Knights’ Hall and the Tapestry

Open today 10—16
15.2.2018 12:00

Suits of armour, a frontal, a tapestry and a sword – these are just some of the items from the collections of the National Museum of Finland that have been put on display in Häme Castle. Take a peek into the past with these fascinating objects!

In the Knights’ Hall are several suits of armour and swords. The early 17th century suit of brass plate armour, which belonged to Finnish-born Colonel Henrik Klasson Fleming (1584–1650), is exceedingly rare. Most likely designed for parades and celebrations, the gold-coloured suit of armour was moved to Mynämäki Church to be displayed in connection to Fleming’s funeral. The challenging conservation and display of the armour was made possible thanks to the financial support of Jaakko and Tua Björklund.

Other items on display in the hall include Lieutenant Colonel Carl Bäck’s (1609–1663) suit of iron armour and a sword from Laitila Church, the high-quality blade of which was most likely made in Solingen, Germany.

The iron chain mail on display was found in the early 1830s in the Linnanmäki area of the locality of Kivennapa. Also on display is a 15th century two-handed sword found on the shore of Lake Vanajavesi by schoolboys Sami Riippi, Lasse Hyvönen and Jukka Hartikainen in 1988, which has now found its way back to the castle.

On display in the Queen’s Chamber is a tapestry believed to have been made in Antwerp or Brussels in the late 16th or early 17th century, the colours of which are well-preserved. However, the tapestry also shows clear signs of life – there are small pieces missing, and the top half has been patched and repaired. Another textile item can be found on display in the antechamber of the Church Hall. The restoration of the medieval pall from Masku Church, which is part of the National Museum of Finland’s collections, was conducted in collaboration with 16 experienced historical textiles and handicraft enthusiasts. The restoration took approximately 1,600 hours. The original pall was most likely made by the Bridgettine nuns of Naantali in the 1440s, at the earliest.