Royal costumes in one of the museum's cases.
Photo: The Royal Armoury, Jens Mohr/SHM.
  1. The Royal Armoury
  2. About Us
  3. The Royal Armoury Collections

The Royal Armoury Collections

There are over 30,000 artefacts in the Royal Armoury. Most have associations with members of the Swedish royal family, from Gustav Vasa until the present day.

The Royal Armoury's collections originates mainly from the Royal Wardrobe, the Royal Arsenal and various monarch's private collections. Items from the collections have been on display for visitors since the 17th century. The collections consist mainly of magnificent artefacts, costumes and parade armour from royal ceremonies and weapons. There are also coronation carriages and ceremonial coaches from the court.

A show case with a stuffed horse.
Gustav II Adolf's battle steed Streiff. Photo: Erik Lernestål, the Royal Armoury/SHM (CC BY).

Well-known royal artefacts

Some artefacts have been preserved because they were involved in particularly important moments in history. Gustav II Adolf’s stuffed horse Streiff from the Battle of Lützen in 1632 and Gustav III’s masquerade costume from the 1792 attack at the opera are such examples.

Unique collections

The museum’s collections from the 17th century are unique. The magnificent men’s costumes and superb saddles and saddle cloths are almost unparalleled in the world. The value of the collections is further enhanced by the extensive documentation available in the form of inventories, receipts and accounts, which means that we often know not only who owned the artefact, but also who has manufactured it and for what occasion. The fine objects are complemented by simpler things that are also well documented because they formed part of the administration of the court.

An armor from the museum collection.
Photo: Erik Lernestål, The Royal Armoury/SHM (CC BY).

Our Collection database

Large parts of our collection are digitally accessible. The database is shared with other museums within the agency National Historical Museums.

Browse the agency's database

Images

Most of our images are free to use. If you have any questions, mail to: bilder@shm.se

Costumes on display with weapons infront of them.

Questions about the collections

Contact us at: samlingar@livrustkammaren.se