A late-medieval longsword has recently been added to the arms and armour collection of the Nation... more A late-medieval longsword has recently been added to the arms and armour collection of the National Museum of Slovenia. While lacking any documented provenance, sword inv. no. N 40037 is a fine example of the blade maker’s craft. A detailed analysis of its typological features, hilt style, pommel decoration, and blade mark suggests that it was most likely produced in Passau or some other major workshop belonging to the German sword-smithing circle during the middle or second half of the 14th century. As a functional weapon of war, N 40037 is particularly noteworthy for its excellent balance and a complex flattened hexagonal to octagonal blade cross-section with extremely acute edge geometry optimised for maximum cutting performance.
Preučevanje historičnega orožja v slovenskem prostoru nima dolge strokovne tradicije. K temu so p... more Preučevanje historičnega orožja v slovenskem prostoru nima dolge strokovne tradicije. K temu so pripomogli različni razlogi-po eni strani splošno zakoreninjene predstave o nacionalni zgodovini Slovencev kot mitologiziranega naroda miroljubnih poljedelcev, po drugi strani pomanjkanje reprezentativnih plemiških zbirk starega orožja, kot so se izoblikovale v političnih središčih naše soseščine. Neizdelan odnos do vojaškozgodovinske dediščine se je pokazal že ob ustanavljanju Kranjskega deželnega muzeja v Ljubljani, kjer je to področje ostalo tako rekoč neobdelano vse do konca druge svetovne vojne. Ljubljanski muzealci so vrednost muzejske zbirke orožja zares prepoznali šele proti koncu petdesetih let 20. stoletja, očitno predvsem zaradi interesa zunanjih opazovalcev in tujih izvedencev, kot je bil dunajski kustos dr. Bruno Thomas. Šele ta premik je v Narodnem muzeju spodbudil izoblikovanje samostojnega kustodiata za orožje in bojno opremo. Njegov nosilec je postal Ferdinand Tancik, prvi specialist za vojaško dediščino starejših obdobij in kljub kratki karieri presenetljivo vpliven pionir slovenskega orožjeslovja.
The study of historical arms and armour has no firmly established tradition in Slovenian scholarship. This may be attributed to various factors – on the one hand, the widely entrenched notions of Slovenia’s past reduced to a mythologised nation of peace-loving country folk, and on the otherhand, the lack of representative arms and armour collections belonging to noble elites, such as may be found in the neighbouring political centres. A rather unreflective approach to military historical heritage could be observed during the formative period of the Carniolan Provincial Museum in Ljubljana, the precursor to the later National Museum, where this particular field remained largely uncharted until the end of World War II. Ljubljana’s museum experts ultimately recognised the true value of their arms and armour collection only towards the end of the 1950s, to a considerable extent or even mainly thanks to the interest of outside observers and foreign connoisseurs like the Viennese curator Dr Bruno Thomas. Within the National Museum, this shift finally stimulated the creation of a curatorial post devoted to arms and armour. Its tasks were entrusted to Ferdinand Tancik, Slovenia’s first specialist in the military heritage of the premodern era and, despite his brief career, a surprisingly influential local pioneer in arms and armour studies.
The castle on Kozlov Rob above Tolmin is one of the most important historical sites in western Sl... more The castle on Kozlov Rob above Tolmin is one of the most important historical sites in western Slovenia. Over the years, large quantities of finds dating from the late medieval and early modern periods have been recovered from the castle ruins in the process of archaeological investigations and construction works. Many of the recovered iron artefacts are extremely difficult to identify due to their fragmentary state. This paper presents the study of four relatively recently discovered artefacts. The available evidence suggests that at least one of them belongs to a helmet, while another has been identified as the remains of a lock. The artefacts were analysed with X-ray radiography and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, samples were taken for microhardness Vickers measurements and metallographic analysis with a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Additional microchemical and structural phase analysis were done with the electron microscope. The aim of archaeometallurgical analyses is to contribute to a more precise interpretation and add a new dimension to our knowledge of the castle site at Kozlov Rob.
Ko zapoje kovina. Tisočletja metalurgije na Slovenskem / Song of Metal. Millennia of Metallurgy in Slovenia, 2019
Vse pravice pridržane. Za vsebino Ëlankov odgovarjajo avtorji. Brez pisnega dovoljenja lastnika a... more Vse pravice pridržane. Za vsebino Ëlankov odgovarjajo avtorji. Brez pisnega dovoljenja lastnika av torskih pravic je prepovedano reproduciranje, distribuiranje, predelava ali druga uporaba tega avtorskega dela v kakršnem koli obsegu in na kakršen koli naËin. A ll rights reserved. The authors are responsible for the content of their contributions. Without the w ritten permission of the copy right holder it is forbidden to reproduce, distribute, adapt, or in any other way exploit the content of this work. Publikacija je izšla s podporo Ministrstva za kulturo Republike Slovenije.
