An elaborate gold locket with pearls around one of its edges. It is open to reveal a portrait of a woman and of a boy.
Scottish History & Archaeology

Renaissance and Early Modern History

Our Renaissance and Early Modern collections contain objects relating to Scottish history from c.1450-1750.

This period encompasses the cultural developments of the Scottish Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the seismic events of the Union of the Crowns, the Covenanting Revolution, the Anglo-Scottish Union of 1707 and the Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745.

Collections include decorative arts, jewellery, metalwork, furniture and weaponry, and objects relating to monarchical power, religion, trade and everyday life. Many of our objects were made in Scotland, but others were not, material evidence of the connections between Scotland, Europe and further afield.

Most notable are iconic pieces related to Mary, Queen of Scots, the Stewart kings, the Darien Venture, and the Jacobites. Star items include the Penicuik Jewels associated with Mary, a sword, targe and travelling canteen belonging to Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the awe-inspiring execution device, the Maiden, and the Company of Scotland’s large iron-bound chest related to the Darien Venture, the financially disastrous colonial scheme.

Meet the team

Renaissance and Early Modern History stories

  1. An oval-shaped miniature with gilded edges. A man wearing a long pointy grey curly wig, a red jacket, iron armor, white ruffled collar and a blue ribbon over left shoulder.
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    The Old Pretender: An introduction to James ‘VIII’

    Raised in exile, James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 1688 – 1 January 1766) was the son of King James VII and II and his second wife, Mary of Modena.  Who was James ‘VIII’?When the exiled King James VII and II died in 1701, his son James…
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  2. A painting of a man from the waist up with brown wavy hair and a mustache and goatee. He wears a black hat with a jewelled brooch and a white jacket with a lace collar under a black cloak.
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    A brief history of James VI and I

    James VI and I was a hugely significant Stewart king. But he has been overshadowed by his notorious relations. His predecessor in Scotland was his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots. In England, his cousin, Elizabeth I, and finally his successor…
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  3. Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots dressed in a vivid pink doublet lined with gold and pearls, looking stoically ahead against a black background.
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    The controversial letters associated with the Mary, Queen of Scots Casket

    The Mary, Queen of Scots Casket is one of Scotland’s most cherished treasures, thanks to its long-standing association with the controversial queen.
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