Hidden Room

B.I · 3rd January 2005, 11:33 PM

hidden at the back of a room in a museum in venice. uncatalogued and forbidden to photograph, hence the blurred images.

B.I · 3rd January 2005, 11:36 PM

more images

nechesh · 3rd January 2005, 11:46 PM

Sweet! Who let you in and where do they hide the key?

Actually quite a shame that these are not on view to the public. It looks like an impressive collection from what i can see and your photos aren't all too bad given the circumstances.
Venice seems like an unusual place for such a collection. What's the deal? Have they had these long and why do they remain uncataloged? I'm sure we can get a special coalition of kerisophile forumites to make the journal and give them a hand.

What museum is this anyway?

B.I · 4th January 2005, 12:01 AM

the museum is the Museo d'Arte Orientale which is housed upstairs from the contemporary art museum at Ca' Pesaro. the collection is one of the largest in japanese arms. the original collection was formed by the Conti di Bardi and composed of 30,000 pieces. apparantly it wa sold of to an antiques dealer in 1928 and then bought back by the state. the Conti travelled to asia on buying trips and i am assuming the indonesian pieces are part of his collection, and not bought from a different source at the same time. the museum holds the japanese collection in high regarda and pretty much ignores the indonesian pieces. they are situated in the last room, which is why i managed to take pictures. it is not an open museum, and the doors open every half hour and they lock you in, so time is limited.
their website - http://www.artive.arti.beniculturali...13/sala_13.htm

B.I · 4th January 2005, 12:03 AM

there were two cannon and this was the more interesting one with a double barrel.

Mark · 4th January 2005, 12:25 AM

Very very nice. They even have a couple dha! I am planning a trip to Italy this spring/summer (including Verona, where my wife has family). I think Venice just got added to the list of stops. Its not terribly far from Verona, after all.

Spunjer · 3rd January 2005, 11:50 PM

WOW!

were there any moro weapons by any chance?

GIO · 18th January 2012, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spunjer

WOW!

were there any moro weapons by any chance?

No moro weapons, as far as I know.
There is a number of mandaus and parangs, but kept in warehouse.

paolo · 18th January 2012, 01:56 PM

The museum was closed for many years. Now is restored and open but not all the pieces are exposed. In the 1970 there were 14 rooms, now surely lesser (i visit the museum last year).
I send two images of an old italian book I have.
Paolo

gtinc · 5th January 2005, 12:51 AM

[FONT=Arial]

JPSF · 5th January 2005, 01:15 AM

B.I.,
interesting that the description is in English or were there multiple languages represented? Absolutely an astounding collection, but it's too bad there isn't easier access and information for the collector/scholar.

B.I · 5th January 2005, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPSF

B.I.,
interesting that the description is in English or were there multiple languages represented? Absolutely an astounding collection, but it's too bad there isn't easier access and information for the collector/scholar.

hi john,
long time. slight confusion, the last 2 images were from the royal armouries and were to add to the one piece keris mentioned and shown in the venice museum, hence the description in english. i took pics of everything in that room, except on malaysian cannon, which wasnt as good as the double barrel. there were no other weapons except the japanese. no kukris i'm afraid. BIofGB

DAHenkel · 5th January 2005, 12:43 PM

Interesting - it appears the coteng hilt has migrated to the tajong sheath and the tajong hilt has migrated to a Javanese with a ladrangan sheath.

Curators, you just can't trust 'em to get it right.

wilked aka Khun Deng · 5th January 2005, 02:08 PM

This is truly a find! Thanks for sharing. I don't collect keris (yet) but I truly appreciate their beauty and absolutely LOVE the detail on that carving. Amazing to find a collection this extensive in so unlikely a place.

wolviex · 5th January 2005, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAHenkel

Curators, you just can't trust 'em to get it right.

ehmmm!!

GIO · 19th January 2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAHenkel

Interesting - it appears the coteng hilt has migrated to the tajong sheath and the tajong hilt has migrated to a Javanese with a ladrangan sheath.

