17th- and 18th-Century Exhibits
17th- and 18th-Century Exhibits
After the Reformation (1550), far more artefacts are preserved. The museum’s exhibits include many textiles and carvings: chests, cupboards, linen-smoothers and bed-boards were all embellished with carving. Upper-class Icelanders passed down jewellery and other silver objects. These treasured possessions have all been passed down from generation to generation, until collectors requested them, or the owners decided on their own initiative that they belonged in a museum.
Folk culture and arts are more evident, no doubt for a combination of reasons. As we approach our own times it becomes more possible to reconstruct the life and conditions of the average Icelander, although much of what survives is from wealthier homes. Surviving clothing is a clear example of this: the only extant examples are garments belonging to upper-class ladies. Everyday clothing is a rarity.