SL. 4 Med etnografskim gradivom se je Walter Schmid posebej intenzivno ukvarjal s preučevanjem pa... more SL. 4 Med etnografskim gradivom se je Walter Schmid posebej intenzivno ukvarjal s preučevanjem panjskih končnic. (NMS, inv. št. N 29953, foto: Fran Vesel) SL. 6 Druga pomembna Schmidova obogatitev narodopisnih zbirk Kranjskega deželnega muzeja je vključevala ureditev interierja značilne kmečke sobe. (NMS, inv. št. N 30564) SL. 5 Umetnine iz fonda ljubljanskega Škofijskega muzeja, razstavljene na hodniku muzejske palače; posnetek je nastal leta 1926. (NMS, inv. št. N 25765)
In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823–1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsb... more In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823–1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsburg Mon-archy. After initially deciding to embark on a military career in the Seventh Infantry Regiment and being gradually promoted to the rank of captain, he was compelled to retire already in 1860 due to poor health. After that, he devoted his life to designing technological innovations, particularly in the field of arms technology. Pistotnik attained the most visible breakthrough designing the metallic cartridge repeating rifle, patented in 1860, and he also designed a single-shot version of Lorenz muzzle loader as well as an improved variant of the Wanzel action. Despite his great expecta-tions, the Austrian army refused to put any of Pistotnik’s firearm models to use. Due to an unknown turn of events, three of his prototypes have been preserved in the National Museum of Slovenia. Since they have remained completely unknown to the public until recently, the aim of this article is to...
A schematic plan from the period of the Venetian War (1508–1516) is preserved in the legacy of Ch... more A schematic plan from the period of the Venetian War (1508–1516) is preserved in the legacy of Christoph Rauber in the Ljubljana Archdiocesan Archive. It depicts a large army in a battle formation with a clearly defi ned numerical structure and types of units. In terms of form and content, this is an exceptionally rare and valuable document that is almost unmatched by other preserved written sources from the period. The schematic plan thus represents a unique fi nd that illustrates the art and theory of war in the Eastern Alps at the dawn of the 16th century.
The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researcher... more The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researchers’ attention on a number of occasions for its preserved frescos dating to the first half of the sixteenth century. The latest restoration works uncovered new, hitherto unknown paintings. The contribution focuses on the fresco of Saint Christopher on the south side of the nave. On its margin, the monumental depiction features an added figure of a shooter aiming his arquebus at a horned animal – a goat or a chamois. This motif is interesting for several reasons. According to the available data, it is one of the earliest, if not even the earliest depiction of the use of a firearm in wall painting in Slovenia. The detailed treatment of the scene within its historical context raises further questions by pointing to an important watershed, when hand-held firearms matured to the point of becoming a self-evident part of military armament and also began to spread among hunters in the eastern Alpi...
During archaeological excavations of the fortifications on Kozlov rob, two perforated steel plate... more During archaeological excavations of the fortifications on Kozlov rob, two perforated steel plates were discovered, the purposes of which had never been explained satisfactorily. Detailed examinations and scientific analyses confirmed that in one case at least we were dealing with fragments of armour from the late Middle Ages or the early Modern Period that had later been reworked into an entirely unrelated object having, in all possibility, a non-warlike function.
A brief military history of the Slovenian territory during the late Middle Ages published in Medi... more A brief military history of the Slovenian territory during the late Middle Ages published in Medieval Warfare 11/1
A representative group of seal dies made of copper alloys from the collection of the National Mus... more A representative group of seal dies made of copper alloys from the collection of the National Museum of Slovenia was investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). Chronologically, the artefacts date from the early 13th century to the present. Non-destructive EDXRF screening of elemental fingerprints of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag, Sn and Sb was performed on 95 seal dies, and the obtained elemental data set was further processed by chemometric tools such as principal component analysis (PCA). The relationships between the elemental composition of analysed seal dies, type of alloy applied and their historical context date , location of manufacture and, possibly, social rank of the owner-were examined in detail.
Podružnična cerkev Marijinega rojstva v Policah pri Cerknem je v preteklosti že večkrat pritegnil... more Podružnična cerkev Marijinega rojstva v Policah pri Cerknem je v preteklosti že večkrat pritegnila pozornost raziskovalcev zaradi ohranjenih fresk iz prve polovice 16. stoletja. Nedavni restavratorski posegi so odkrili nove, doslej še neznane poslikave. V prispevku se posebej osredotočamo na fresko sv. Krištofa na južni strani cerkvene lad-je. Ob robu monumentalne upodobitve svetnika je dodan lik strelca z arkebuzo, ki meri na rogato žival-kozla ali gamsa. Ta motiv je večstransko zanimiv. Po doslej znanih podatkih gre za eno najstarejših, če ne sploh najzgodnejšo upodobitev uporabe ognjenega orožja v stenskem slikarstvu v Sloveniji. Še več vprašanj se odpira ob podrobnejši obravnavi prizora v zgodovinskem kontekstu. Nakazuje namreč pomembno prelomnico, ko je ročno ognjeno orožje že toliko dozorelo, da je postalo samoumeven del vojaške oborožitve, hkrati pa se je v vzhodnoalpskem prostoru začelo širiti tudi med lovci. HITHERTO UNKNOWN DEPICTION OF AN EARLY FIREARM ON THE FRESCO AT POLICE NEAR CERKNO The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researchers' attention on a number of occasions for its preserved frescos dating to the first half of the sixteenth century. The latest restoration works uncovered new, hitherto unknown paintings. The contribution focuses on the fresco of Saint Christopher on the south side of the nave. On its margin, the monumental depiction features an added figure of a shooter aiming his arquebus at a horned animal-a goat or a chamois. This motif is interesting for several reasons. According to the available data, it is one of the earliest, if not even the earliest depiction of the use of a firearm in wall painting in Slovenia. The detailed treatment of the scene within its historical context raises further questions by pointing to an important watershed, when hand-held firearms matured to the point of becoming a self-evident part of military armament and also began to spread among hunters in the eastern Alpine area.
