Swords in Geneva
 

Greetings all,

I will be in Geneva starting Sunday to cover a high end watch show at the Palexpo. Just wondering if anyone can point me in the direction any galleries or museums with lots and lots of swords.
Also, I'd like to find out if there are flea markets within city limits on Sunday.

Thank you in advance :)

Musee Barbier-Mueller, extensive ethnographic collection with lots of weapons.Tim

Geneva
 

Thanks Tim,

I'll ask the locals how to find it when I get there.

Hi Raja Muda,

I suddenly remembered that I have a book 'Repertory of Museums of Arms and Military History', Published in Copenhagen 1960. Under Switzerland, Geneva I found only one museum with arms and armour: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Rue Charles Galland. I guess that the museum will still be on the same adress, but you better ask.
About the collections: The collections originate from the cantonal arsenal of Geneva, and cover about 8200 pieces: prehistoric, French-romantic, and mediaval subjects. Arms from bronze and iron ages, armour from 16th century; pistols from Nuremberg, Augsburg and Strasburg from 15th, 16th and 17th centuries; pole arms etc. from 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Fire arms, colours etc.

Notice that museums are usually closed for two hours during lunchtime. Have a nice trip.

Here is a link you can try. http://www.swissart.net/e/guide/inde...ms_geneva.php3

Jens

Hi Raja Muda,
Nice to learn that you will be visiting our country.
Jens has identified the Museum in Geneva that has old weapons. Barbier Mueller has these days an exhibition of African masks, no weapons to my knowledge. But they have in stock a well made booklet on African edge weapons. Beautiful photos but the text is in Italian.
If you have the time and the interest, you will find in Morges (50km from Geneva and good train connections) one of the Military museum of the Canton de Vaud. There you have in the old castle (XII century) an interesting exhibition of Middle Ages weapons + evolution of the weapons trough the centuries up to the last world war. It has also a complete section on artillery.
If you come to Morges, just call me and we could visit the castle together or you could come to my house and see my keris collection. My telephone N° is 021 801 68 95. I am living 10 km away from Morges only.
If the weather permit and I have no news from you, I may be hiking on Sunday but just try, I may be in and would love to meet you and discuss keris and Malaysia.
Regards
Michel

Geneva Jaunt
 

Hi Jens and Michel,

Thanks for the tips. I've arrived yesterday (Sunday) and am still grappling with the after effects of the jet lag. I hope to find that museum in Geneva on my last day, but I'm sorry I can't make the trip to your place Michel since I'm flying out on Thursday itself via Paris.
My three days here are quite full since I'm covering the SIHH at the Palexpo. No swords here but plenty of tourbillons and chorographs :)
Thanks for the kind invitation anyway. Anyway for the record, nice country, nice weather and nice cheeses :D

Hi Raja Muda,
Hope to have an other opportunity to meet you. (I still owe you one for the translation of an arabic calligraphy on a Badig sheath from Sulawesi.)
If on your trip back to KL you stop for a few hours in Paris try to see the "Musée des Invalides" a fabulous museum of arms and armours.
Have a nice stay in Geneva and good trip back
Michel