Curators, you just can't trust 'em to get it right.

You cannot expect to find experienced personnel in all museums.
In the "Indonesian Room" there is an inscription with few lines trying to explain what the keris is. Unfortunately in three lines there are four big mistakes !
Among the Japanese swords (many have been sent to Japan for restoring and polishing) there was one with an evident fingerprint on the blade. A nightmare for sword lovers !
Few people is interested in ancient weapons. The director, Mrs Fiorella Spadavecchia (Spadaveccia means "Old sword") does not honor her name: she is apparently more interested in shadow puppets (she wrote a book on wayang kulit)
If you wish to take photographs in the museum, you may ask for the permission to Mrs. Spadavecchia. Her office is far from the museum, in S. Marco square, right side facing the church.

3rd January 2005, 11:33 PM	#1
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	Hidden Room hidden at the back of a room in a museum in venice. uncatalogued and forbidden to photograph, hence the blurred images. Attached Images

3rd January 2005, 11:36 PM	#2
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	more more images Attached Images

4th January 2005, 12:01 AM	#4
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	details the museum is the Museo d'Arte Orientale which is housed upstairs from the contemporary art museum at Ca' Pesaro. the collection is one of the largest in japanese arms. the original collection was formed by the Conti di Bardi and composed of 30,000 pieces. apparantly it wa sold of to an antiques dealer in 1928 and then bought back by the state. the Conti travelled to asia on buying trips and i am assuming the indonesian pieces are part of his collection, and not bought from a different source at the same time. the museum holds the japanese collection in high regarda and pretty much ignores the indonesian pieces. they are situated in the last room, which is why i managed to take pictures. it is not an open museum, and the doors open every half hour and they lock you in, so time is limited. their website - http://www.artive.arti.beniculturali...13/sala_13.htm

4th January 2005, 12:03 AM	#5
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	last image there were two cannon and this was the more interesting one with a double barrel. Attached Images

18th January 2012, 01:56 PM	#9
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	The museum was closed for many years. Now is restored and open but not all the pieces are exposed. In the 1970 there were 14 rooms, now surely lesser (i visit the museum last year). I send two images of an old italian book I have. Paolo Attached Images

3rd January 2005, 11:46 PM	#3
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Sweet! Who let you in and where do they hide the key? Actually quite a shame that these are not on view to the public. It looks like an impressive collection from what i can see and your photos aren't all too bad given the circumstances. Venice seems like an unusual place for such a collection. What's the deal? Have they had these long and why do they remain uncataloged? I'm sure we can get a special coalition of kerisophile forumites to make the journal and give them a hand. What museum is this anyway?

4th January 2005, 12:25 AM	#6
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Very very nice. They even have a couple dha! I am planning a trip to Italy this spring/summer (including Verona, where my wife has family). I think Venice just got added to the list of stops. Its not terribly far from Verona, after all.

3rd January 2005, 11:50 PM	#7
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	WOW! were there any moro weapons by any chance?

5th January 2005, 12:51 AM	#10
gtinc Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2	Late Fathers Knife [FONT=Arial] Last edited by gtinc; 5th January 2005 at 04:42 AM.

5th January 2005, 01:15 AM	#11
JPSF Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 56	B.I., interesting that the description is in English or were there multiple languages represented? Absolutely an astounding collection, but it's too bad there isn't easier access and information for the collector/scholar.

5th January 2005, 12:43 PM	#13
DAHenkel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 125	Interesting - it appears the coteng hilt has migrated to the tajong sheath and the tajong hilt has migrated to a Javanese with a ladrangan sheath. Curators, you just can't trust 'em to get it right.

5th January 2005, 02:08 PM	#14
wilked aka Khun Deng Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oahu, Hawaii Posts: 166	What a find! This is truly a find! Thanks for sharing. I don't collect keris (yet) but I truly appreciate their beauty and absolutely LOVE the detail on that carving. Amazing to find a collection this extensive in so unlikely a place.