Vikings at Melbourne Museum

Replica Long Ship at Vikings Exhibition

Having read earlier this year Saga Land by Richard Fidler and Kari Gislanson, I was rather keen to go and look at the Vikings Exhibition at Melbourne Museum, so this week B and I braved the icy winds and ventured thence.

As exhibitions go, it was a tad disappointing, with most of the artifacts being on the small side in display cases. However, it was reasonably comprehensive, ranging from domestic articles to weapons of warfare.

There were pieces of jewellery like these necklaces…

 

… and a neat drinking horn

Incised stones

and this rather lovely little carving of a cat

Cats were associated with the Norse Goddess Freyja who is sometimes depicted in a chariot drawn by two cats.

It was interesting to learn that Freyja is also linked to the magic brooch Brisingamen, which in turn reminded me of a children’s book I read long ago called The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner.

 

It takes about an hour to get through the exhibition and of course you end up in the Museum Gift Shop where you can buy Viking themed t-shirts, beanies etc.

I insisted we go and visit Pharlap after emerging from the Vikings.

I’ve been visiting Pharlap for over 50 years, as a child first seeing him in the old Melbourne Museum when it was in Latrobe Street. I still have fond memories of the old museum, with its wonderful old machines, dioramas and cases of fossils. In a way I preferred the old museum hodgepodge layout to the new one with its tidy themed exhibits.

Anyway, seeing Pharlap was a pleasant reminder that the Spring Racing season is only a few weeks away. Watching Pharlap’s last race on the Movietone News, playing in a loop at his exhibit,  I saw similarities to the turf stars of today in his style of racing, running wide to overtake the leaders and win by a couple of lengths – doing a Winx, as I remarked to B as we watched it on Wednesday.

I can’t wait for winter to be over, this year seeming colder than previous years, but I shall venture to Caulfield on Saturday week to kick off my Spring racing season, and witness the running of the last Group race of the racing year, this being the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes. Let’s hope it won’t be a repeat of last year, where the races were called off due to gale force winds.

Ancient Bling: The Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan

Last week I went to the winter exhibition at Melbourne Museum, which this year features the hidden treasures of Afghanistan. Hidden, due to depredations of war, these artefacts were stashed for safety in the bank vaults of the Presidential Palace and rediscovered in 2003.

The exhibition was organised around  objects unearthed in four archaeological sites, Tepe Fullol, Ai Khanum, Begram and Tillya Tepe.

From Tepe Fullol there were a golden bowls and goblets.

From Ai Khanum the tops of two Corinthian columns and a wonderful ceremonial plate depicting Cybele being drawn by lions.

Begram was a major centre on the old Silk Road,  and diverse artefacts were discovered in a trader’s storage area that had lain undisturbed for centuries, covering Indian, Egyptian, Greek and Mesopotamian articles, like the painted glass beaker below.

The most gorgeous of the artefacts were those from Tillya Teke, the so called Bactrian Hoard, where Russian archaeologist Victor Sarianidi uncovered the ancient graves of six nomads together with over 21,000 gold artefacts.

Collapsible crown

 
Gold, turquoise, garnet & pyrite necklace or collar for a robe.

 
More treasure...

It was an interesting exhibition, not only for the exquisite objects, but also for learning something of the culture and history of that tragic, war torn area of the world.

Whilst I was at the Museum, I decided to go and revisit old favourite exhibit Pharlap. He looks grand in his glass case, not moth eaten at all.

This photo is pretty well an artefact itself having been acquired in the early 1960s.

In light of the recent Black Caviar phenomenon, it was interesting to note the similar scenes at the racetrack, that greeted Pharlap in his day as occurred more recently with the great mare. People came from miles around to see him race as they did for Black Caviar. 

No doubt, some time in the future, Black Caviar will have her own display at Melbourne Museum.