Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

B.I · 28th May 2005, 05:51 PM

hi,
i feel bad that this post may border into territory i wanted to avoid.
toms post is completely valid and his opinion has good merit. but, you must consider that people see swords in a different way. i am a collector, and my collection has passed the original purpose of 'weapon' and, to me, they are works of art. because this is how i see them, i would not dream of sharpening them, not swinging them around to feel the weight and balance. and so, i treat my collection as a museum would treat theirs (very carefully :-)
the museum i mentioned had a large collection donated to them. what they do with it is entirely down to them. they may as well have been a collector buying swords and not restoring/conserving them as another collector would.
it is no different to a father passing his collection down to his son and his son not looking after them as he would have done.
i must stress that i know many museums here, and know each ones reserves and this case is an exception. the main institutions are well looked after and there is no better place for these weapons.
they are they for the collector to see and study, and so serve a greater purpose than if in a private collection. collectors, by there very nature, are anti-social. this obviously doesnt apply to forum members as if you were anti-social, then you wouldnt know each other :-) if you go to regular fairs or auctions, you see many old friends and old faces to chat to. but, there are many that you see each time, with their heads down and come in and run out and you've no idea who they are.
i am aware of all the sales over here, and know that many good pieces are sold to a private collection, never to be seen again. these people dont share their collection with anyone, and so any possible knowledge gleaned from these pieces will never be known.
you can argue against this, in saying that most museums hold their collections in reserves, but this is meaningless. if the collection is not on display, its due to space and funding. as a collector, all doors will the thrown open for you to see and study what ever interests you.
michal has shown his passion, and the posting of images from his museum show that his doors will always be open to the collector. in all the institutions i know, michal's attitude is typical of that of the staff, and so a museum cannot be compared to a collector in that it plays a completely different role.
i know of 3 major collections here, of great importance in the study of arms by example, that are inaccessable to all. i have seen snatches of pieces, but the owners are not forthcoming with other collectors, nor museums, nor anyone else for that matter.
the forum itself gives a false impression of the collecting world, for by the very nature of your participation, you show yourselves as willing to share your collections and knowledge with others. unfortunately there are many that dont, and even more unfortunately, many of them have the funds to buy the serious pieces and lock them away forever. i would rather them in a museum than lost forever. ok, as the original post showed, you run the risk of them being uncared for.
but, there is one big difference. if you were aware of a piece in a private collection that was not being looked after, you can offer your advice but its down to the owner to take it or tell you where to stick it. but, in a museum, the pieces are there for you and you have every right to complain and push for more care to be taken. your opinion will never be ignored and will always be taken seriously. they are there to look after these pieces for your benefit, and you the opportunity to observe and make sure its being done right.
in the case of the museum i mentioned, i know from the conversation i had with the curator that they will be looked into. ok, its not of importance to them, but if i went in again and began to look seriously into it and made a case, it will be listened to. you can argue that it isnt down to you or me) to do this but i disagree. i think that we are just as responsible as the museum, and as collectors we oughtto participate. the staff are all doin gthere jobs well, but the situation is the way it is and can only be changed by everyone working together and giving time where necessary.

28th May 2005, 05:51 PM	#33
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	hi, i feel bad that this post may border into territory i wanted to avoid. toms post is completely valid and his opinion has good merit. but, you must consider that people see swords in a different way. i am a collector, and my collection has passed the original purpose of 'weapon' and, to me, they are works of art. because this is how i see them, i would not dream of sharpening them, not swinging them around to feel the weight and balance. and so, i treat my collection as a museum would treat theirs (very carefully :-) the museum i mentioned had a large collection donated to them. what they do with it is entirely down to them. they may as well have been a collector buying swords and not restoring/conserving them as another collector would. it is no different to a father passing his collection down to his son and his son not looking after them as he would have done. i must stress that i know many museums here, and know each ones reserves and this case is an exception. the main institutions are well looked after and there is no better place for these weapons. they are they for the collector to see and study, and so serve a greater purpose than if in a private collection. collectors, by there very nature, are anti-social. this obviously doesnt apply to forum members as if you were anti-social, then you wouldnt know each other :-) if you go to regular fairs or auctions, you see many old friends and old faces to chat to. but, there are many that you see each time, with their heads down and come in and run out and you've no idea who they are. i am aware of all the sales over here, and know that many good pieces are sold to a private collection, never to be seen again. these people dont share their collection with anyone, and so any possible knowledge gleaned from these pieces will never be known. you can argue against this, in saying that most museums hold their collections in reserves, but this is meaningless. if the collection is not on display, its due to space and funding. as a collector, all doors will the thrown open for you to see and study what ever interests you. michal has shown his passion, and the posting of images from his museum show that his doors will always be open to the collector. in all the institutions i know, michal's attitude is typical of that of the staff, and so a museum cannot be compared to a collector in that it plays a completely different role. i know of 3 major collections here, of great importance in the study of arms by example, that are inaccessable to all. i have seen snatches of pieces, but the owners are not forthcoming with other collectors, nor museums, nor anyone else for that matter. the forum itself gives a false impression of the collecting world, for by the very nature of your participation, you show yourselves as willing to share your collections and knowledge with others. unfortunately there are many that dont, and even more unfortunately, many of them have the funds to buy the serious pieces and lock them away forever. i would rather them in a museum than lost forever. ok, as the original post showed, you run the risk of them being uncared for. but, there is one big difference. if you were aware of a piece in a private collection that was not being looked after, you can offer your advice but its down to the owner to take it or tell you where to stick it. but, in a museum, the pieces are there for you and you have every right to complain and push for more care to be taken. your opinion will never be ignored and will always be taken seriously. they are there to look after these pieces for your benefit, and you the opportunity to observe and make sure its being done right. in the case of the museum i mentioned, i know from the conversation i had with the curator that they will be looked into. ok, its not of importance to them, but if i went in again and began to look seriously into it and made a case, it will be listened to. you can argue that it isnt down to you or me) to do this but i disagree. i think that we are just as responsible as the museum, and as collectors we oughtto participate. the staff are all doin gthere jobs well, but the situation is the way it is and can only be changed by everyone working together and giving time where necessary.