Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Rapenburg 28
2311 EW Leiden
The Netherlands
Fibulae
Until 3rd June 2018
Fibulae is a small exhibition about the clothing accessories that turn up most frequently in archaeologists’ finds: brooches known as fibulae. These brooches were used to fasten items of clothing, especially cloaks. Nearly four hundred fibulae are on view in the display cases. They were skilfully made and many are splendid objects. They tell us a great deal about life and fashion in antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Fibulae were produced in the Netherlands from the Bronze Age, around 1000 BC, up to and including the Ottonian era, around AD 1000. The exhibition displays almost four hundred specimens from all periods, originating from settlements, burial grounds and sanctuaries. Three-quarters of the exhibits are from the Netherlands, the rest from other parts of Europe.
Since fibulae were subject to the whims of fashion, their design was constantly changing. Men usually fastened their cloaks with a single brooch, generally at the shoulder. Women often used several fibulae to fasten dresses, skirts, and cloaks. The brooches were forged or cast in large quantities. Most were bronze, but occasionally precious metals were used. Fibulae are often shaped like animals or implements and some bear inscriptions.
The oldest fibulae found in the Netherlands have two large connected disks and are therefore known as spectable brooches. But those that occur in the largest numbers, in most museum collections, are the Roman fibulae. Roman armies came to these regions just before the beginning of the Christian era. They settled along the Rhine and Waal rivers, attracting merchants and craftsmen in their wake, along with their families. They introduced new types of fibulae in the Low Countries, many examples of which ended up in the soil.
The lion's share of objects in this exhibition come from the National Museum of Antiquities’ own collection, while others are from that of Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen. The display cases also contain fibulae from several private collections.
Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday: 10.00 - 17.00
Admission: €12.50
http://www.rmo.nl/english/exhibitions/fibulae
Ad blocker detected: Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
Fibulae - Leiden, Netherlands - Until 3-6-2018
Post an announcement here if you know of an upcoming or current silver exhibit.
Return to “Museum Exhibitions - Silver - Temporary”
Jump to
- The Silver Marks Forum ~ Requirements & Tutorials
- ↳ Posting Requirements
- Announcements
- ↳ Website Updates & Announcements
- American Sterling & Coin Silver - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches)
- ↳ Sterling Manufacturers ~ American after-1860
- ↳ Coin Silversmiths ~ American pre-1860
- ↳ Arts & Crafts Smiths ~ American Handwrought after-1900
- ↳ American Sterling & Coin Silver - Single Image
- British Hallmarks - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches)
- ↳ London Hallmarks
- ↳ Birmingham Hallmarks
- ↳ Chester Hallmarks
- ↳ Exeter Hallmarks
- ↳ Newcastle Hallmarks
- ↳ Sheffield Hallmarks
- ↳ York Hallmarks
- ↳ Scottish Hallmarks
- ↳ Irish Hallmarks
- ↳ Provincial & Colonial Marks
- ↳ Grimwade's Biographies ~ Updates
- ↳ London Lost Registers & Unrecorded Marks
- ↳ British Hallmarks - Single Image
- European Silver - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches)
- ↳ Dutch Silver
- ↳ French Silver
- ↳ German Silver
- ↳ Russian Silver
- ↳ Scandinavian Silver
- ↳ Other Countries
- ↳ German, French, Dutch, Russian, Scandinavian or Other - Single Image
- Silverplated Ware
- ↳ Silverplate Trademarks - Worldwide
- ↳ Silver Plate Trademarks - Single Image
- Silver Jewelry & Watches
- ↳ American Jewelry
- ↳ European Jewelry
- ↳ Other Jewelry
- ↳ Silver Jewelry - Single Image
- Silver of the Americas
- ↳ Mexican Silversmiths
- ↳ Central & South America
- ↳ Native American Silver
- ↳ Silver of the Americas - Single Image
- Asian & Middle Eastern Silver
- ↳ Middle East
- ↳ Far East
- ↳ Asia & Middle East - Single Image
- Gold Marks
- ↳ Gold Marks - Worldwide
- ↳ Gold - Single Image
- Miscellaneous Silver Subjects
- ↳ General Questions
- ↳ Contributors' Notes
- ↳ Ephemera
- ↳ Silver Care / Techniques
- ↳ Mystery Objects
- ↳ Flatware Pattern Identification
- ↳ Family Crests
- ↳ Museum Exhibitions - Silver - Temporary
- ↳ Museum Exhibitions - Silver - Permanent