A canal house as big as a cupboard and warships you could almost sail.
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Not everything in the Rijksmuseum hangs on a wall. Here you find tiny houses that cost a fortune, huge ship models built by real shipyards, and swords taller than a person.
Rich people in Amsterdam around 1700 loved showing what they owned. Some women collected dollhouses: cabinets with perfect small rooms inside. They were not toys. Everything was made by real craftsmen, from the silver to the linen. The Rijksmuseum has three of these dollhouses. The most famous belonged to Petronella Oortman. The museum also has a large collection of ship models. Many came from the Dutch navy, which used models to plan and show its ships. The most famous is the William Rex, a big model of a warship, built in 1698. On the lowest floor, the Special Collections show more surprises: weapons, instruments and a very early model of a submarine.
Six things to look for. Works sometimes move, so ask at the desk.
Everything inside was made to measure with real materials, and the proportions are exactly right. Look for the kitchen and the linen room.
Usually in the galleries of the 1600sA second dollhouse, a little older and a little less grand. Compare the two and pick your favourite room.
Usually near the Oortman dollhouseThis warship model is taller than most visitors. Walk around it and look at the carved figures on the back.
Usually with the ship modelsShipbuilders and the navy used models like these to plan real ships. Some show every rope and every cannon.
Usually with the ship modelsA sword so long that you needed both hands to swing it. Imagine carrying it into battle.
Usually in the Special Collections, floor 0An early design for a boat that sails under water. It looks more like an invention from a story than a real plan.
Usually in the Special Collections, floor 0Start with the dollhouses and give yourself time: there is a lot to discover in every room. Then go to the ship models and walk all the way around the William Rex. End on floor 0 in the Special Collections with the swords and the submarine model.
Play I spy in the dollhouse: find a tiny cat, a cradle and a pile of plates. At the William Rex, count the cannons on one side.
Combine your visit and plan the rest of your day.