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| Cannon in Paris, Hôtel des Invalides and Museum, by Green Eye. |
The building above: Hôtel des Invalides
A hospital for veterans and an Army museum, this distinguished building had an important purpose. In 1670, King Louis XIV decided to build the hospital "Hôtel Royal des Invalides" for the wounded homeless soldiers of its wars. Note the cannon in the foreground of the photo.
France frequently recycled the metal from captured cannon. These perhaps were French cannon kept for historical purposes, and installed as a reminder of what is owed to those who fight for their country.
More information and photos:
http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/invalides.htm
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Weapons or knives on display in the Antiquities section, at the Louvre Museum. Hiding a dagger in the folds of a cloak seems appropriate with the designs shown below. Tools and artifacts from Antiquities can whet the imagination as to their use in the era in which they were formed.
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| Louvre Museum, Knives and artifacts in Antiquities, by DG Hudson |
Small artifacts, knives, pipes, and carved items are included in the photo above. These were in the Egyptian exhibit. I photograph many of these images which may be useful as objects in my novels. I want to remember the little things, the traditions, the craft shown in some of these objects. Hand made survivors of time, these objects were part of someone's life centuries ago.
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The Carnavalet Museum, Paris, is a museum dedicated to the history of the city of Paris and the French Revolution.
Old metal signs used by French shops adorn the entrance, as you discover room after room decorated in lush city style. No flash photography is allowed and some of the paper artifacts can't be photographed. The light is subdued in the rooms, as it would have been in the days before electricity. The low light protects what time has treasured and adds a touch of atmosphere.
French swords shown below in the Carnavalet Museum. This was a room in a French town mansion, completed in 1560. The reflection* in the display glass shows the striped wallpaper on the opposite wall.
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| Swords in the Carnavalet Museum, by DG Hudson |
Flintlocks and a cuirass, two objects which bring to mind legions of soldiers, with the officers and nobility in the best armor they could afford.
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| Carnavalet Museum, Paris, by DG Hudson |
Archaic weapons fascinate us, and history shows us that our ancestors felt the same way. A finely crafted and well-kept weapon was an object to be proud of in earlier ages.
Flintlocks
At the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock mechanism replaced earlier firearm technology and continued in use for over two centuries. French court gunsmith Marin le Bourgeoys made the first flintlock firearm for King Louis XIII in 1610.
Cuirass (French)
A piece of armour (armor spelling also used); formed from a single or multiple layers of metal or other strong, dense material. A cuirass covers the torso front and back (using two pieces joined) to protect the torso.
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*Photographer visible in reflection, due to lack of polarizing filter for the small digital camera. There's always something. . .
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Are you interested in antique weapons from a particular time period? Does weaponry play a part in your novel's world building? Have you visited many antique weapon displays in museums?
Please share in the comments and thanks for dropping by!
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References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuirass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flintlock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides
Carnavalet museum (a post of mine from the A to Z challenge)
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