Announcing "History of Steel in East Asia"
 

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...Banner-web.jpg

The post about the PI exhibition reminded me that I had not yet made an announcement of this on the forum.

"History of Steel in East Asia" is an exhibition being put on by the Macau Museum of Art, under the direction of Antonio Cejunior. The exhibition will open on May 12, and run until August.

It is composed of five sections, each representing a different region of East Asia: China, Korea, Japan, the Philippine Islands, and Continental Southeast Asia. Shown will be an historical array of weapons from each region. The design of the exhibition is intended not only to place the weapons within the historical and cultural perspective of their respective regions, but also to highlight the relationships and influences between the regions.

The catalogue will be in full color, with comprehensive articles written by experts in the respective areas, for the most part private collectors. It is a unique collaboration of individuals and institutions around the world, including a number of people from the EAA forum (among which I am proud to be counted). The original catalogue will be in three languages (Chinese, Portuguese and English), as is standard for the Museum. An English-only edition is planned, but will depend on finding a reliable distributor.

Antonio has put up an announcement page here. As with the MMA's exhibition Masters of Fire, there will also be an on-line exhibition and website about the show. Here is a thread on Antonio's forum where he has posted a couple draft advertisements for the show.

How can I get a catalogue?

You should be able to order the tri-lingual one through the Museum once its out. I don't have details on that, but I can find out how it would work.

The English-only version, should a distributor be found, would be via a difference system that would depend on who was distributing.

I'm really looking forward to this. :)

If there is no distributor to be found, would it be possible to sell an electronic version of the english version ?

I know that I will want more than one copy of the original catalogue ; one for myself (another proud contributor) and one for investment value . :)












"Gonna buy five copies for my Mother..." :D

Cover of the Rolling Stone by Dr. Hook

I will definitely be going to this one.

A must see exhibition if you can get there ...
 

I'm hoping to be in the vicinity of Macau on business in the middle of the year and will drop by for a few hours. Antonio Cejunior has pulled together an incredible amount of material, with quite a lot of help from members of this Forum. You know who you are ... ;)

This type of exhibition is very unusual, especially in Asia, and I think it will give a boost to interest in Asian and SE Asian weaponry. That's certainly part of Antonio's goal.

Ian.

FINAL EXHIBITION POSTER
 

Antonio has unveiled the final Exhibition Poster:

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...hos-poster.jpg


Additional information may be found here:
http://www.bladesignforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=1668#1668

I note Ian's beautiful dha made the poster. I love that sword. :cool:

Ahem !
 

Well , that kris makes two from this forum's membership . :cool:

Rick is correct. The members of this Forum have shared in helping get this exhibition together, and have contributed a substantial number of swords. I hope to be able to see this wonderful exhibition later this year.

Ian.

I thought that one looked familiar, as well. :) Gorgeous!

THANKS AND MORE INFO
 

Hi Everyone,

First of all let me post the final poster. Catalogue cover will be very similar.

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...hos-poster.jpg

If each of you guys who are interested just emails artmuseum@iacm.gov.mo and just place on the Subject of the Email: Want to purchase History of Steel Catalog or something similar (please let's not have an email stencil, use some imagination ;) ) you may convince decision makers to find a solution which is already being attempted to be solved right now.

Then it is time to thank Rick Bates, Federico Malibago, Jose Albovias, Mark Bowditch, Andrew Winston, Ian Greaves, Barry Parks, Jonathan Vergara, Ron Zambarrano, Bill Swanson, for their generosity in contributing.

For many other reasons that I would prefer to stay personal, Rick Bates was very important, but so was Mark, both listening patiently to my prayers and my venting, Jose Albovias and Ian for they know what.

But folks, the worst is still to come. An exhibition like this would normally take years to organize. I know this perfectly well, but with our time limitations connected with budgets that have to be fulfilled in the same year, this is the best I can offer.
So the setting up will be a whole lot craze going on. Sleepless nights...

Anyway, thank you very much folks.
Everyone is wonderful in their contributions and the trust you put in me.

And thank you, Antonio, for creating this, and your dedication in bringing it to us. It is a pleasure and an honor to be involved.

Antonio,
I can only imagine the amount of work you invested and the "butterflies in the stomach" you are going to have just before the opening!
Best of luck!
Can you be a focal point of selling these catalogues to Forumites?

Mark,

I also forgot to thank EEWS for which I offer my humble apologies.
Actually each of you have been so dedicated that my dedication is nothing.
This exhibition brought me to admire many people and EEWS by itself.

The honor is all mine and I will not share it. :p
Hey, we are speaking as if the exhibition is on. It is not and there are sleepless nights ahead of me, many!!! Yiiikes

Hi Ian,

True. And I cannot thank you all enough.
It has been an incredible proof of great transcultural understanding and convergence of wills. This is a true lesson from all the contributors, about how a Peaceful event can be made with instruments of war.

I must've missed many posts in this thread because my viewing mode was different from linear. I could not see. Now I found out I could get back to "normal" viewing.