There is relatively little information available on the weight and thickness of historical plate ... more There is relatively little information available on the weight and thickness of historical plate armour. The purpose of the present study is to present a detailed analysis of eight torso defences dating from the early 16th to the mid-19th century. Each artefact has been measured in detail and its thickness mapping is presented in graphical diagrams. Also, 3D modelling has been used experimentally to estimate the size of individuals expected to wear the armour. The results illustrate important concepts of armour design, especially in regard to the increasing effectiveness of firearms.
Med zapuščino Krištofa Ravbarja v Nadškofijskem arhivu v Ljubljani se je ohranil shematski načrt ... more Med zapuščino Krištofa Ravbarja v Nadškofijskem arhivu v Ljubljani se je ohranil shematski načrt iz časa beneške vojne (1508–1516). Na njem je upodobljena velika armada v bojni formaciji z jasno določeno številčno sestavo in vrstami enot. Po obliki in vsebini gre za izjemno redek, zelo dragocen dokument, ki med ohranjenimi pisnimi viri svoje dobe skorajda nima znanih primerjav. Zato shematski načrt pomeni enkratno najdbo, ki razkriva podobo vojne umetnosti in teorije v vzhodnoalpskem prostoru na pragu 16. stoletja.
Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) je za časa življenja sodil med najprepoznavnejše izumitelje v habsbu... more Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) je za časa življenja sodil med najprepoznavnejše izumitelje v habsburški monarhiji. Sprva se je odločil za vojaško službo v 7. pehotnem polku in postopoma napredoval do čina stotnika, a se je moral zaradi bolezni že leta 1860 upokojiti. Nato se je posvetil snovanju tehničnih izumov, še posebej dejavno na področju oborožitvene tehnologije. Najopaznejši preboj je dosegel z repetirno puško na enovito strelivo, patentirano leta 1860, izdelal pa je tudi enostrelno predelavo prednjače tipa Lorenz in izboljšavo sistema Wänzel. Kljub velikim pričakovanjem avstrijska armada ni sprejela v uporabo nobenega od Pistotnikovih modelov strelnega orožja. Trije njegovi prototipi so se po neznanem spletu okoliščin ohranili v Narodnem muzeju Slovenije. Do nedavnega so bili javnosti povsem neznani, zato želimo s pričujočim sestavkom podrobneje opozoriti na te izjemne zgodovinske raritete.
FORGOTTEN INVENTOR EDMUND PISTOTNIK AND HIS EXPERIMENTAL RIFLES IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SLOVENIA In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsburg Monarchy. After initially deciding to embark on a military career in the Seventh Infantry Regiment and being gradually promoted to the rank of captain, he was compelled to retire already in 1860 due to poor health. After that, he devoted his life to designing technological innovations, particularly in the field of arms technology. Pistotnik attained the most visible breakthrough designing the metallic cartridge repeating rifle, patented in 1860, and he also designed a single-shot version of Lorenz muzzle loader as well as an improved variant of the Wänzel action. Despite his great expectations , the Austrian army refused to put any of Pistotnik's firearm models to use. Due to an unknown turn of events, three of his prototypes have been preserved in the National Museum of Slovenia. Since they have remained completely unknown to the public until recently, the aim of this article is to provide a detailed description and raise awareness of these extraordinary historical rarities.
Der technologische Fortschritt in den fünfziger Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts hatte eine rasante En... more Der technologische Fortschritt in den fünfziger Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts hatte eine rasante Entwicklung der Feuerwaffen zur Folge. Glattrohrmusketen der napoleonischen Periode wurden durch Perkussionsgewehre mit Expansions- bzw. Kompressionsgeschossen ersetzt. In der österreichischen Armee wurde im Jahr 1854 das Lorenz-Gewehr eingeführt, das acht Jahre später eine minimale Modernisierung erfuhr. Die Waffen dieser Klasse stellten die letzte, vollständigste Vorderladergeneration dar. Kaum jemand war sich dessen bewusst, dass es sich dabei lediglich um ein kurzes Provisorium handelte, schränkte die niedrige Schusskadenz doch entscheidend ihre Verwendungskapazität ein. Die katastrophale Niederlage im Krieg gegen Preußen zwang die habsburgische Armee zu einer sofortigen Modernisierung. Um baldmöglichst Hinterladergewehre für die Armee sicherzustellen, fiel die militärische Fachkommission ein salomonisches Urteil: Die bestehenden Lorenz-Vorderlader sollten umgehend nach dem System Wänzel mit Drehblockverschluss umgebaut werden, in den darauffolgenden Jahren sollte die Armee allmählich auf das neu konzipierte Werndl-Gewehr M 1867 mit Tabernakelverschluss umgerüstet werden. Die Habsburgermonarchie erlangte somit in einigen wenigen Monaten einen Ersatz für die Perkussionsvorderlader. Die Auswahl war alles andere als leicht, musste sich die militärische Fachkommission doch zwischen zahlreichen Anbietern entscheiden. Darunter befand sich auch der heute in Vergessenheit geratene k. k. Hauptmann Edmund Pistotnik.
