Current Exhibition

Permanent Exhibition

The Art of the Kill

The myth of the vampire has been a powerful subject from ancient civilizations up to the modern age. From the Roman Catholic Church to squabbling drunks in English pubs and famous theologians to teenage girls and boys, vampires have fueled a folk legend that cannot die and lives on today.

This myth has given the world amazing works of art.  These vampire killing sets and weapons are the strongest testimonial to the validity of this strong belief. 

Simply speaking, vampire killing sets do not grow from seeds. People are often confused by the originality of these intriguing objects. The confusion is quite understandable, as so many of these sets were made under a cloak of secrecy. One simple fact is that vampire killing sets do not come from incantations from a book of magical spells.  Nor do they appear out of thin air.  They are made by humans!  They are highly prized treasures made for the most part by craftsmen that had a conviction.  Whether that conviction was the belief in vampires or a conviction that making a vampire killing set could be sold for financial gain, the recurring basis of these convictions was that nothing could be too precious or elaborate while crafting these masterpieces. 

These mysterious objects of art with their harmonious combinations of form and function are balanced perfectly.  In every sense, it is the art of the kill. 

Every material available was skillfully used in compliance with the guidelines and ancestral customs of the times.  A garden tool could be paired with a crucifix to become a great weapon.  A hand blown perfume bottle could be used to hold holy water.  Just as Japanese farm tools were converted into martial arts weapons by peasants in Okinawa, vampire weapons are often inspired by the same imagination.  

These beguiling vampire killing sets are also quite similar to antique European suits of armor in the sense that a collaboration of different countries and timeframes make up the vampire set.  Not only crossing the boundaries of years but, sometimes, centuries.  As in museum quality suits of armor, you would find a gauntlet from Spain with an Italian helmet.  A 15th century sword with a 16th century breastplate.  Vampire killing sets are similar.  To say a vampire set is not original is for the most part misleading. Just as in knightly battle where a warrior would not leave weapons on the battlefield, but would take them as spoilages of war, vampire killing sets share the same historical necessity.  I have seen vampire sets with a bible dated from 1760, a gun from 1880, and a dagger spanning a time difference of a hundred years.  A French set could have a German bible simply because the family lived in France but spoke German.Bottles could be replaced, bullets might not be sized correctly.  These are some of the answers to the questions that arise out of the fog and thick foliage of this world.

Enjoy your journey into the world of beautiful symbolic imagery.

Edmondo Crimi
Museum Director and Chief Curator
VAMPA