Please bear in mind that the Exhibition ends on August 8.

Kindest regards,

Antonio

Ariel,

The amount of work was by many. I'm just the put-together-guy.
It's been 28 years, and I lost all those butterflies, he he. I just want to see this complete.

I apologize, I cannot be the focal point for sale of these catalogues. This could be interpreted as corruption. I don't want to have anything to do with sales, if you understand me. It has to go through proper chanels which I do not want to be connected. There's an email up this thread.
The more folks email, the better. Then just please bear a little. This is a work that started two and a half years ago.

Thanks :)

Here is that e-mail address for ordering catalogues and posters, again:

artmuseum@iacm.gov.mo

Put in the subject line something like "Request for History of Steel catalogue," or "History of Steel catalogue [or poster] order."

SOME PICTURES
 

Well folks,

I didn't invent bureaucracy and red tape and I dislike it.
I'm a field man when the time comes.

Here are a couple of pics to wet your appetite :)

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/bladesign/1.jpg

Bare display room.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/bladesign/3.jpg

Goodies arrive by car

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/bladesign/7.jpg

Early tests.

Now you have to wait and see :) :D

Have a nice weekend ;)

Thank you, Antonio. It's a real treat to see how an exhibition like this comes together.

If time permits, please continue to post updates. :)

Best,
Andrew

Most kind of you Andrew,

Time is very scarce. It will be stress up to the last minute. This is a whale of an exhibition :) And I guess if the exhibition was not inside my mind... it would be really scary. It is still scary to mount almost 300 items.

Meantime a picture about an overall presentation of the exhibition for the volunteer guides.

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...-to-guides.jpg

Here is a picture of the mountain people from Mark's site.
They will be guiding schools and so forth.

Very best,
Antonio

Outstanding, Antonio. I'm getting quite excited about the exhibition.

I know the catalogue release will be delayed because of its great size and scope but, in a way, this makes not being there that much easier because once the exhibition closes, we'll still have something to look forward to! :)

Thanks Andrew, :)

Indeed the design department is treating each of the 278 photos (if I well remember) by removind unwanted things in the background, and so forth.

Nonetheless, here is a picture of the center display case which has two sides facing two opposite walls.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...y-building.jpg

Prepared to be painted black.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...partitions.jpg

Here I'm directing the placement of partitions to visually separate different periods in the Korean display section.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...splay-case.jpg

Then with the partitions hung and the frame painted black and still a lot of mess. When the ceiling lights are turned off, everything will look dark.
Only display cases lights will show its contents.

Off to work in an hour... Now its a non-stop until it's done.

As soon as the design department has pictures I will upload them and hope to see the website finished.

Thank you for your kind words. :)

Grand Opening Tonight ?
 

The Dateline always confuses me .
Is the premier tonight , tomorrow , or was it yesterday ? :confused:

Exhibition Opening
 

No problem Rick,

It is earlier here, meaning that May 12 came earlier to Macau then to the US. Average time difference is twelve hours.

I wish to thank everyone of you involved, and while the site is not finished, I've uploaded the opening pictures here

Hope you all enjoy enjoy early pictures.
Now I need to sleep :p

Bless you all :)

Bravo, Antonio! It is so exciting to see it all there, and the public examining the exhibits so intently. :) :D :)

Excellent ...
 

We all thank you, Antonio, for the immense amount of work you put into this exhibition -- from conception to opening.

Well done.

Ian.

Too kind of you
 

Hello Mark and Ian,

Your worst are most kind but undeserving. I had the idea, but you guys, and I would like to publicly thank you all:

Mark, Andrew, Ian, Federico Malibago, Jose Albovias Jr., Rick, Barry Parks, Jonathan Vergara, Ron Zambarrano and William Swanson for your generous contributions without which this exhibition would have not been possible.

It may seem like a cliché, but it isn't. I believe in one thing, and that is fairness and gratefulness. You have all given a lesson to the world about generosity.

When I was setting up the exhibition, I once more saw all those beauties and thought to myself: they did trust me. That brought an immense respect on all of you. So I thank you all for the trust.

When the catalogue is ready you will know, as with about over 280 photographs it is going to be a dictionary of 400 pages. And that huge book will show the acknowledgements on one of the first pages.
Gratefulness is mainly remembering what good things have been done unto us.
Therefore, like the Chinese clap hands back, because their culture tells them not to accept applauses, I wish to applaud you all for your civic attitude, for your spirit of detachment, and for the fact that each of you gentlemen, gave a great contribution for this exhibition to take place.

So, Bravo everyone! :)

Oh, I will also put up a special forum directly linked to the website's menu when it is ready so we all can discuss, comment, etc. :)

Bless you all.

I am so proud to be a part of this important exhibition, Antonio. Thank you for your vision and perserverence. :)

Hello Andrew,

The pleasure and honor is all mine Andrew. :)
Thank you for the trust and about perseverence... well, my wife would tell you that whenever I get into something, I'll be nagging and nagging until I achieve
it :D .

