihuly calls a chandelier.
Now, here in the Pacific Northwest Chihuly is something of an icon (the Hendrix of blown glass, maybe?), so I may be committing a big ol' faux pas here, but... how the hell do you dust the thing? Or change the light bulb?
I find it odd that in a museum dedicated to the history of design and decoration, where many of the artifacts are great examples of how a thing can actually look like what is intended to be or do, and yet still be beautiful, either by embellishment or by purity of form, they manage to put front and center a light fixture that looks nothing like a light fixture.
Thank you, tho', for again sharing your photos. I love that museum (well, all except... you know) very much, wish I had been as appreciative of arms and armor when I visited last. The detail photos are great - even when it's a piece we've all seen before, every new photo fleshes it out a bit more fully.
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Johann M
Location: London Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Mon 11 Jul, 2011 6:08 am Post subject: |
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Wow, nice photos. Its nice to see that the V&A has finally decided to display parts of their sizable collection (you'd be surprised just how much they have, but don't display). I guess I need to get over there for a visit next time I'm in town.
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Julien M
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| Posted: Mon 11 Jul, 2011 6:48 am Post subject: Re: Photos from the V&A, London |
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Whatever this thing is:
I love that "thing", as out of place as it may be 
It looks like some cosmic entity straight out a lovecraft tale.
Iä! Shub-Niggurath!
J
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Einar Drønnesund
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| Posted: Mon 11 Jul, 2011 10:22 am Post subject: |
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Great pictures. I really like that you take pics of different angles, letting us get a glimpse of how the hilts are constructed.
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Zach Luna
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| Posted: Mon 11 Jul, 2011 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Hahaha, thanks for the response guys. It's a quirky set of photos because it comes from a quirky place. I love walking around the V&A.
I found one more photo as well--not an authentic sword, but it has a cool bit of history.
This sword was worn by Sir Henry Irving when he portrayed "King Arthur" on the stage of the Lyceum Theatre in 1895. Irving was one of the most famous actors of his time and the first actor to ever receive knighthood. While he was an actor/manager/owner of the Lyceum, he was assisted by his good friend, a theatre critic and short story writer by the name of Bram Stoker. While working there, Stoker wrote a novel that many are familiar with today: Dracula.
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This is a standard topic