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#1 |
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I ran into this image of a Persian mail and plate shirt and I had to laugh, this is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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#2 | |
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#3 | |
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#4 |
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WOW! This is really good one, Estcrh. Incredible indeed. I've seen a fair share of mistakes in many museums, but never a mega blunder like this
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#5 |
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Salaams estcrh ALEX and all... I have to say I didn't spot that either, moreover, I was looking for something funny ... Now that you point it out it is quite amazing how someone has put this all together wrongly (unless the wearer fell from his horse and that's where his knees ended up!!) I suppose it is funny...ha! Did you mention it to the Museum?
Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. ![]() |
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#6 | ||
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So I did a little more digging and found links to the images with the wrong description. (http://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/M0005113.html) and (http://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/M0005114.html). So I thought that this would be an easy one, I contacted the museum many months ago and sent them all of the information they would need to see that the item being described as a "European executioners mask" was in fact a samurai somen. Well the mask is still mislabeled and the museum never replied to me. Last edited by estcrh; 20th October 2013 at 10:01 AM. |
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#7 | |
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![]() I've contacted the British National Maritime Museum in the past about a late 19th-early 20th c. child's toy sword [what the Germans would call a kinder degen] that they hath mislabeled as a US Navy officer's dirk. The curator emailed me and thanked for correcting their description...but they never changed it on their website. There are other incorrectly described items on their website, but I never bothered to write to them again. |
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#8 |
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On the other-hand, I recently informed The Herbert museum (Coventry, UK) that they were about exhibit a fake (eBay) Sikh 'Turban' helmet as part of a Sikh Exhibition, and they took my opinion without question.
Unfortunately it had already been on display at Birmingham (UK) Museum for many months, described as a 19thC original, without question by museum staff, and so-called experts invited to the exhibition. Regards, Runjeet |
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#9 |
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I've had it go both ways as well. Smaller museums being more willing to engage in a discussion in my experience. It also helps if you can provide a few references and sources for them to pursue.
The last one I got a positive response on was a small regional museum which was exhibiting a 19th century kaskara as 15th century Spanish! They were actually very receptive to being contacted as they don't have any specialized staff and were planning to change the labeling last I heard. If nothing else, it gives peace of mind I think to at least be able to say I tried to let them know if there's something obviously out of place. ![]() |
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#10 |
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Years ago a mislabeled item would not have caused much problem, now images are being sent all over the world instantly, they are used in blogs, forums and lately on pinterest, and people actually believe the descriptions attached to these images because they think a museum would not make such blatant mistakes. it is not only museums but also auction houses that are sometimes completely wrong in their descriptions as well.
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#11 | |
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![]() Heck, I've had cases of it myself, changing my opinion on some attribution elements on my own site, but sometimes images and old descriptions linger on in other folks' blogs and forum posts. It's a general danger with online media. |
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#12 |
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Here is another classic example from the Military Museum, Istanbul Turkey. This is an inexcusable mistake seeing that this is Ottoman armor and should have been easily identifiable, but somehow museum employees have no clue as to how their own countries armor was worn.
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#13 |
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I cannot agree with you more, Estcrh. Both Askeri Muse and Topkapi Palace armory have countless mistakes, some on a verge of being ludicrous, and some well beyond
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#14 |
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Ahh . . . I am new to the world of swords and armor & really don't know any more than those museums. To me, joining this site has been like when I went from the Smart Guy in High School to lowly Freshman in college. This Freshman still works to comprehend the Obvious-to-You errors.
For example, that last photo of some plate armour on a man's fore-arm looks to me like - what? For a horse's nose? Damnifino. Oh, well. I'll figure it out. |
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#15 | |
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http://www.pinterest.com/samuraianti...persian-armor/ |
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#16 |
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HERE ARE 3 PICTURES OF A JAPANESE SAMAURAI ARMOR MASK VERY SIMULAR TO THE ONE POSTED FOR COMPARASION.
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#17 | ||
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#18 | |
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I also sent a message the Los Angles County Museum of Art about the mail and plate shirt, lets see if they respond.
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Last edited by estcrh; 31st October 2013 at 01:40 PM. |
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#19 |
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One more example, a well known armor from the Deutsches Historisches Museum (Museum of German History), with this example it is easier to list the parts which belong then the ones that do not. Since I do not speak German someone else will have to tell them that they are making their institution look foolish.
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#20 |
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WE DON'T DISCUSS ARMOR MUCH SO I WILL INCLUDE A COUPLE OF MY FAVORITES HERE JUST FOR FUN. 1. A BREASTPLATE FROM INDIA AND 2. A SILVER BRA FROM SULAWESI, TORAJA. HAPPY HALLOWEEN
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#21 |
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Using dizçeks as shoulder armour and "kolçak"s as shin armour are unfortunetley the most common and persistant mistakes museums make on their displays.
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#22 | ||
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An image of the current display and the new description. Shirt of Mail and Plate Iran, 15th century Steel with silver inlay and traces of gilding The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, gift of Joan Palevsky M.73.5.729a |
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#23 | ||
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#24 | |
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Bravo !!! Ibrahiim al Balooshi |
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#25 |
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Sometime the squeaky wheel gets the oil!
Unless someone in staff knows you or you have written books that are widely known, you could be a crackpot. If they get a lot of comments, then they will investigate. Also, if a case is sealed for a certain time that will not open it to change a label unless there is so much commentary it becomes an embarrassment. |
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#26 |
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I work at a museum, and I can confirm first hand that curators are reluctant to ever admit they are wrong. I have presented extensive, accurate information concerning erroneous labelling, but it always seems to fall on deaf ears. I call it "I'm the expert" syndrome.
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#27 |
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Second syndrome is
"I'm a lazy bugger"... People don't like changes... |
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#28 | |
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Here is an example of what can happen with one misidentified object. A photographer took some photos of objects from the Wellcome Collection a few years ago including the mask, now his photo has been reposted all over the internet with the wrong description. https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sb...XN3x5gbxCBLW1A |
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#29 |
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http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/openco...th_Dragon_Head
labelled as Ottoman axe 18th instead of Qajar 19th You have hundred of examples... and it is worst in the storerooms than the exhibition rooms! |
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#30 | ||
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