May 28 - September 4, 2016
Jeppson Idea Lab
Above: Longsword combat, woodcut from Joachim Meyer, Die Kunst des Fechtens, 2nd ed. Augsburg, 1600 (WAM 2014.583)
One of the many treasures acquired by the Worcester Art Museum as part of the Higgins Armory collection is a rare original copy of Joachim Meyer's sixteenth-century swordplay manual, The Art of Combat (Die Kunst des Fechtens). This work, recently published in translation by WAM's Curator of Arms and Armor, is one of the most important sources for modern swordfighters who are today reviving the combat arts of medieval and Renaissance Europe. In 2015 the museum also acquired an equally rare two-hand fencing sword of the type used by Meyer, one of only three examples known to be in the Americas. This exhibition will display both objects—the sword for the first time in public—with video and interactives to bring their world to life.
Fencing longsword, German, late 1500s (WAM 2015.13)
Video: Jeffrey Forgeng Presents a Medieval Manual: The Art Of Combat
 |
Video from Master Series Third Thursday Learn about this rare and important German fencing manual, and explore the fascinating prints it contains to illustrate the Art of Combat. Speaker: Jeffrey Forgeng, Curator of Arms, Armor, and Medieval Art, Worcester Art Museum. Filmed by WGBH Forum Network. |
Sign up for WAM eNews