A late-medieval longsword has recently been added to the arms and armour collection of the Nation... more A late-medieval longsword has recently been added to the arms and armour collection of the National Museum of Slovenia. While lacking any documented provenance, sword inv. no. N 40037 is a fine example of the blade maker’s craft. A detailed analysis of its typological features, hilt style, pommel decoration, and blade mark suggests that it was most likely produced in Passau or some other major workshop belonging to the German sword-smithing circle during the middle or second half of the 14th century. As a functional weapon of war, N 40037 is particularly noteworthy for its excellent balance and a complex flattened hexagonal to octagonal blade cross-section with extremely acute edge geometry optimised for maximum cutting performance.
Preučevanje historičnega orožja v slovenskem prostoru nima dolge strokovne tradicije. K temu so p... more Preučevanje historičnega orožja v slovenskem prostoru nima dolge strokovne tradicije. K temu so pripomogli različni razlogi-po eni strani splošno zakoreninjene predstave o nacionalni zgodovini Slovencev kot mitologiziranega naroda miroljubnih poljedelcev, po drugi strani pomanjkanje reprezentativnih plemiških zbirk starega orožja, kot so se izoblikovale v političnih središčih naše soseščine. Neizdelan odnos do vojaškozgodovinske dediščine se je pokazal že ob ustanavljanju Kranjskega deželnega muzeja v Ljubljani, kjer je to področje ostalo tako rekoč neobdelano vse do konca druge svetovne vojne. Ljubljanski muzealci so vrednost muzejske zbirke orožja zares prepoznali šele proti koncu petdesetih let 20. stoletja, očitno predvsem zaradi interesa zunanjih opazovalcev in tujih izvedencev, kot je bil dunajski kustos dr. Bruno Thomas. Šele ta premik je v Narodnem muzeju spodbudil izoblikovanje samostojnega kustodiata za orožje in bojno opremo. Njegov nosilec je postal Ferdinand Tancik, prvi specialist za vojaško dediščino starejših obdobij in kljub kratki karieri presenetljivo vpliven pionir slovenskega orožjeslovja.
The study of historical arms and armour has no firmly established tradition in Slovenian scholarship. This may be attributed to various factors – on the one hand, the widely entrenched notions of Slovenia’s past reduced to a mythologised nation of peace-loving country folk, and on the otherhand, the lack of representative arms and armour collections belonging to noble elites, such as may be found in the neighbouring political centres. A rather unreflective approach to military historical heritage could be observed during the formative period of the Carniolan Provincial Museum in Ljubljana, the precursor to the later National Museum, where this particular field remained largely uncharted until the end of World War II. Ljubljana’s museum experts ultimately recognised the true value of their arms and armour collection only towards the end of the 1950s, to a considerable extent or even mainly thanks to the interest of outside observers and foreign connoisseurs like the Viennese curator Dr Bruno Thomas. Within the National Museum, this shift finally stimulated the creation of a curatorial post devoted to arms and armour. Its tasks were entrusted to Ferdinand Tancik, Slovenia’s first specialist in the military heritage of the premodern era and, despite his brief career, a surprisingly influential local pioneer in arms and armour studies.
The castle on Kozlov Rob above Tolmin is one of the most important historical sites in western Sl... more The castle on Kozlov Rob above Tolmin is one of the most important historical sites in western Slovenia. Over the years, large quantities of finds dating from the late medieval and early modern periods have been recovered from the castle ruins in the process of archaeological investigations and construction works. Many of the recovered iron artefacts are extremely difficult to identify due to their fragmentary state. This paper presents the study of four relatively recently discovered artefacts. The available evidence suggests that at least one of them belongs to a helmet, while another has been identified as the remains of a lock. The artefacts were analysed with X-ray radiography and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, samples were taken for microhardness Vickers measurements and metallographic analysis with a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Additional microchemical and structural phase analysis were done with the electron microscope. The aim of archaeometallurgical analyses is to contribute to a more precise interpretation and add a new dimension to our knowledge of the castle site at Kozlov Rob.
Ko zapoje kovina. Tisočletja metalurgije na Slovenskem / Song of Metal. Millennia of Metallurgy in Slovenia, 2019
Vse pravice pridržane. Za vsebino Ëlankov odgovarjajo avtorji. Brez pisnega dovoljenja lastnika a... more Vse pravice pridržane. Za vsebino Ëlankov odgovarjajo avtorji. Brez pisnega dovoljenja lastnika av torskih pravic je prepovedano reproduciranje, distribuiranje, predelava ali druga uporaba tega avtorskega dela v kakršnem koli obsegu in na kakršen koli naËin. A ll rights reserved. The authors are responsible for the content of their contributions. Without the w ritten permission of the copy right holder it is forbidden to reproduce, distribute, adapt, or in any other way exploit the content of this work. Publikacija je izšla s podporo Ministrstva za kulturo Republike Slovenije.
