Thousands charmed by Warrior Treasures at Leeds Royal Armouries

ROYAL Armouries chiefs have revealed the museum's acclaimed Warrior Treasures exhibition has attracted more than 50,000 visitors over the summer.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Sep 2016, 15:50 GMT
Updated 2nd Sep 2016, 16:51 GMT
POPULAR: The ongoing Warrior Treaures exhibition at the Royal Armouries in Leeds has attracted more than 50,000 visitors since it opened in May.POPULAR: The ongoing Warrior Treaures exhibition at the Royal Armouries in Leeds has attracted more than 50,000 visitors since it opened in May.
POPULAR: The ongoing Warrior Treaures exhibition at the Royal Armouries in Leeds has attracted more than 50,000 visitors since it opened in May.

The free exhibition, which opened in early May and runs until October 2, showcases around 100 spectacular items from the Staffordshire Hoard collection.

The items are on display for the first time to UK visitors outside the West Midlands, where the hoard was discovered in 2009.

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It is the largest gold Anglo-Saxon hoard ever found and some of the objects have never been on show before.

Warrior Treasures Cloisonné bird with garnets, probably from a hilt grip © Birmingham Museums TrustWarrior Treasures Cloisonné bird with garnets, probably from a hilt grip © Birmingham Museums Trust
Warrior Treasures Cloisonné bird with garnets, probably from a hilt grip © Birmingham Museums Trust

The Warrior Treasures tells the story of their discovery, providing a fascinating glimpse into the warrior culture of a period in Anglo-Saxon history.

The fittings were stripped from swords and knives and are thought to represent the equipment of defeated armies from unknown battles during the first half of the seventh century.

Rachael Bevan, Events Manager at the Royal Armouries said “We have been amazed by the positive visitor feedback to the exhibition and our supporting events and education programme which has ranged from horse shows and combat demonstrations to jewellery-making.

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“Our summer term Saxon-themed education workshops were fully booked with many school visitors enjoying this rare glimpse into seventh century Anglo-Saxon warrior culture, exquisite craftsmanship and art.

Warrior Treasures Cloisonné bird with garnets, probably from a hilt grip © Birmingham Museums TrustWarrior Treasures Cloisonné bird with garnets, probably from a hilt grip © Birmingham Museums Trust
Warrior Treasures Cloisonné bird with garnets, probably from a hilt grip © Birmingham Museums Trust

“The education and events team have really enjoyed working with this wonderful exhibition which is very well worth a visit before it closes.”

The success of the Saxon-themed school workshops has meant that the Royal Armouries will continue to offer them as a permanent feature of their education programme.

Items on display from the hoard are intricately decorated with gold, silver and semiprecious gems, and represent the finest quality Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship.

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The Staffordshire Hoard is considered to be one of the most outstanding Anglo-Saxon finds since the excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship-burial in Suffolk in 1939.

The hoard was discovered in July 2009 and is made up of around 4,000 fragments weighing over 6kg.

the hoard’s objects represent the possessions of an elite warrior class.

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Related topics:West MidlandsSport