Shogun8

Thanks Piers!

There will be a contingent of about 35 members of the Japanese Armor Society (including 10 members of the NKBKHK coming from Japan) who will be visiting the exhibition with the curator, Jean-Christophe Charbonnier on Wednesday, February 21st. This visit is part of a tour that includes a private visit of Peter Janssen's Samurai Art Museum in Berlin and another private collection in Belgium - all taking place after our Japanese Legacy III Symposium in Leiden, Netherlands. Visit our Facebook page (Japanese Armor Society) or our forum at www.japanesearmorsociety.org if you'd like more information about becoming a member.

Missed this original post, Piers. Great items and even better story - congrats!

Fascinating article, Peter! I wonder how those swords and fittings mentioned would fare in today's market (such as the Masaake tsuba and the Sukezane blade)...

Absolutely a great match - and quite an upset, Peter! And now on to the article - thanks for sharing!

Hi Olivier, Zenon is indeed alive, kicking and still doing great work - it just may take awhile for him to respond to you. Try him at info@japaneseart.be

Jo has done an incredible service for the katchu community by creating and compiling these videos. He has also been the critical liaison between the mother NKBKHK branch in Tokyo and the new Japanese Armor Society. He is an invaluable member of the katchu community.

So very true, Luc. Unfortunately, this is not always recognized or it is simply ignored. We have much to learn.

I consider Tadao Ando to be one of the world's greatest living architects. Self-taught, he is somehow able to create spiritually calming spaces utilizing the silky-smooth concrete surface for which he is known. Check out his famous Church of the Light: https://www.archdaily.com/101260/ad-classics-church-of-the-light-tadao-ando/5037f3b828ba0d599b000648-ad-classics-church-of-the-light-tadao-ando-drawings

HI Chris, My name is found at the bottom of my post, so feel free to reach out to me in PM. You can also visit the Japanese Armor Society Forum at www.japanesearmorsociety.org, where we require members and participants to use their real names. We welcome new members and there's a ton of information and opportunity to discuss all things armor. John

I think I can speak for my fellow Japanese Armor Society board members, Luc Taelman and Jo Anseeuw in saying that yesterday was one we shall never forget - and another monumental step in the growth and development of the Japanese Armor Society. This is because for the first time in it's long history, the executive branch of the NKBKHK in Tokyo invited non-Japanese to attend the shinsa in an official capacity. In fact, this is the first time that individuals who were not shinsa judges were even allowed to be in the room. For those of you who do not know what a shinsa is, it is an annual event at which individuals are able to bring their Japanese armor items to be evaluated and judged for their authenticity, age and quality as deemed by the shinsa committee, which is drawn from the NKBKHK executive and of course, includes the top experts and scholars of Japanese Armor in the world. This was obviously an honour of the highest order and it speaks volumes for the willingness and efforts being made by the NKBKHK to be more open, inclusive and modern in its approach, while maintaining true to its standards, ethos and cultural traditions. The organization has come under criticism in some circles (including from certain vocal individuals here in the west) for sometimes not being with the times, but this gesture - along with several conversations we had with the executive team - is just the first step in fostering the exchange of culture, knowledge, experience and fellowship which is the mission of the Japanese Armor Society. The Japanese Armor Society is now the second largest branch of the NKBKHK (next to the the Tokyo branch) and as even the president of the NKBKHK, Nagata-san said to us yesterday, he is incredibly impressed by our growth and development and is excited to participate with us as we move forward. I am pleased to confirm that he, along with several of the executives and shinsa team will be attending the Japanese Legacy III Symposium in Leiden and also the After-Tour. Not coincidentally, we have also discussed the first shinsa to be held outside of Japan at a future Japanese Legacy event, so stay tuned for these exciting developments. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, photographs of the items were not permitted but I am pleased to share pictures of the shinsa team: From L-R: Jo Anseeuw (JAS board member); Matsumoto-san (Shinsa Judge and one of the top collectors in the world); Nishioka-san (Shinsa Judge and renowned armor expert and restorer; Takemura-san (Shinsa Judge, armor expert, scholar and collector); Nagata-san (NKBKHK President, Shinsa Judge, armor expert and collector); Luc Taelman (JAS President); Orikasa-san (Shinsa Judge, renowned and published armor expert and scholar); yours truly From L-R: Otsuka-san (collector); Luc; Jo; Takemura-san; Matsumoto-san; Nagata-san; Orikasa-san The JAS team with Orikasa-sensei

Congratulations on quite an achievement, Jan!!

"Bould" perhaps, but true.

