PietroParis Posted July 29, 2021 Report Posted July 29, 2021 Hi All, These days I am visiting my elderly mother in North-Eastern Italy for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, so I took the opportunity to go to the Asian Art Museum (Museo d'Arte Orientale) in Venice (see also here for a virtual 3D tour). I am sorry to say that the exhibition feels old-fashioned and somewhat disappointing: the artifacts are amassed in dark vitrines with little context and no attribution, and it is left to the viewer to pick the good stuff from the background noise. For what concerns Nihonto, I recall hundreds of undistinguished koshirae, three or four vitrines of sword fittings (including some really nice stuff, unfortunately the reflections on the glass prevented me from taking decent pictures), one vitrine of arrowheads, one vitrine of bare tanto blades with showy horimono, and finally one vitrine with fifteen bare sword blades: The surprise came when I looked closer: many of the blades sported big, fat fingerprints!!! I got hold of two staff members and showed them the problem, they told me that they would report it to the person in charge of the conservation. However, it did not look like they were taking me too seriously: at first they thought I was referring to the hamon, my reaction to that was a bit piqued... 2 1 Quote
Michaelr Posted July 29, 2021 Report Posted July 29, 2021 WOW Thank you for sharing. The shame about the fingerprints and the lack of caring on the keepers part is the same reason other Great Pieces of Art are lost for ever or destroyed. MikeR 1 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted July 29, 2021 Report Posted July 29, 2021 Pietro, I found the same in a German museum - and worse! They had a scissors sharpener 'restore' their blades...... 5 Quote
Ken-Hawaii Posted July 29, 2021 Report Posted July 29, 2021 Museums aren't known for their "loving care" of Nihonto, & I can't recall seeing a museum exhibition in the U.S. that impressed me. 1 1 Quote
Grey Doffin Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 Hi Ken, I agree; most museums are graveyards for Nihonto. But there was one exhibition at a museum in the US that was most impressive: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b475-art-samurai-metropolitan-museum 18, I think, Kokuho (National Treasure), including the O-Kanehira. That was a spectacular show. Grey Quote
b.hennick Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 The Boston Museum of Fine Art usually has a great display. Quote
1kinko Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 The Walters in Baltimore has a changing exhibition on the top floor. Great stuff. Quote
uwe Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 7 hours ago, ROKUJURO said: Pietro, I found the same in a German museum - and worse! They had a scissors sharpener 'restore' their blades...... Where Jean? Can you remember the name of the museum? Quote
Keiji Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 I have been to the Museum many times, this is the first time I see this happening. I proceeded to report it to the Director of the Museum who immediately went to check. In addition, those blades are only touched with gloves, so I think they may be "fingerprints of fabric ". 3 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 Gloves should not leave marks like that. 1 Quote
Keiji Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 The swords have just been cleaned, thanks for the reporting. 3 3 Quote
PietroParis Posted July 30, 2021 Author Report Posted July 30, 2021 Thanks for your intervention, the reach of the NMB community never fails to impress... 1 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted July 30, 2021 Report Posted July 30, 2021 9 hours ago, uwe said: Where Jean? Can you remember the name of the museum? You have a PM Quote
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