Seriously, all I did was to convince the knowledgeble ones to participate and that was not difficult. You and everyone else has bestowed in me your trust for which I am really honored.

Very best,

Antonio

Any idea when the catalogue will become available for purchase?
I REALLY!!! want it!

I cannot tell you right now.
There are almost 300 pictures whose background must be treated one by one in order to present a great photograph.
All the texts are translated and ready. Then it is importing the text and photos and organizing it all.
I hope that the more interest is shown directly to the museum, the more it will help to understand that this exhibition's catalogue is strongly sought after internationally.
It all has to do with the number of people deployed to retouch the photographs which is not an easy task...

Antonio,
I can only imagine the amount of work!
People told you many times already how much they admired your perseverance and enthusiasm; always, you managed to sound gracious and self-deprecating and to deflect the compliments to others. No doubt, their contribution was of immense value and should be appreciated.
But nobody deserves higher praise than you.
So, for once, keep quiet, do not respond, pour youself a glass of something good and drink it.
This is my toast to you!

TOAST? BREAD!
 

Ariel,

Yes, they work very very hard.
Interesting enough it may be called or perceived perseverance and enthusiasm, yet I see it as doing what I believe is right. I know well that I don't possess the truth, so I just do what I believe after a long time of maturation.
It is morning here, so before I continue, a toast back with my second cup of coffee :)
It is strange that I avoid praise. It is not because I am better than others. It is the fact that - while I thank you for your kind words - I think that I am just in transit, like we all are, in this life. For this reason, it is not of any use for me to be full of myself.
If it were not for all the generous people from this Forum who so generously shared their possessions, sending them halfway around the world, trusting (and this is a sublime act) my word, the exhibition would have not happened.

Now, when the catalogue is carefully proof-read in its final stages, when all photographs are imported into the design programme, a unique publication will be born that will last for as long as people want it, proving that weapons can be a source of Peace, of Generosity, of Globalized Cooperation, and of shared knowledge. I never procclaim anything. I have always put my work where my mouth is, also because I don't believe in Educating and Enlightening anyone, because only a pityful ignorant can think of such a task can be done by others.
It reminds me of anyone liberating someone else. One Educates oneself and that is already an enormous task. How can anyone liberate me from my own faults? Buddha attained Enlightment through his own means.

Since I dare to consider myself just half ignorant, I dare not take praise, because that would make me run the risk of falling into the sin of thinking I am somebody, when my aim is to one day reach the end of the journey in simplicity.
That's why you shouldn't praise me. You'll end up with a rant and a half for free :D
Bless you :)

What a visit!
 

Just back from vacation and I had to let you all know what a phenominal job Antonio did with the exihibit. One afternoon was definately not enough. The way he grouped and displayed the swords was all you could ask for. From the lighting to the sequencing and even the informatiojn supplied the focus remained on the skill, craftsmanship and historical value of these wonderful pieces.

And this post would not be complete without mention of what an incredible host Antonio was. Even though he arrived home from an unschedlued business trip two hours after I arrived in town and with his wife not feeling well, he still made it a point to meet us and give us a personally guided tour of the exihibit (of course he made me wait till the end to view the Dha exihibit- crafty way of building the suspense Antonio). Not only delightful company, but very educational as well. My first time in Macau and it was clear throughout the visit the love Antonio has for his home country, Macau, and his work of preserving and educating those everywhere of their history and especially his love of swords. My wife and I thank you for a wonderful day.

To those of you who donated pieces to this exihibit I thank you. They are in good hands and expertly displayed to catch all the nuances of each piece.

The trip has put me in a quandry though - I only collect from places I have been. Now that I have been to China even for a weekend does that qualify as long enough to collect pieces from there? ----well maybe just one Jian or Dao.... ;)

Too exagerated
 

Hi Dan and everyone else,

Dan is terribly exagerating in his kind eyes.
I did what anyone would have done considering the effort Dan made.

Here you can see Dan looking at the Dha's display and saying, aha, I know that one :D

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...w-this-one.jpg

and here is Dan and his lovely wife Jenny

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...-and-jenny.jpg

I was just sorry that I had to leave them too soon and our car was not working :(
Thank you for coming Dan and Jenny. It was great to have met you and by the way, can anyone point me out the Serge's website at Aranyick?
I misjudged his website and his emails and I would like to apologize.

Again, it was a pleasure and here is the two of us on the wind of the Museum.

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...5.dan-n-me.jpg

Very best Dan and Jenny :)

No question. Do it. Send me all your dha, though. I'll give them a good home. ;)

Looks like you had a great time, Dan. :)

Not likely to happen Andrew - but you can keep on dreaming :p

Actually Antonio got quite a few Korean swords donated from their National museum, another place I've spent an inordinate amount of time in (actually just returned from there), and have yet to get an example of. Truth be told these were the first authenticated Korean swords I'd ever seen. More of downed -sized version of a Japanese sword. I would have thought that there would have been more of a Chinese influence.

Told you it was educational!

Antonio, you can reach Serge through his website www.cozun.com


Dan