Preservation of Craftsmanship at National Level

[Emanuel]

Greetings to all,
I am but a newcomer to ethnographic arms collecting and my knowledge and collection are quite limited - as are my resources. I hope my adding my own thoughts to the questions of Mr. Conceicao won't be taken as intrusive and wrongfully placed.

Why precisely do we collect/design/forge swords? Why is this craft so appealing and so powerfull? Why must it be preserved?
First of all I think that edged weapons must be differentiated between art pieces and tools. While the first may indeed be fully functional as a weapon, it is not conceived as such. Both are representative of culture, yet lately I think culture has been directly associated with art. The weapon as tool, on the other hand is unfortunately doomed to oblivion without a purpose. A tool is discarded when no longer usefull; the same applies to weapons. This is what sadens me.

Patronage of swordsmiths was always for a specific purpose. To keep a master forger capable of creating the best weapons was an obvious advantage. To keep one for his reputation and for the creation of art pieces was a trend that developed later. To sponsor one for the utter beauty of his craft was another.
These are different needs. The first is for protection and attack. It is a tool for killing, ideally only suited for the military. The old nobility originally became noble in payment for valourous martial service. One was knighted for one's bravery, military prowess, etc... Swords were commissioned for brutal use and in commemoration of military feats and achievements. Swords were revered and held for generations to remember those feats, to show one's worth and lineage, and ultimately to accumulate prestige. The sword was defined by its use and its owner, it absorbed the user's life as well as that of the victim. The sword was held for its perceived power, as well as for its quality. A blade's life is the only thing, besides its quality, that differentiates it from all others. Is it too presumptuous of me to say that what a weapon collector still seeks when acquiring an antique weapon it to somehow benefit from its power? The respect and awe with the culture that produced the weapon is another thing, the marvel that a society could produce such items. From the scant knowledge I've accumulated, I think this feeling was best experienced - and still might be - by the Japanese. What pieces of literature I have glimpsed, presented a union of poetry, music, and armed aggression. Only in Asia it seems, is the power of the sword so wonderfully expressed. The life of a blade, summed up by a Haiku.

The second need was for show. Sword as status symbol, as an expected representation of one's station in life. As art pieces swords have a far different power. They are testaments to man's craft, yes, but they are not for killing. I can appreciate their worth and what they represent, as I can marvel at a painting. I have stood for hours, transfixed by the flawlessness of a sculpture whose skin pulsed with life and whose eyes bore into my soul, as I have shuddered at the beauty of some gem-and-gold-encrusted blades and tsubas with microscopic details. But ultimately they nad no function save the aesthetic.

Who commissions great paintings or sculptures these days? Who erects a palace? Who commissions a sword. The wealthy, the money aristocracy who can afford it. The commissioned sword however is still not for use. It is to be hanged in a lavish environment as an expression of its owner's taste and ideals. Who commissions a sword for killing? Damascene blades are coveted mostly for their beauty, not for their performance. As a tool, the sword is obsolete. In the 21th century, the craft that produces such a tool is also obsolete. The remaining craftsmen focus on the creation of art.

Thus, the preservation of craftsmanship is quite complicated. Here I feel the distinction between crafts must be made. A group or government may support crafts in the guise of art and culture. But I strongly believe that the craft of the weapon-tool as a separate entity will not be supported for long. I'm sorry I cannot provide solid academic references to my statements, all I can stand on is what I've seen happening in the world. The weapon-smiths of Europe have dissappeared, Toledo is in the tourist trade and Solingen in the custom art pieces. China replicates everything in a good-enough-for-your-eyes manner. Even in Indonesia/Malaysia/Java, the keris seems to have lost some of its mystique, fabricated far from its traditional place of origin, in any manner suitable to the owner. This is indeed a sort of preservation. North-America, as stated earlier in the post, keeps bladesmithing alive and strong, but the new work is still different. It is impressive to whitness the rediscovery of pattern-welding, damscus, and other techniques thought lost, and the work done is quite beautiful. My point however is that these modern pieces will not become the antiques of the future. A silver inlaid blade of exceptional quality and finishing done today for a banker will never - in my opinion - attain the power of a 200 year old pala, takouba, or katana that has preserved the life and caused the death of a hundred souls.

Would it be possible to return the sword to its traditional use, to arm modern armed forces with swords as side-arms, it would give a valuable lesson in conducting warfare, one apparently forgotten by modern powers relying on artillery and aerial bombardments.

I've rambled on quite enough. I apologize once again if I've gone too far from the intended topic and if my comments are redundant.

Manolo