Nationalmuseet – förlag

Since the early 20th century the more than 130 hamlets or farms in Scandinavia and Orkney known by the name Husaby, Huseby, Husby, Husebø etc. have been a key topic in historical, archaeological and onomastic research into the Viking Age and early Medieval Period, closely linked to the discussion of kingship and political administration. As a prelude to plans for a systematic investigation of the Danish Husebyer in conjunction with those in Sweden, Norway and Orkney, the National Museum Jelling Project in March 2014 invited a group of scholars to take part in a interdisciplinary workshop. The aim was to focus on the current status quo of the Huseby-research and identify core targets for the future. The participants were therefore encouraged to suggest new paths of research, whether historical, onomastic or archaeological. During the workshop the following key themes were addressed: The current status and evidence for a dating of the Husebyer. The origin of the presumed Huseby-system. Possible explanations of the uneven distribution of the Husebyer. Current interpretations of the background and the functions of the Husebyer. Identification of Husebyer in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Orkney which hold promise for further archaeological field investigations.

This collection of essays by 26 Renaissance scholars from Europe and the United States represents the outcome of an international conference which took place at The National Museum of Denmark and the castles of Kronborg and Frederiksborg on 28 September 1 October 2006 as part of the Danish Renaissance Festival 2006 ("Renæssance 2006"). The agenda of the conference was to reevaluate and re-present art and architecture in the Danish realms during the 16th and early 17th century for an international audience, given the fact that this material has often been left in the blind spot of interest in general surveys of the Renaissance. Moreover, it was essential to integrate the cases presented into recent discourses, aiming at resetting the theoretical or methodological frameworks of the field. Accordingly, the contributions represent different approaches, ranging from more universal issues to close readings of individual problems or monuments with emphasis on examples produced for circles, preferentially the elites, in the former monarchy of Denmark-Norway, yet including to no less extent works of art, agencies and activities related to areas, individuals or parallel initiatives beyond the narrow national frames. From an overall perspective several of the articles thus seek to open for a more European or even Global vision of the periods artistic physiognomy, basically questioning as well the notion of a specific 'Danish Renaissance', anchored in the art historical tradition of the 19th century. The general introduction is followed by 25 essays, arranged in four sections: "Reframing the Frames", "Lutheran Rhetorics", "Catalysts to Change" and "Rex Triumphans: The Unsurpassed

The role of museums as mediators is assuming central importance around the world as museums react much more intensely to societal needs than they did in the past. To tackle history and world cultures in this way rises constructive questions regarding one's own identity and leads to a better understanding of the present in all its complexity and thus makes it possible to build a more solid future. Museums have gradually come to act in part as society's memory, and through their educational efforts they contribute to the sustainable development of the world. The conference, "The National Museums in a Globalised World" address the question of national museums through international dialogue and exemplifies how the museum world has become internationalised. Modern Museums are global players in the cultural sector and cross-cultural co-operation is of growing importance.

The Danish National Museum's collection of lacquer works from East Asia comprises some 350 works, more than half of which come from China. The purpose of this book is to present the collection to researchers and interested members of the public. Chronologically the collection covers the period from the end of the 14th century to the middle of the 20th century. It consists chiefly of red carved lacquerware (tihong), but also contains many examples of lacquer work made using other techniques.

The life cycle of a coin is long - one might even argue that its existence as a coin is only a minor part of the recycling of metal. The present investigation covers the later part of the Roman coin's existence: its arrival in Bornholm, its use there, and its deposition in and recovery from the soil. Coin finds are evidence of connections between human beings. The coins were brought from one place to another by someone, and there was a reason to do so. Any object acquires new properties when moved from one cultural context to another, and the meaning of the Roman coin in the Danish Iron Age context no doubt differed greatly from its original significance. The Roman denarius was meant to be used as a coin in a monetary economy. Having left the area where the denarius was recognised as coin, it assumed new meanings. But: what were those new meanings? How was the denarius perceived in non-Roman communities? Which purposes did the coin serve?

It all began in 1821 with the finding of the Kingittorsuaq stone, the first evidence of runic writing in Norse Greenland. For the first time, researchers were faced with the language spoken by the Norse inhabitants of medieval Greenland. In the following almost 200 years, over 160 additional finds of runic and Roman letter artefacts were retrieved from the soils of Greenland. The Norse settlement was founded in the late 10th century and given up in the mid-15th century. The inscriptions had been carved on gravestones, crosses, amulets and on items of daily use. Because of the exceptional preservation conditions, the Greenlandic runic material provides us with the opportunity to study the medieval tradition of writing in a rural society at close range. In many other corners of the world, we do not have this opportunity, and this is why the Greenlandic inscriptions are so important; not only do they contribute to the history of Norse settlement in Greenland, they also contribute to our overall understanding of medieval runic writing. Since the first findings, many researchers have participated in the discussion of the Greenlandic runic inscriptions, and in the years 2009-13, the National Museum of Denmark hosted a research programme, which led to this publication about the tradition of writing in medieval Greenland. The book focuses on the use of runic writing in medieval Greenland and on the writing process.