Lamp
Not on view
In the 1920s armor and weapons from Crusader times were unavailable on the art market and knowledge of them was minimal. Seeking to address these gaps, curator Bashford Dean proposed an excavation at Montfort, a Crusader castle in what was then Palestine under British Mandate. The monthlong excavation was judged a "dismal failure" from a collecting standpoint, producing only clumps of rusted mail, various arrow, spear, javelin, and bolt heads, and dozens of stone catapult projectiles. Much was learned, however, about the living conditions of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, whose lifestyle was similar to what it would have been in Europe. The castle, for example, was decorated with European-style stained glass and architectural reliefs made of local materials. Domestic furnishings included fine locally made glassware and ceramics.
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