SL. 4 Med etnografskim gradivom se je Walter Schmid posebej intenzivno ukvarjal s preučevanjem pa... more SL. 4 Med etnografskim gradivom se je Walter Schmid posebej intenzivno ukvarjal s preučevanjem panjskih končnic. (NMS, inv. št. N 29953, foto: Fran Vesel) SL. 6 Druga pomembna Schmidova obogatitev narodopisnih zbirk Kranjskega deželnega muzeja je vključevala ureditev interierja značilne kmečke sobe. (NMS, inv. št. N 30564) SL. 5 Umetnine iz fonda ljubljanskega Škofijskega muzeja, razstavljene na hodniku muzejske palače; posnetek je nastal leta 1926. (NMS, inv. št. N 25765)
In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823–1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsb... more In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823–1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsburg Mon-archy. After initially deciding to embark on a military career in the Seventh Infantry Regiment and being gradually promoted to the rank of captain, he was compelled to retire already in 1860 due to poor health. After that, he devoted his life to designing technological innovations, particularly in the field of arms technology. Pistotnik attained the most visible breakthrough designing the metallic cartridge repeating rifle, patented in 1860, and he also designed a single-shot version of Lorenz muzzle loader as well as an improved variant of the Wanzel action. Despite his great expecta-tions, the Austrian army refused to put any of Pistotnik’s firearm models to use. Due to an unknown turn of events, three of his prototypes have been preserved in the National Museum of Slovenia. Since they have remained completely unknown to the public until recently, the aim of this article is to...
A schematic plan from the period of the Venetian War (1508–1516) is preserved in the legacy of Ch... more A schematic plan from the period of the Venetian War (1508–1516) is preserved in the legacy of Christoph Rauber in the Ljubljana Archdiocesan Archive. It depicts a large army in a battle formation with a clearly defi ned numerical structure and types of units. In terms of form and content, this is an exceptionally rare and valuable document that is almost unmatched by other preserved written sources from the period. The schematic plan thus represents a unique fi nd that illustrates the art and theory of war in the Eastern Alps at the dawn of the 16th century.
The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researcher... more The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researchers’ attention on a number of occasions for its preserved frescos dating to the first half of the sixteenth century. The latest restoration works uncovered new, hitherto unknown paintings. The contribution focuses on the fresco of Saint Christopher on the south side of the nave. On its margin, the monumental depiction features an added figure of a shooter aiming his arquebus at a horned animal – a goat or a chamois. This motif is interesting for several reasons. According to the available data, it is one of the earliest, if not even the earliest depiction of the use of a firearm in wall painting in Slovenia. The detailed treatment of the scene within its historical context raises further questions by pointing to an important watershed, when hand-held firearms matured to the point of becoming a self-evident part of military armament and also began to spread among hunters in the eastern Alpi...
During archaeological excavations of the fortifications on Kozlov rob, two perforated steel plate... more During archaeological excavations of the fortifications on Kozlov rob, two perforated steel plates were discovered, the purposes of which had never been explained satisfactorily. Detailed examinations and scientific analyses confirmed that in one case at least we were dealing with fragments of armour from the late Middle Ages or the early Modern Period that had later been reworked into an entirely unrelated object having, in all possibility, a non-warlike function.
A brief military history of the Slovenian territory during the late Middle Ages published in Medi... more A brief military history of the Slovenian territory during the late Middle Ages published in Medieval Warfare 11/1
A representative group of seal dies made of copper alloys from the collection of the National Mus... more A representative group of seal dies made of copper alloys from the collection of the National Museum of Slovenia was investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). Chronologically, the artefacts date from the early 13th century to the present. Non-destructive EDXRF screening of elemental fingerprints of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag, Sn and Sb was performed on 95 seal dies, and the obtained elemental data set was further processed by chemometric tools such as principal component analysis (PCA). The relationships between the elemental composition of analysed seal dies, type of alloy applied and their historical context date , location of manufacture and, possibly, social rank of the owner-were examined in detail.
Podružnična cerkev Marijinega rojstva v Policah pri Cerknem je v preteklosti že večkrat pritegnil... more Podružnična cerkev Marijinega rojstva v Policah pri Cerknem je v preteklosti že večkrat pritegnila pozornost raziskovalcev zaradi ohranjenih fresk iz prve polovice 16. stoletja. Nedavni restavratorski posegi so odkrili nove, doslej še neznane poslikave. V prispevku se posebej osredotočamo na fresko sv. Krištofa na južni strani cerkvene lad-je. Ob robu monumentalne upodobitve svetnika je dodan lik strelca z arkebuzo, ki meri na rogato žival-kozla ali gamsa. Ta motiv je večstransko zanimiv. Po doslej znanih podatkih gre za eno najstarejših, če ne sploh najzgodnejšo upodobitev uporabe ognjenega orožja v stenskem slikarstvu v Sloveniji. Še več vprašanj se odpira ob podrobnejši obravnavi prizora v zgodovinskem kontekstu. Nakazuje namreč pomembno prelomnico, ko je ročno ognjeno orožje že toliko dozorelo, da je postalo samoumeven del vojaške oborožitve, hkrati pa se je v vzhodnoalpskem prostoru začelo širiti tudi med lovci. HITHERTO UNKNOWN DEPICTION OF AN EARLY FIREARM ON THE FRESCO AT POLICE NEAR CERKNO The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researchers' attention on a number of occasions for its preserved frescos dating to the first half of the sixteenth century. The latest restoration works uncovered new, hitherto unknown paintings. The contribution focuses on the fresco of Saint Christopher on the south side of the nave. On its margin, the monumental depiction features an added figure of a shooter aiming his arquebus at a horned animal-a goat or a chamois. This motif is interesting for several reasons. According to the available data, it is one of the earliest, if not even the earliest depiction of the use of a firearm in wall painting in Slovenia. The detailed treatment of the scene within its historical context raises further questions by pointing to an important watershed, when hand-held firearms matured to the point of becoming a self-evident part of military armament and also began to spread among hunters in the eastern Alpine area.
