Small Preview on the History of Steel Catalog
 

Hi all,

The catalogue is at its final text revision stage.

Here are some print screen pages selected at random by Joyce, the computer designer.
Click on any image for a better look.

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age1_small.jpg


http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age2_small.jpg


http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age3_small.jpg

more
 

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age1_small.jpg


http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age2_small.jpg


http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age3_small.jpg


http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age4_small.jpg


http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...age5_small.jpg

Hope you all enjoy the first glimpse of the 400 pages.

Cheers

Hello Antonio,

It looks very interesting and a nice layout. The pictures are exceptional good:). All the best of luck.


Jens

Thanks Jens :)
Catalogue will be ready and for sale in about a month's time.
Keep my fingers crossed

First class, I cannot wait for that moment of ecstasy achieved when tearing off the wrapper on a new book.

That looks really nice, Antonio! Thanks for the advance peek. :)

Thanks Tim :) ,

I'm reviewing the texts. You always find typos and stuff. I will post the link to where to order this 400 pages mamoth :D when it is for sale.

I just came back to my office from a meeting and found a box of catalogues on my desk! :D

Antonio, it is gorgeous! Well worth the wait. Since I could be accused of bias, I'll let others comment more fully.

Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in this project.

Mark,

I am glad you backed up through Shadow of Leaves, and that you liked it. :)
Thank you and everyone who so generously participated. (bowing)

My wife said mine arrived also. I am in MA so it will be a couple of days before I can get home to see it

Still waiting on mine...

Where can I buy this catalogue ?

Got my copy today. Wow! :)

I RECEIVED MY CATALOG TODAY AND I AM VERY IMPRESSED IT IS A FIRST RATE PRODUCTION. A PLEASURE TO LOOK AT AND GOOD EXERCIZE LIFTING IT, AS IT IS A VERY LARGE AND HEAVY BOOK. MY CONGRADULATIONS AND THANKS TO ALL WHO DID THE HARD WORK THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE. WAY TO GO MACAU MUSEUM AND ANTONIO THANKS FOR ORGANIZING AND COMING UP WITH THE FUNDS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN :D
I SURE WISH I COULD HAVE MADE IT OVER TO SEE THE ACTUAL EXHIBIT.

Where to Buy the History of Steel Catalog now
 

Well, now that the US sales has closed after two months, and since the Museum does not sell online, here is this linkwhere you can find the history of steel catalogue.

Check under New Arrivals for this icon.

http://www.555555.com.mo/shopping/im...PUN-PT0058.jpg

Eventually you have to register first and then buy it.
Make sure that whatever correspondence you have cs@kongseng.com.mo
use simple and easy to understand English.

The site is owned by one of the companies that own Cable TV here so they are no scammers.

Provide your name, make sure you tell the exact address, city, ZIP code, etc.
I was informed today that many people who have emailed the Museum, were sent to this link as soon as it was up.

Good luck.

Hi Andrew and Vandoo,

Thanks for the kind words. Thank you all that have cooperated to make the exhibition possible.
Now we are proud that your names are in the catalog :)

Got mine from the Shadow of Leaves. Had time only to glance through the pics: highly professional. That's how to photograph swords!

Caution
 

If you order this through the Macau site http://www.555555.com.mo/shopping/index.jsp?lang=E , (which is the cs@kongseng.com.mo Antonio mentions above) be a little careful as the checkout process appeared to reject my order three times this evening but I now find I have been billed three times for the book. I dont know why this has happened and I am not suggesting they wont sort the problem out for me (fingers crossed) but watch out. I guess the worst outcome is that I will have two spare copies of the book.
cheers
DrD

thanks for all your advice

Have you emailed them? If so, always have to write in very simple English.


Problem is I advertised that it was available for sale at Shadow of Leaves for quite some time. :shrug:

Have you registered? Is your computer on a broadband? Would it time out?

Don't lay the blame on me :) Best of luck

I do not have a credit card, so I tried to get this book through a friend. We stopped trying as apparently this site is not secure?

I will exceptionally ask the Museum staff to contact them and get an answer about security.
So far I know it belongs to a big telecommunications and cable tv group and it sells tickets online to all concerts and events in Macau.

It is the only way you can get the catalog now. The same Museum staff runs two Museums now, one alongside the other.

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...aper_small.jpg

and

http://p.vtourist.com/2873243-Things...o_de_Macau.jpg

Macao Hand Over Museum

They are side by side

http://handovermuseum.iacm.gov.mo/images/HANDmain.jpg

Way too much work by a great staff

Well i've ordered and the transaction seems to have only gone through once - phew


The only oddity is that i've received e-mail confirmation twice in English first then 1 hour later in Chinese ( order rEf is the same though )


As expected shipping is about twice the price of the catalogue itself - can't wait to get my hands on it though :)

It seems to secure enough . When you click "checkout" the address changes to https:// from http:// and there is the padlock in the bottom Rt hand corner of IE . There are no other recognised security certificates though .

Also when they send you the confirmation e-mail they correctly do not include any of your credit details as email is not secure .

As an extra precaution I have also phoned my credit card agency giving them exact details of the transaction including the amount and have advised them to get back to me with any suspicious activity in europe or the far east or double orders which were not authorised by me .


Despite all this I guess all I can do from now is keep my fingers crossed :D.

No Worries
 

I'm sure the Museum will come through for you . :D

Antonio, how many copies were printed ?

