Historical Collections Online
Search our Historical Collections Online, a sample of 10,000 artefacts from the National Museum of Ireland’s Historical, Military and Easter Week Collections, published as part of the Decade of Commemorations.
sword hilt /
Sword hilt, ivory carved with foliage and animals (formerly encrusted with gold and jewels), from an ancient tomb at Kourm. Old Persian.
scabbard ornament /
Scabbard ornament, ivory; carved with foliage and animals; formerly encrusted with gold and jewels; from an ancient tomb at Kourm. Old Persian.
blunderbuss /
Wheellock blunderbuss, short brass barrel, full stock. Stock and butt of walnut wood. Ivory inlays all along stock and butt. Iron lock mechanism and lockplate. Barrel decorated around mouth and lock. Italian, 17th century.
secret helmet / Secret helmet, 17th century
"Secret" helmet, late 17th century. Two piece type, with a raised seam. The 17th Century "Secret" was used under a soft cap for protection. The holes allow it to be sewn into a cap. It was a popular method of head protection, particularly in the late 17th Century.
tsuba /
Sword guard or tsuba, iron. Japanese. No. 471. Quatrefoils shaped (Moko shaped). Iron. Design of a boat. Carved in high relief. IROE.Two small openings. Iron Inlaid with several alloys on the base.
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Sword guard or tsuba, iron. Japanese. Quatrefoils shaped (Moko shaped). Iron ground and pasted brass. Two small openings (Hitsuana). '470'.
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Sword guard or tsuba, iron. Japanese, with a dragon. Circle-shaped. Iron, carved in high relief. Gilt inlaid. '405'.
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Sword-guard or tsuba, iron, Japanese, quatrafoil, Moko-shaped with tortoises. Iron, carved in high relief. IROE (inlaid with several alloys on the base). '413'.
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Sword guard, bronze. Japanese. NANAKO: One of the carving metals technique. Looks like fish eggs or drops on the metal; IROE: Inlaid with several alloys on the base. Quatrefoil shaped. An alloy of copper. Nanako ground. Decorated bean throwing ceremony (3rd of Feb.). Sake cup and straw festoons in...
tsuba /
Sword guard or tsuba, iron. Japanese. No. 407, with a dragon. Oval-shaped. Iron; carved in high relief + IROE (inlaid with several alloys on the base).
tsuba /
Sword guard or tsuba, iron. Japanese. No. 438, with a Japanese apricot tree and a Japanese nightingale. Oval shaped, carved in high relief, openworked with a cross.
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Sword-guard with a stream. Round-shaped, iron, inlaid silver. No. 402.
tsuba /
No. 426. Sword-guard or tsuba, iron, Japanese, with a dragon. Quatrafoil shaped. Moko-shaped (quatrefoil shaped), inlaid and carved in high relief, brass.
tsuba /
Sword-guard, openworked with fans. Round-shaped, inlaid brass with arabesque chrysanthemums. No. 417.
fusil / Patrick Broderick, East India Company, 1844-45
Fusil, percussion lock rifle, 1844-45. Sergeant Patrick Broderick's East India Company's musket, with him through the campaign n India 1844-45. On one occasion it intercepted a bullet, which may be seen imbedded in the stock. Inscribed plaque on butt details its use in Indian campaigns. Additional...
scabbard / Irish Revenue Police, c.1850
Sword, scabbard; belt and frog. Sword, with a gilt hilt with design of shamrock and crown with REVENUE POLICE around. Blade engraved with shamrock and crown and REVENUE POLICE and BRADY DUBLIN WARRANTED. Scabbard, leather with gilt mounts. Belt, black leather, red silk lining. Buckle gilt with...
pistol walking stick / Ypres, 1915
Pistol walking stick. Wood in imitation of cane. Black knob at top. The lower end for 24.1cm (9 1/2") is iron and brass. The brass part forms the barrel of the pistol - it unscrews and at the base there is a nipple to hold a percussion cap. About 1850. Found at Ypres, Belgium, in 1915 (during World...
sign / Rigby
Paper sign or advertisment for Rigby Gunmakers.
breast plate / North Cork Militia, c. 1795
Breast plate: brass, oval, engraved. In centre GR with crown above. Above NORTH and below CORK. North Cork Militia, circa 1795.