There is relatively little information available on the weight and thickness of historical plate ... more There is relatively little information available on the weight and thickness of historical plate armour. The purpose of the present study is to present a detailed analysis of eight torso defences dating from the early 16th to the mid-19th century. Each artefact has been measured in detail and its thickness mapping is presented in graphical diagrams. Also, 3D modelling has been used experimentally to estimate the size of individuals expected to wear the armour. The results illustrate important concepts of armour design, especially in regard to the increasing effectiveness of firearms.
Med zapuščino Krištofa Ravbarja v Nadškofijskem arhivu v Ljubljani se je ohranil shematski načrt ... more Med zapuščino Krištofa Ravbarja v Nadškofijskem arhivu v Ljubljani se je ohranil shematski načrt iz časa beneške vojne (1508–1516). Na njem je upodobljena velika armada v bojni formaciji z jasno določeno številčno sestavo in vrstami enot. Po obliki in vsebini gre za izjemno redek, zelo dragocen dokument, ki med ohranjenimi pisnimi viri svoje dobe skorajda nima znanih primerjav. Zato shematski načrt pomeni enkratno najdbo, ki razkriva podobo vojne umetnosti in teorije v vzhodnoalpskem prostoru na pragu 16. stoletja.
Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) je za časa življenja sodil med najprepoznavnejše izumitelje v habsbu... more Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) je za časa življenja sodil med najprepoznavnejše izumitelje v habsburški monarhiji. Sprva se je odločil za vojaško službo v 7. pehotnem polku in postopoma napredoval do čina stotnika, a se je moral zaradi bolezni že leta 1860 upokojiti. Nato se je posvetil snovanju tehničnih izumov, še posebej dejavno na področju oborožitvene tehnologije. Najopaznejši preboj je dosegel z repetirno puško na enovito strelivo, patentirano leta 1860, izdelal pa je tudi enostrelno predelavo prednjače tipa Lorenz in izboljšavo sistema Wänzel. Kljub velikim pričakovanjem avstrijska armada ni sprejela v uporabo nobenega od Pistotnikovih modelov strelnega orožja. Trije njegovi prototipi so se po neznanem spletu okoliščin ohranili v Narodnem muzeju Slovenije. Do nedavnega so bili javnosti povsem neznani, zato želimo s pričujočim sestavkom podrobneje opozoriti na te izjemne zgodovinske raritete.
FORGOTTEN INVENTOR EDMUND PISTOTNIK AND HIS EXPERIMENTAL RIFLES IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SLOVENIA In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsburg Monarchy. After initially deciding to embark on a military career in the Seventh Infantry Regiment and being gradually promoted to the rank of captain, he was compelled to retire already in 1860 due to poor health. After that, he devoted his life to designing technological innovations, particularly in the field of arms technology. Pistotnik attained the most visible breakthrough designing the metallic cartridge repeating rifle, patented in 1860, and he also designed a single-shot version of Lorenz muzzle loader as well as an improved variant of the Wänzel action. Despite his great expectations , the Austrian army refused to put any of Pistotnik's firearm models to use. Due to an unknown turn of events, three of his prototypes have been preserved in the National Museum of Slovenia. Since they have remained completely unknown to the public until recently, the aim of this article is to provide a detailed description and raise awareness of these extraordinary historical rarities.
Der technologische Fortschritt in den fünfziger Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts hatte eine rasante En... more Der technologische Fortschritt in den fünfziger Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts hatte eine rasante Entwicklung der Feuerwaffen zur Folge. Glattrohrmusketen der napoleonischen Periode wurden durch Perkussionsgewehre mit Expansions- bzw. Kompressionsgeschossen ersetzt. In der österreichischen Armee wurde im Jahr 1854 das Lorenz-Gewehr eingeführt, das acht Jahre später eine minimale Modernisierung erfuhr. Die Waffen dieser Klasse stellten die letzte, vollständigste Vorderladergeneration dar. Kaum jemand war sich dessen bewusst, dass es sich dabei lediglich um ein kurzes Provisorium handelte, schränkte die niedrige Schusskadenz doch entscheidend ihre Verwendungskapazität ein. Die katastrophale Niederlage im Krieg gegen Preußen zwang die habsburgische Armee zu einer sofortigen Modernisierung. Um baldmöglichst Hinterladergewehre für die Armee sicherzustellen, fiel die militärische Fachkommission ein salomonisches Urteil: Die bestehenden Lorenz-Vorderlader sollten umgehend nach dem System Wänzel mit Drehblockverschluss umgebaut werden, in den darauffolgenden Jahren sollte die Armee allmählich auf das neu konzipierte Werndl-Gewehr M 1867 mit Tabernakelverschluss umgerüstet werden. Die Habsburgermonarchie erlangte somit in einigen wenigen Monaten einen Ersatz für die Perkussionsvorderlader. Die Auswahl war alles andere als leicht, musste sich die militärische Fachkommission doch zwischen zahlreichen Anbietern entscheiden. Darunter befand sich auch der heute in Vergessenheit geratene k. k. Hauptmann Edmund Pistotnik.
