MUSEE DE CLUNY -- MIDDLE AGES

On the left bank near the Sorbonne is a marvelous gem of a museum of the Middle Ages, the Musee de Cluny.  The museum is founded on two ancient sites: Roman baths of Lutetia, as Paris was called in the time of the Roman Empire; and, a Clunaic monastery from the early 15^th century, a replacement of their 13^th century building used to house monks of the order.  The building has been modernized over the intervening centuries and now houses artifacts from the period after the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance in the 15^th century.

Visigoth crown

Carved choir stall

Tapestry of the hunt

Kings of Judah

And what is seen here in the cool darkened rooms of this former monastery? 

A 7^th century gold votive Visigothic crown, set with sapphires and emeralds, uncovered in Spain.

A wooden choir stall from XV century Beauvais extended along the walls of a long narrow room. Beneath one wooden seat was an elaborate carving of a truncated man with puffed cheeks blowing on a stalled windmill, hoping to turn the blade. Clearly, its anonymous artisan in the Middle Ages knew that wind was an unreliable source of power. 

Walls covered with tapestries depicting scenes of the hunt and tapestries of tournaments – sports used to prepare knights for real battle. Assorted shields, body armor, helmets and swords used by knights and foot soldiers.  Several hand written copies of the Book of Hours which had been used by monks at prayer and early sheet music used in churches for Gregorian chants. 

Heads of the Kings of Judah uncovered recently during road construction in Paris. The heads from the medieval sculptures were removed from full sized figures during the Reformation.

 

 These ancient objects were a feast for the imagination.