Medieval Fair at Hämeenlinna

I'm back! Sorry for neglecting my blog, but this summer turned out to be very busy: trips, events, crafts and school took over my life. But now I'm back with a new post on something recent and very fun indeed.

Last weekend I went to Häme Medieval Faire, which is a Medieval festival held at the Hämeenlinna's castle. Like all such occasions this one had food, mock fights, vendors selling everything a history enthusiast could ever want and lots and lots of rain and dirt (this is Finland in August, so that's to be expected), which made it feel very authentic.

A pig roasted on a spit may look horrible, but tastes great.

Barbarians arrived to show us some impressive horseback rindding stunts.

Vikings fought Saxons.

Saxons won.

Though most of them got killed.

I'm not at all an expert on medieval dress, so the fashion show was a real eye opener.

A little child was put in charge of a catapult.

My friends and I went dressed up, though we sacrificed historical accuracy for the sake of comfort and fun.

I have some great photos from the Times & Epochs festival in Moscow, but I still need to sort through them. So that's for another post.  

Moscow Treasures: Arkhangelskoye Estate

Arkhangelskoye is a beautiful estate located about 30 min away from Moscow. It was originally built by
Galitzines in 1703 and was later purchased by the Yusupov family, who owned it from 1810 up until the Revolution of 1917. The grounds are really gorgeous and are somewhat reminiscent of Versailles. In front of the palace is a regular park with neo-classical statues sprinkled here and there. The park leads to a sanitarium built in 1930, and down the slope from it there is a lovely prospect on the Moscow river and more extensive park grounds.

It's very unfortunate that the palace and most of the buildings there are in a dreadful state of disrepair. The palace is undergoing renovations and there are only three small rooms open to the public. The grounds, however, are divine and very peaceful. As we went on a weekday, there was hardly anyone there, and we could stroll among the shrubs and sculptures undisturbed by shrieking children or bustling tourists.

The Grand Palace of Arkhangelskoye

One of the main rooms in palace. Most of it is closed for restoration.  

Arkhangelskoye gardens

The Colonnade, the tomb of the Yusupov family. No one is actually buried in the tomb. Today it's used for performances and exhibitions.    

The Moscow river

Catherine II monument 

The church of Archangel Michael. This church gave the name to the estate. "Arkhangelskoye" means "Archangel's".   

That's me in front of the Small Palace known as "Caprice". 

It's definitely a great place to visit. You can check out their site here (sorry, only in Russian).    

Keep it Cool: Historical Fans

As we've been hit by quite a heatwave, what's a girl to do but to break out her secret stash of fans. The advantages of fans are numerous: you can keep yourself cool, add another accessory to your outfit, or let someone special know what you think about them.

Take this Horrible Histories' lady for instance. She knows how useful a fan could be:

The wonderful thing about fans is that they come in all shapes, sizes and color schemes. You can always find the perfect one to compliment your outfit.

So I leave you today with a collection of my favorite fans. I defer a post about the language of the fan to a later date.

Fixed fan, straw embroidery on green silk with wooden handle, 1740, England via LACMA

Folding fan, ivory and paper, 18th century, Spain via the Met Museum

Calendar fan, silk leaf printed and painted, wood and ivory handle, 1774, France via Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Brisé fan, ivory, paper and tortoiseshell, 1790–1820, France via the Met Museum

Folding fan, pierced and painted ivory, 1710-20, China for Dutch market via Cooper-Hewitt

Brisé fan, ivory, 1800s, China via the Kyoto Costume Institute

Folding pleated fan, only 17.8 cm tall and 33.6 cm wide, 1805-1810, France via Cooper-Hewitt

Brisé fan, ivory, metal and oil paint, 1800-1810, France via the Met Museum

Edouard Moreau fan, paper, parchment, paint, mother-of-pearl, metal, 1860–75, France via the Met Museum  

Fan, 1830-60, silk and tortoiseshell, France via the Met Museum  

Fan, graving colored with gouache on paper, with painted wooden sticks, 1830-1840, France via Victoria and Albert Museum

Fan, silk and ivory fan painted with roses, 1845 via Museum of the City of New York

Fan, paper, ivory, metal and glass, 1860s, America or Europe via the Met Museum  

Folding cockade (circular) fan, vulcanized rubber and silk ribbon. 1860s, United States via Cooper-Hewitt

Fan, mother-of-pearl, silk, gouache and metal, 1880-1900, America or Europe via the Met Museum  

Fan, wood, paper, wool and silk, late 19th century, French via the Met Museum 

Fan, painted silk gauze and bobbin lace leaf, with mother-of-pearl sticks and guards, 1890-1900, France via Victoria and Albert Museum

L.(?) Boillaty fan, paper, silk, lace, mother-of-pearl and gilt, late 19th century France via the Met Museum 

Fan, paper and wood, 1903, France via the Met Museum 

Fan, 'L'OCCIDENTALE', vellum; pochoir of woman holding flower in scene with ocean and mountain; illustrated by Paul Iribe, 1911 via the Kyoto Costume Institute

Fan, 1910-1920, France via the Met Museum

Fan, mother+of-pearl and silk, 1920, France via the Met Museum

Fan, silk and celluloid, 1925, France via the Met Museum

Fan, paper, wood and metal, 1925, France via the Met Museum

Fan, synthetic, feather and metal, 1925-1935, European or American via the Met Museum

Shulton, Inc. fan, paper, 1939 American via the Met Museum

Fan, plastic and cotton, spring/summer 1989, France via the Met Museum

Which of these do you like best? Or do you have your very own favorite fan? Let me know!