Excerpts from the English translation of the catalogue monograph accompanying the exhibition on c... more Excerpts from the English translation of the catalogue monograph accompanying the exhibition on chivalry in Slovenia (The Knight, the Lady and the Dragon: The Heritage of Medieval Warriors, 2012-2014)
The oldest two artillery pieces in Slovenia have survived in the arms collection at Ptuj castle. ... more The oldest two artillery pieces in Slovenia have survived in the arms collection at Ptuj castle. Both were made from wrought iron; one may be classified as a light bombard or howitzer from the mid-15th c. while the other is a unique example of a stone-firing gun from ca. 1500, apparently an experimental design from the time of Maximilian I. of Habsburg. During the years 2010-2014 the guns were subjected to intense analyses, particularly gamma radiography, ultrasonic testing, XRF and metallographic analyses. The results of this research have been published in a bilingual Slovenian-English monograph, which represents the first major study of medieval artillery in the Slovenian lands.
ZRC SAZU, Atrij and Prešeren Hall, June 22–24, 2022
Starting, June 22, 2022, at 15.30, in Atri... more ZRC SAZU, Atrij and Prešeren Hall, June 22–24, 2022
Starting, June 22, 2022, at 15.30, in Atrij ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2
The conference was funded by the Slovenian Research Agency within research project Art and Nobility in Times of Decline: Transformations, translocations and Reinterpretations and research programme Art in Slovenia at a Cultural Crossroads.
The Conference is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the independent institute now called the France Stele Institute of Art History of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Organization: Tina Košak, Helena Seražin, Renata Komić Marn
Uploads
Papers by Tomaž Lazar
The study of historical arms and armour has no firmly established tradition in Slovenian scholarship. This may be attributed to various factors – on the one hand, the widely entrenched notions of Slovenia’s past reduced to a mythologised nation of peace-loving country folk, and on the otherhand, the lack of representative arms and armour collections belonging to noble elites, such as may be found in the neighbouring political centres. A rather unreflective approach to military historical heritage could be observed during the formative period of the Carniolan Provincial Museum in Ljubljana, the precursor to the later National Museum, where this particular field remained largely uncharted until the end of World War II. Ljubljana’s museum experts ultimately recognised the true value of their arms and armour collection only towards the end of the 1950s, to a considerable extent or even mainly thanks to the interest of outside observers and foreign connoisseurs like the Viennese curator Dr Bruno Thomas. Within the National Museum, this shift finally stimulated the creation of a curatorial post devoted to arms and armour. Its tasks were entrusted to Ferdinand Tancik, Slovenia’s first specialist in the military heritage of the premodern era and, despite his brief career, a surprisingly influential local pioneer in arms and armour studies.
HITHERTO UNKNOWN DEPICTION OF AN EARLY FIREARM ON THE FRESCO AT POLICE NEAR CERKNO The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researchers' attention on a number of occasions for its preserved frescos dating to the first half of the sixteenth century. The latest restoration works uncovered new, hitherto unknown paintings. The contribution focuses on the fresco of Saint Christopher on the south side of the nave. On its margin, the monumental depiction features an added figure of a shooter aiming his arquebus at a horned animal-a goat or a chamois. This motif is interesting for several reasons. According to the available data, it is one of the earliest, if not even the earliest depiction of the use of a firearm in wall painting in Slovenia. The detailed treatment of the scene within its historical context raises further questions by pointing to an important watershed, when hand-held firearms matured to the point of becoming a self-evident part of military armament and also began to spread among hunters in the eastern Alpine area.
FORGOTTEN INVENTOR EDMUND PISTOTNIK AND HIS EXPERIMENTAL RIFLES IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SLOVENIA
In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsburg Monarchy. After initially deciding to embark on a military career in the Seventh Infantry Regiment and being gradually promoted to the rank of captain, he was compelled to retire already in 1860 due to poor health. After that, he devoted his life to designing technological innovations, particularly in the field of arms technology. Pistotnik attained the most visible breakthrough designing the metallic cartridge repeating rifle, patented in 1860, and he also designed a single-shot version of Lorenz muzzle loader as well as an improved variant of the Wänzel action. Despite his great expectations , the Austrian army refused to put any of Pistotnik's firearm models to use. Due to an unknown turn of events, three of his prototypes have been preserved in the National Museum of Slovenia. Since they have remained completely unknown to the public until recently, the aim of this article is to provide a detailed description and raise awareness of these extraordinary historical rarities.
