Exploring a 16th Century Italian Bill

This video explores an Italian partisan, likely imported by Henry VIII, from the Royal Armouries collection. Assistant Curator Iason Tzouriadis details the weapon's features, historical context, and classification as a 'Bolognese type' ox-tang partisan. The discussion highlights the craftsmanship, maker's mark attributed to Alessandro Coltelli, and the weapon's journey from Italy to England.

This video from the Royal Armouries explores the historical wrestling match between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France at the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520. Chris and Lauren from the York School of Defence reconstruct how the match might have unfolded, drawing upon their understanding of historical texts and martial arts. The event itself was a lavish diplomatic summit intended to solidify peace between the two nations, featuring numerous tournaments and displays of power and wealth. The video links to additional resources about Tudor power and the Royal Armouries.

This lecture by Joe Tryner, PhD Student at The University of Sheffield, explores the evolution of portable firearms during the Italian Wars (1494-1560) and their societal impact. It details the development of matchlock, wheel-lock, flintlock arquebuses, and pistols in production centers like Italy and southern Germany, highlighting their effect on battlefield tactics and their rapid spread into civilian life. The talk uses the example of goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini to illustrate early gun cultures, examines the appeal of firearms in 16th-century Italy across various social strata, and offers a new perspective on this period by exposing the realities of early modern warfare and the Italian Renaissance.

This video features Assistant Curator Eleanor Wilkinson-Keys from the Royal Armouries discussing a highly decorated 16th-century Italian Shaffron, a type of horse armor. The episode is the first in a new series highlighting favorite objects from their collection. While the focus is on historical armor, the Royal Armouries' mission is to explore arms and armor, including historical combat and demonstrations. They encourage audience engagement through comments and offer ways to support the museum.

This YouTube video from the Royal Armouries' Home Learning Hub explores historical crimes and punishments from the 1500s to the 1700s. It highlights severe penalties like branding and dismemberment, contrasting them with modern-day punishments. The video also touches upon unusual historical offenses such as gossiping, religious dissent, reading banned books, and specific clothing choices. It encourages viewers to explore artifacts in the Royal Armouries' collection related to these punishments and directs them to a downloadable 'Crime & Punishment Learners Pack' on their Home Learning Hub. The content is designed for KS2 History and KS2 Literature, and supports teachers and parents with homeschooling resources.

This video clip from the Royal Armouries series "Arms in Action" explores historical martial practices and weaponry. It features "Masters of Defence," detailing the history and use of civilian European swords from 1500-1800 for social status and combat, including duels and fencing. "How a Man Shall be Armed" demonstrates the donning of Elizabethan-era full armor, emphasizing its protective design and freedom of movement, filmed at Bodiam Castle. "Bamboo and Steel" delves into the significance of the Japanese samurai's bow (bamboo) and sword (steel), highlighting their cultural importance and showing their modern relevance through kendo and yabusame horse archery at Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The segment also includes footage of traditional Japanese sword making.

Ian McCollum and Jonathan Ferguson of the Royal Armouries present a challenge to find three unique firearms based on appearance, mechanical oddity, and historical impact. They showcase experimental and rare pieces like the Charlton Automatic Rifle, Sterling 7.62mm prototype, Schwarzlose Model 1898, Gabbett-Fairfax Mars pistol, an SA80 prototype, and a BSA Machine Carbine, highlighting their unusual mechanisms and limited adoption.

This entry details the Knight's Armament KS-1 (L403A1), the British Army's new Alternative Individual Weapon, adopted under Project Hunter. Expert Jonathan Ferguson from the Royal Armouries provides an in-depth look at its features, intended use for specialized units, and its role in supplementing existing platforms like the SA80.

This guide details the process of arming an 11th-century Norman knight, as explained by an institutional expert from the Royal Armouries. It covers the sequence of donning essential protective gear, including padded undergarments, a mail hauberk, a nasal helmet, and a kite shield, emphasizing weight distribution and historical construction techniques.

This guide details the installation and operation of the Harston's Patent Mark IV magazine, a rare modification designed to convert the single-shot Martini-Henry rifle into a repeater. Expert Jonathan Ferguson explains the mechanism, its inventor Captain Charles Gravelle Harston, and the historical context of its development. The guide covers fitting the magazine, the cycling process for feeding rounds, and the use of the cutoff device for single-shot operation, while also noting potential reliability issues and the high conversion cost.