Hi all
I did not mean to give the impression that I thought the site or process was not secure, I am sure it is. Nor am I saying there is a major problem, it is just that the first and second times I tried to go through the checkout a server error message came up, leading me to think the transaction had not gone through when it actually had. If I had checked my email for a confirmation message before trying again I would have realised it had gone through. Antonio I am definitely not blaming anyone but myself for this blunder :o , (I have nothing but gratitute to you for enabling such a fine resource to come into being).
DrD

It isn't easy though, Rick, but I will check with Sara.

I'm not sure. But since it became so big, it won't reach the 1.000 mark.

You didn't say it, no worries :) David. And no need to thank me either.
Just gave a helping hand ;)

Got mine today.
It's indeed huge... and wonderful.
Thanks to all involved.

Hola Marc :)

Hace muy tiempo que no nos hablamos, hombre :)
Glad that you liked it.

Yes it is a huge and amazing book. The photos are lovely, and show the folding patterns very well which is hard to do. There is one funny blooper I noticed in the Korean section where it twice mentioned the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1952. "whatchagonado"
Josh

Hola, Antonio.

As you can see, is only a question of finding the right kind of bait :)


By the way, I have to say that dealing with Mike at Shadow of Leaves has been a dream, also.

Funny because I noticed that in the original that was sent to us had exactly 1952 instead of 1592 as I have online
But for long, when people pointed out these typos that do happen, I used to remind them that for each typo that passed 100 were spotted and corrected.
:rolleyes:

Hola Marc,

I see :D
Actually I lost your contacts. When a computer hard disc goes crazy, or when I moved apartments, that was lost :o

Anyways, I think that Michael Crampton from Shadow of Leaves is a most honorable gentleman and everyone was well serviced I am sure.

I totally understand about the very infrequent typos. I am sorry I mentioned it. The date reversal did not detract at all, but it was slightly amusing. The look of the book overall is quite good. As I said, the photos are works of art in their own right, and show some very special pieces. I am most interested in the Chinese section where the catalogue helps on a subject where there is very little information available in English. Someday I wish there could be information on Chinese swords that approaches the information on Japanese swords, but at the moment, the field of Chinese sword scholarship is simply not mature enough.

There is one particular sword that I would love any more information on that you might be able to locate. The Ming dynasty willow leaf sword (#94) with the horse tooth pattern welding and the nickel silver fittings is one of the most beautiful sabers I have ever seen. Is there any information on its provenance? The medial ridge on the blade and the lobed guard are certainly things found on Ming swords, but I was wondering what other information was used to date it. It appears to be a very important piece.
Thanks for your help,
Josh

Not a problem :) It is very difficult to keep a tri-lingual catalog like this free of typos. The eyes get tired on the revision, and as known, we read by words and so if it type worng instead of wrong we will still read it correctly.
There are many books in Chinese about swords, but not translated to English...
As for the bronze pieces, it is amazing to show the ring knife was already in existance in jade and it went all along through Han. Then I have seen a Song piece which is curved, in a Dao shape
http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/images1/song-dao.jpg

It is documented in the stone rubbing below

http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/im...ng-warrior.jpg



Ah yes, it is a sanmai, called jiagangin Mandarin. The horse tooth pattern is what the makers did, and it came from the Zhou Zheng Wu's own Museum collection. Being native to LongquanZhoubelongs to a multi-generation of smiths so it isn't surprising that he has all his contributions handed down and in a condition that is reliable because Long quan was the most important sword and celadon center.

Hope this helps.

The interesting thing about this horse-tooth pattern is that even Zhou Zheng Wu, a master smith, has been unable to duplicate it. He said its one of those mysteries of ancient Chinese swordmaking that he has yet to unravel.

Oh boy, I wish I had such a memory Mark :shrug:
Well, after all it is 5:00 AM.
Thanks :)

I asked about that saber because while the willow leaf blade with a medial ridge, and the four lobed guard are Ming characteristics, the sword as a whole looks distinctly 19th century. The round pommel and the style of the decorations are all 19th century. This does not detract in any way from the saber's importance as a historical artifact and a work of art, but I don't want people to be mislead by the dating. It is easier for a 19th century piece to have some earlier characteristics than it is for an earlier piece to have stylistic elements that are hundreds of years later. Is it possible the blade had its fittings replaced?
Josh

Hi Josh,

I believe there is much more out there than whatever typology we know and want to classify and put a sword into. Why would a round pommel and four lobbed would be specific of the Qing Dynasty? Just because someone wrote it is? :)

I won't ever dare to say I am a specialist on Chinese swords, but I guarantee I have seen many in different places and even if I had studied Chinese swords for 10 years I would never classify as a specialist.
The thing is that one of the characteristics of Chinese swords is their emergence and then back to oblivion and again reemerging into use.

http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/im...ulb-pommel.jpg

Take this example. I would say you have never seen one such sword. Would it be Ming or Qing? ;) This is surely a tricky one.

There were a couple of swords that were just bare blades, while the one you refer to was mounted and fortunately not restored.

We presented it as bare blades such as this one, number 93

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...q-08_small.jpg

or this one, number 94

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...q-13_small.jpg


Zhou had the good sense of not restoring anything except the handle of this one at my own request, because of the beautiful pommel, number 99:

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...-19a_small.jpg


I would therefore doubt that Zhou would have made any restorations.

Furthermore I am sure that very few people know that ancient jian had a tip polish that originated the yokote?

http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/images1/jian-tip.jpg

An ancient jian tip restored to its former glory.

Cheers :)