Quote:
Originally Posted by RSWORD
Each sword, knife, shield, spear, etc is a tangible link to the past. Each one has a story to tell. Sometimes the story is shrouded in mystery. Not much information, if any at all, will pass down with the object. Through attempting to learn more about each object, in turn, I have learned more about other countries, cultures, traditions, conflicts, decorative techniques, etc than I ever did in school including my college years. That has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being part of a sword's journey. I have met some of the most interesting people that share similar interests that I never would have had the opportunity to meet. I treasure those moments.
So what is their worth? For me, it is not monetarily. It is unraveling the story to learn insights into a period of time lost to history. It is to ponder how it was made. Why was it made. What was its purpose. What was its journey from the time it was made until it found me. What will I learn from it. Who will I meet and get to know because of it. How will I take care and what information can I pass along to the next steward. Their worth is something personal to each individual and that, in of its own, is important.
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I fully share your thoughts.
Every collector of antique weapons has his own motives and preferences.
For me personally:
- weapons have always been the highest achievement of creative, technical thought and progress in any era (unfortunately).
- as a history buff, I study the era, region, and people to whom a particular item belonged through the prism of ethnographic weapons.
Very often, unidentified or incorrectly attributed items come across, and that's when the most interesting and exciting part begins - an attempt to unravel their origin and history. And this is obtaining and studying a lot of information, communicating with the same caring and "sick" people as I am. This can take a significant amount of time, sometimes years.
Each item in my collection is carefully attributed, and I make a detailed description of it, in addition to technical characteristics - the era, country, people and everything related to this item. And if the item finds another owner, then he also gets my description. Thus, I hope that the time spent, efforts and knowledge gained will be preserved and passed on by relay.
As for outdated books and versions, they certainly need to be reviewed. Not so long ago, it was not possible to obtain and exchange information so quickly. Researchers of the past spent months, or even years, on this.
As for the general academic or public audience, what prevents them from taking part in discussions on forums? Is it beneath them to communicate with "amateurs"?
Unfortunately, there is now a tendency for interest in historical and ethnographic weapons to decline on specialized forums; very few new participants come. And if they do come, they ask, "What is this?"