Arts and Arms of the Samurai Show Postscript

[Chris B.]

Members:

 

Both Larry and myself would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you who supported the show- there are simply too many to single people out...Suffice it to say that the success of the event was due to the support and assistance of so many.....

 

We have been overwhelmed with the kind words and are thrilled with all the positive comments and feedback.

 

I would like to make a few comments about the event:

 

Show room:

 

Despite having 8 no-show table holders, the addition of the lecture area and the displays gave the room a sense of fullness. Much to my surprise, we had over 400 general public participants come through the event over the three days. While the room never seemed crowded, there was a steady stream of attendance throughout. Our goal was to bring in a new crowd and though I had hoped for an even larger crowd, I think this was a good start...

 

Lectures:

 

I received many positive comments from the attendees about the lectures. While I was unable to attend any of them, I attribute the great feedback to the knowledge and enthusiasm of those presenting. A huge thanks to them....

 

Displays:

 

We had a display of zen art and calligraphy which was very lightly attended. Lesson learned: if people have to wander too far from the show room, they won't...

 

Sword Exhibit:

 

The shinshinto display was, in my humble opinion, very good. While the likes of Kiyomaro, Masahide, and that top shelf were not in attendance, the sheer quality of what was displayed amply made the point that high quality swords have been produced in all periods, and that excellent blades were made by smiths other than Kiyomaro, et. al. The lecture given on the blades by Miyano Sensei, head shinsa'in and NTHK president, stressed that the quality and value of a blade needs to be judged on a blade by blade basis and that we should not dismiss a blade out of hand because of period or maker. His comment that many of these blades were "juyo token" in his estimation was heartily received.

 

Shinsa:

 

While I have no doubt that there were people disappointed with the opinions they received, the overwhelming positive feedback was proof positive that this team knows what they are doing. Rather than ram through 200 blades a day, the team took their time and gave those that submitted their money's worth.

 

What may have been confusing to some people was the fact that they did not issue a pink paper for those items which failed shinsa, rather they simply gave out the usual white worksheet without any points listed. This didn't mean that they did not fail any blades, they simply indicated the failure in a different fashion.

 

The overall quality level of blades submitted to this shinsa was higher than those in the past. Hopefully this is an indication of the increased sophistication of collectors in the West.

 

Hotel Staff and Accomodations:

 

There were initial difficulties with the room reservation system however the staff showed great flexibility and a willingness to please that made them wonderful to work with. The rooms, exhibit space, and amenities were without fault. Personally, I thought the morning coffee, donuts and cookies were great!

 

Overall summary:

 

The overall success of the event means that the odds are great that we will be doing this again in the not too distant future....

 

Again, a huge thank you to all who attended, contributed, and helped!

 

 

--

Sincerely,

 

Chris Bowen

swords@ejapaneseswords.com

 

**For fine Japanese swords, made to order new swords, and restoration services, visit: http://www.ejapaneseswords.com

 

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[Stephen]

Chris and Larry

 

I want to give thanks to you guys for putting on a great show, I know that you have your own study group to tend to but welcome you to stop in from time to time to share your knowledge esp when it comes to Gendai smiths. Thanks for the postscript and another Hai domo for all the hard work putting together the Arts and Arms of the Samurai.