Die katastrophale Niederlage im Krieg gegen Preußen zwang die habsburgische Armee zu einer sofortigen Modernisierung. Um baldmöglichst Hinterladergewehre für die Armee sicherzustellen, fiel die militärische Fachkommission ein salomonisches Urteil: Die bestehenden Lorenz-Vorderlader sollten umgehend nach dem System Wänzel mit Drehblockverschluss umgebaut werden, in den darauffolgenden Jahren sollte die Armee allmählich auf das neu konzipierte Werndl-Gewehr M 1867 mit Tabernakelverschluss umgerüstet werden.
Die Habsburgermonarchie erlangte somit in einigen wenigen Monaten einen Ersatz für die Perkussionsvorderlader. Die Auswahl war alles andere als leicht, musste sich die militärische Fachkommission doch zwischen zahlreichen Anbietern entscheiden. Darunter befand sich auch der heute in Vergessenheit geratene k. k. Hauptmann Edmund Pistotnik.
The study of historical arms and armour has no firmly established tradition in Slovenian scholarship. This may be attributed to various factors – on the one hand, the widely entrenched notions of Slovenia’s past reduced to a mythologised nation of peace-loving country folk, and on the otherhand, the lack of representative arms and armour collections belonging to noble elites, such as may be found in the neighbouring political centres. A rather unreflective approach to military historical heritage could be observed during the formative period of the Carniolan Provincial Museum in Ljubljana, the precursor to the later National Museum, where this particular field remained largely uncharted until the end of World War II. Ljubljana’s museum experts ultimately recognised the true value of their arms and armour collection only towards the end of the 1950s, to a considerable extent or even mainly thanks to the interest of outside observers and foreign connoisseurs like the Viennese curator Dr Bruno Thomas. Within the National Museum, this shift finally stimulated the creation of a curatorial post devoted to arms and armour. Its tasks were entrusted to Ferdinand Tancik, Slovenia’s first specialist in the military heritage of the premodern era and, despite his brief career, a surprisingly influential local pioneer in arms and armour studies.
HITHERTO UNKNOWN DEPICTION OF AN EARLY FIREARM ON THE FRESCO AT POLICE NEAR CERKNO The succursal Church of the Nativity of Mary at Police near Cerkno has already engaged researchers' attention on a number of occasions for its preserved frescos dating to the first half of the sixteenth century. The latest restoration works uncovered new, hitherto unknown paintings. The contribution focuses on the fresco of Saint Christopher on the south side of the nave. On its margin, the monumental depiction features an added figure of a shooter aiming his arquebus at a horned animal-a goat or a chamois. This motif is interesting for several reasons. According to the available data, it is one of the earliest, if not even the earliest depiction of the use of a firearm in wall painting in Slovenia. The detailed treatment of the scene within its historical context raises further questions by pointing to an important watershed, when hand-held firearms matured to the point of becoming a self-evident part of military armament and also began to spread among hunters in the eastern Alpine area.
FORGOTTEN INVENTOR EDMUND PISTOTNIK AND HIS EXPERIMENTAL RIFLES IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SLOVENIA
In his days, Edmund Pistotnik (1823-1891) was one of the most recognizable inventors in the Habsburg Monarchy. After initially deciding to embark on a military career in the Seventh Infantry Regiment and being gradually promoted to the rank of captain, he was compelled to retire already in 1860 due to poor health. After that, he devoted his life to designing technological innovations, particularly in the field of arms technology. Pistotnik attained the most visible breakthrough designing the metallic cartridge repeating rifle, patented in 1860, and he also designed a single-shot version of Lorenz muzzle loader as well as an improved variant of the Wänzel action. Despite his great expectations , the Austrian army refused to put any of Pistotnik's firearm models to use. Due to an unknown turn of events, three of his prototypes have been preserved in the National Museum of Slovenia. Since they have remained completely unknown to the public until recently, the aim of this article is to provide a detailed description and raise awareness of these extraordinary historical rarities.
Die katastrophale Niederlage im Krieg gegen Preußen zwang die habsburgische Armee zu einer sofortigen Modernisierung. Um baldmöglichst Hinterladergewehre für die Armee sicherzustellen, fiel die militärische Fachkommission ein salomonisches Urteil: Die bestehenden Lorenz-Vorderlader sollten umgehend nach dem System Wänzel mit Drehblockverschluss umgebaut werden, in den darauffolgenden Jahren sollte die Armee allmählich auf das neu konzipierte Werndl-Gewehr M 1867 mit Tabernakelverschluss umgerüstet werden.
Die Habsburgermonarchie erlangte somit in einigen wenigen Monaten einen Ersatz für die Perkussionsvorderlader. Die Auswahl war alles andere als leicht, musste sich die militärische Fachkommission doch zwischen zahlreichen Anbietern entscheiden. Darunter befand sich auch der heute in Vergessenheit geratene k. k. Hauptmann Edmund Pistotnik.
http://www.nms.si/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=692&Itemid=175&lang=sl
Starting, June 22, 2022, at 15.30, in Atrij ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2
The conference was funded by the Slovenian Research Agency within research project Art and Nobility in Times of Decline: Transformations, translocations and Reinterpretations and research programme Art in Slovenia at a Cultural Crossroads.
The Conference is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the independent institute now called the France Stele Institute of Art History of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Organization: Tina Košak, Helena Seražin, Renata Komić Marn