Royal Armouries image collection.

[estcrh]

Here is an interesting sword...

German blade dated 1697; Indian hilt 18th century

....is this an "Indian hilt" or a European hilt with Indian decoration?

[estcrh]

Looks like a sossun to me

Sword (khanda) (1771-1799) Place: India, Gujerat

[estcrh]

Here is a real interesting one.........

Sword (talwar) (1800-1899) Place: Germany

Do they even have the right sword here, it says this sword has a "knuckle bow" and "black leather" covered scabbard????

https://collections.royalarmouries.o...ect-21372.html

The blade is single edged and slightly curved, with two narrow fullers beside the flat back in which there are traces of decoration. The ricasso has some burnished zig-zag decoration on a dull ground. The russet iron hilt is of Indo-Muslim type, with a small dish pommel, swelling grip, short quillons, a knuckle bow, and a pierced swivel loop on the pommel button. It is decorated in silver koftgari with scrolling foliage and flowers. The scabbard is of wood covered in black leather with an iron chape.

[estcrh]

Here is another glaring mistake, this is a "tsukubo" but is it not a "sode garami", that is another type of tool used for catching / holding criminals, there are three such tools which together are called torimono sandōgu (three tools of arresting).

Catch pole (sode garami) (1800-1899) of the type called tsukubo Place: Japan

[David R]

Speaking from personal experience ( one month data inputting the Littlecote collection for the RA) there is something of dislocation between the knowledgeable and the administration at the museum. This is also a huge collection, many of the labels went on a very long time ago, up to a century and a half in some cases, and it will be a long time before anyone gets round to changing them. The Littlecote collection was acquired more than 20 years before I was given the job of putting it on their computer database. they have a huge collection, they are doing their best at a time of falling budgets and a lack of interest from the the presiding authority.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by David R

Speaking from personal experience ( one month data inputting the Littlecote collection for the RA) there is something of dislocation between the knowledgeable and the administration at the museum. This is also a huge collection, many of the labels went on a very long time ago, up to a century and a half in some cases, and it will be a long time before anyone gets round to changing them. The Littlecote collection was acquired more than 20 years before I was given the job of putting it on their computer database. they have a huge collection, they are doing their best at a time of falling budgets and a lack of interest from the the presiding authority.

David, the Met has many dubious descriptions also, I am willing to bet that both institutions have not even tried very hard to find help or solve this problem. The images that they have of the items held in their collections are valuable resources, I am pointing out that they can not be trusted as far as descriptions go, many people assume that these famous museums are infallible but they are really not doing a very good job in making the items they hold available to the public.

Many people can not travel to these museums and the online images are the only way they have to gain access to what is in them, other people base their visits to these museums on what they know in advance that they will see, it is in their best interest to figure out how to speed up the process, there are many ways to do this such as with students via an intern program.

[ariel]

There are some errors that are so stupid that I do not want even to mention them...
Well, I will:-)
Object XXVI B.144 : a dagger labeled as all-steel arrow.
XXVID.79: a Firangi called dagger( peshkabz)

These are so stupid that one cannot even suspect professional errors.

I guess they just quickly hired an undergraduate student or an equivalent to do the job and this kid had randomly matched pics with descriptions. That's what one gets for a minimal wage:-)



Budget cuts:-))))))))))

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by estcrh

David, the Met has many dubious descriptions also, I am willing to bet that both institutions have not even tried very hard to find help or solve this problem. The images that they have of the items held in their collections are valuable resources, I am pointing out that they can not be trusted as far as descriptions go, many people assume that these famous museums are infallible but they are really not doing a very good job in making the items they hold available to the public.

Many people can not travel to these museums and the online images are the only way they have to gain access to what is in them, other people base their visits to these museums on what they know in advance that they will see, it is in their best interest to figure out how to speed up the process, there are many ways to do this such as with students via an intern program.

Well said Estcrh but how embarrassing for the RA, lets hope that these shortcomings are bought to their attention and that they take the necessary action to correct these errors which as Ariel points out in some instances so stupid, it just does not make sense.
Miguel