Norwich Castle, The Gallery of Medieval Life: A British Museum Partnership.: Treasures of the Norman world: loans from the Wyvern Collection

Treasures of the Norman world: loans from the Wyvern Collection

Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, The Gallery of Medieval Life: A British Museum Partnership.

14th October 2026 - end of the summer 2027.

'From 14 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, visitors to Norwich Castle will be able to see 21 rare and extraordinary Norman objects from the Wyvern Collection, one of the world's most important collections of Medieval and Renaissance art. The new display, supported by the Norwich Freemen’s Charity, will be shown in the Gallery of Medieval Life: A British Museum Partnership. It will explore remarkable artworks illustrating how the Norman Conquest transformed England, introducing a new king, a new language and new forms of art and architecture. The objects, which include both sacred and secular works from across Europe, date from the late 10th to the early 13th centuries. Many can be connected to items and designs depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. An interactive screen in the Gallery will also allow visitors to delve into the story of the Tapestry, explore its famous scenes, and discover how the remarkable embroidery was made.

Among the highlights will be the earliest known standing sculpture of the Virgin and Child, made in Germany at around the same time as the Battle of Hastings and a magnificently carved ivory hunting horn, known as an oliphant, made in Italy around the early 12th century. Also on show will be gaming counters depicting both biblical and mythical scenes and a beautifully decorated silver-gilt English reliquary casket. In the Bayeux Tapestry, King Harold is shown placing his hand on a similar reliquary while he swears an oath to Duke William; this was considered the most solemn and binding means of making a promise. The display will include a stunning gold, pearl and enamel brooch from Germany, dated around 1066 that would have been used to pin a cloak and is of a type worn by the noblemen shown in the tapestry. Other spectacular objects range from an Anglo-Saxon plaque depicting the crucifixion, produced in the years before the Norman Conquest, to exquisite vessels and candlesticks that would have graced medieval dining tables. The candlestick is cast as a kneeling man holding a large lily-like flower and theTapestry shows a serving man kneeling in front of a dining table presenting a dish of food in the same pose.' 

A selection of the 21 objects on loan are shown below.

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