I would like to suggest that "specialists" are not always at the cutting edge, burping up history is not research. The amateur has been ahead of specialists in many fields throughout history. The subjects that come to mind are astronomy, paleontology and even Darwin had Wallace, an amateur as an equal and in correspondence with the great man. Many writers/researchers
in our area of interest seem to concentrate on the intrinsic value of the materials used and high art styles,{understandably admirable} a relatively narrow outlook rather than the form and its origin and cultural spread and regional relevance.