I'm pleased to say that we already have several of the top dealers in the world confirmed for this Armor Fair. It will be the first of its kind in terms of concentrated quality in the world.

The Met is not a private museum. However, there is no public right of access, as with private museums. One can make requests for scholarly studies, but such requests are usually from institution to institution.

T Thanks Dave. I actually am familiar with the process because you've described it in the past. However, my question was really about which method would have been more time-consuming and difficult: to go through the process above and then lacquer or just simply go straight to lacquering without the cutting back and kokuso process?

But wouldn't it be just as much work (if not more) to make and fill in with kokuso and then sand it down than to just paint the nooks and crannies of a wrinkle? Nevertheless, I think we all agree that all was not right with this piece and I'm glad that Chansa was able to get his money back.

Great exhibit! Here are a couple of pics that i took of some of the pieces: This last one in particular intrigued me because the artist utilized traditional urushi techniques to cover the piece:

But the question is why would they do this?

The thing is if it were nerigawa, I would have expected the wrinkles to have been molded (and thus evident on the reverse side of the mask) because masks made from nerigawa were formed with a mold. I have a kanshitsu menpo that is extremely light compared to a regular menpo/even from nerigawa, to the extent that I wonder if it even has any protective qualities.

Hi Chansa, The shiwa (wrinkles) don't seem to be embossed judging by the lack of impression on the interior of the mask. This means that the wrinkles were built up from lacquer. Also, what is the weight of the piece? Is it still fairly heavy? If so, then it's likely nerigawa as you and a number of people have already said. If it's quite light, then another possibility could be kanshitsu (a technique using layers of washi (Japanese paper) combined with urushi (lacquer). At this point, we also cannot rule out the possibility that it's a modern reproduction, perhaps made out of fiberglass as mentioned by Justin. John

As promised, this thread will be updated with programme elements as they become available. Symposium Lectures: The Evolution of Menpo and the Link with Noh Theatre - Bas Verberk, curator of "Masked Warriors" exhibition The Exchange of Royal Gifts Between East and West During the Bakumatsu Period - Willem van Gulik, Professor and Affiliated Fellow of Leiden University Japanese Armor and Helmets: Technical Considerations and Analysis - Various Presenters to be confirmed Further topic(s) still to be determined

Hi, At this point, we're still finalizing speakers and topics. However, we expect to have 3-5 presentations, including the Noh performance. We actually have the meeting room available until late afternoon and the visit to the "Masked Warriors" exhibition will likely take place afterward at around 5PM +/-. John

Brian, Most people will be arriving on Friday the 16th and in fact, we initially had a dinner planned for that evening which we may still offer to those that confirm their attendance. However, in order to keep the costs down, we kept it out of the itinerary for the time being. John

We are pleased to formally announce details for the 3rd Japanese Legacy Symposium taking place in Leiden, Netherlands February 17-18, 2018. The event promises to be a unique opportunity to view exceptional pieces of armour, socialize with collectors, dealers and experts, and learn more during our series of lectures and special events. Schedule of Events: Saturday, February 17, 2018 Japanese Legacy III Symposium Lectures at the Rijksmuseum van Oudeheden in Leiden Private performance by Noh Master, Matsato Matsura Private visit of the exhibition “Masked Warriors” at the Sieboldhuis Museum in Leiden, with curator Bas Verberk present to provide commentary and information Option for group dinner at the Het Prentenkabinet restaurant in Leiden Option for overnight hotel in Amsterdam Sunday, February 18, 2018 Japanese Legacy III Arms & Armor Fair with top dealers and restorers at the NH Caransa Hotel in Amsterdam The following details the available packages for the Japanese Legacy III Symposium: Package 1 – Euro 125.00 per person Entry fee to Sieboldhuis Museum to view “Masked Warriors” exhibition Japanese Legacy III Symposium presentations at Rijksmuseum van Oudeheden Private Noh performance by Matsato Matsura Copy of “Masked Warriors” exhibition catalogue Package 2 – Euro 570.00 per person Entry fee to Sieboldhuis Museum to view “Masked Warriors” exhibition Japanese Legacy III Symposium presentations at Rijksmuseum van Oudeheden Private Noh performance by Matsato Matsura Copy of “Masked Warriors” exhibition catalogue 2 nights accommodation (single occupancy) at the NH Caransa Hotel in Amsterdam Estimate for roundtrip train fare between Amsterdam and Leiden Group dinner at the Het Prentenkabinet restaurant in Leiden For further information or to confirm your attendance, please send an email to jas@Japanese-armor.org