Oriental Museum Venice

[tony edmunds]

i Guys
Just got back form celebrating my 60th in Venice had to share my delight at the Nihonto and lacquer collections housed in the Palazzo Pesaro /Museo Oriente.
The museum is simply the most astounding I've ever seen.
The staircase is lined with over 100 fully mounted Pole arms of every shape and size (all with original saya and poles). The sword displays includes 20 blades including a Bizen Norimitsu, around 20 Yari ( fully mounted of course) 17 full daisho koshirae, over 50 tanto koshirae, 50 or so Wakizashi koshirae,12 Tachi koshirae and several cabinets of fittings and that's before you get to the lacquer which is almost as jaw dropping.
I wouldn't be surprised if some or all the Koshirae hold blades, the attendants did'nt know!
I seriously suggest you make the effort to find the museum if you are ever in Venic
Here are some pics to whet your appetite

 

[jason_mazzy]

well, now I know where I am planning my first international caper!

[Fuuten]

That sounds like an absolute dream to visit!

 

And to think i put off a trip to Venice two years ago, had i known this i wouldn't have. Thank you for sharing.

[Brian]

Holy Moley! Will you look at that!

Here I am wishing I could own a single nice naginata, and they line the walkways with them!

Damn....wow.

[Stephen]

ok my dream trip is shaping up...Toronto, Paris, then drop down to Venice. this will be fun.

[tony edmunds]

Here's a coupe more pics, I was limited because Flash wasn't allowed (I did sneak a couple of shots).

[tony edmunds]

Just to make Brian even  more envious they had 6 Jumonji Yari and 6 straight yari in an open stand with an English note warning that they were sharp and could cut you! You could literally reach out and touch the  20 inch naked blades.

Even funnier was the assertion by the attendant that they were only for ceremonial use!

I'd love to see if all those koshirae held blades goodness knows what treasures lay within.

I'm hoping got get in touch with the Italian NTHK to see if there us any chance of a private viewing.

[Brian]

Do they have surveillance cameras? :laughing:

[peterd]

Wow indeed.

Looks unappreciated perhaps even neglected. Hope someone gets a viewing. 

Who knows what lies within. 

The italian NTHK need to catalogue this collection.

 

Pete

[seattle1]

Hello:

B.W. Robinson's brother, H. Russell Robinson, wrote a nicely illustrated book, Japanese Arms and Armour for the Arms and Armour press, in 1969 that featured many of the pieces from the Museo Orientale. Onestill sees copies around at shows and they don't seem to fetch much.

Arnold F.

[lonely panet]

is it just me, or is some of that fine makie, very close to bright (maybe fluro lights ?)

 

how long before they start to fade?

[tony edmunds]

I think the lighting effects are due to my flash the ambient lighting looked Ok to me and they did keep the rooms darkened hence the need for flash.

The inro collection was under covers to prevent light damage so the EU money was well spent!

Apparently a few years back the swords were in open cabinets!!

[Ken-Hawaii]

Happy 60th, Tony, & thanks for sharing. Nice that you could shoot photos, even without flash.  Just a quick note that you can greatly increase your camera's ISO setting in low light to really bring out the details.  But your shots are excellent, even as-is. Quite a remarkable collection in a city with such high humidity - did they have air conditioning running on high?

 

Ken

 

[Greg F]

Hi Tony, Great photos thanks for sharing them. Hope you had a great 60th!

Greg

[IanB]

All, It is quite a while since I I last visited, but this is my recollection of the place. This fantastic collection was accumulated by Henry II of Borbone between 1887 and 1889 and after WWI it was acquired for the Italian state as reparation. Some of it was sold off before the state started to take interest. Your first hurdle is finding the place. Although it is on the Grand Canal, I went there through a maze of alleyways and tiny streets, some of which have painted signs showing the way but which lead you down blind alleys. When you get there be prepared to weep. Every morning the shutters are thrown open and brilliant sunshine and the moist air of the Grand Canal work their wonders on the items. 

Ian Bottomley

[Shamsy]

Amazing looking collection. A pleasure to see just the few photographs, so thank you. A must stop on a nihonto world trip.

[Akitombo]

Some of the collection is well photographed in Sergio Magotti's book "Nipponto, The Soul of the Samurai"

Which has an English translation.

 

Regards

David

[tony edmunds]

Thanks to all for your interest and additional information,.

My special thanks to David (Akitombo) for recommending I make the effort to find the Museum ( having failed to do so twice before).

 

I'm glad to say its a bit easier to find the museum these days , you take the valporetta ( water bus) to San Stae station and follow the signs to the Museum of Contemporary art (on the lower floors) you have to cross two small canal bridges and go though a narrow alley.

 

Here's the link to a website with some location info. http://en.venezia.net/oriental-art-museum-venice.html

[Ian B3HR2UH]

I visited this museum about fifteen years ago and as Ian says it is hard to find but really worthwhile . The tanto on display were even more mouthwatering than the pieces Tony has shown . Another fine museum in Italy is the Stibbert museum in Florence . If you are ever in Florence and tire of renaissance paintings then Stibbert is a must . Stibbert was an English army officer, from memory, who indulged himself when it came to collecting . On his death he donated his villa and his collections to the city . He had a fantastic collection of arms and armour . There was also a large room full of Japanese arms and armour . Some of his pieces are also in the Russell Robinson book.

Ian Brooks

[IanB]

Ian, Stibbert is in my opinion a far better collection in many ways than Venice and even more interesting. Stibbert actually ended up with adjacent villas on the hillside overlooking Florence and had large halls built to connect them into one long rambling building. He had inherited two large fortunes from his father and uncle and bought vast quantities of European and Islamic arms and armour, just about filling the villas. I think it fair to say that he was a bit late on the European armour scene to have acquired the very best, although there are immense quantities of it amongst which are some real treasures. The vast array of swords and guns is staggering - linear yards of swept-hilt rapiers and wheel locks. When Japan was opened he started buying Japanese items almost all of which are still in superb condition. There are approaching a hundred armours and about as many helmets with fantastic crests but also some superb swords and accessories - It is the only place I have seen a tachi stand for 5 tachi! In the end he had acquired so much he had to live in a house down in the city. On his death Stibbert left the entire collection to the.British government but in their infinite wisdom they didn't bother taking up the offer. The one drawback is that because so much is on open display it is a guided tour and the Japanese section is often closed. I, together with group of other katchu freaks were fortunate to get the run of the place last year and to handle many of the items,  What an experience and what a great privilege!

 

Ian Bottomley

[Henry Wilson]

It reminds me of the Aoi Arts shop. Minus the marble staircase and the English descriptions of course.

[Jean]

Agreed at 100% with Ian. The Stibbert museum is a must see. Robert Burawoy has published a book using the Stibbert armour collection, the best outside Japan. The Japanese gallery is opened a day per week and you have to book your ticket. Anyway, google Stibbert Museum and you'll have all details.

[Shugyosha]

I visited the Stibbert museum last year but was only able to look at what was on display publicly. It is possible to book a private viewing of the Japanese collection but I found this out too late to avail myself of it.

 

Also the collection in general is well worth a look - they have a company of armoured men at arms marching through one hall led by a knight on horseback. Also, they let the public dress up in some of the less valuable pieces of armour: I have a photograph of myself wearing a barbuta and a smaller child than myself was running around in a mail shirt.

 

Well worth a visit.

[Stephen]

http://www.museostibbert.it/en

 

http://museostibbert.it/en/page/opening-hours-and-fees

[tony edmunds]

Hi Guys

My copy of Sergio Magotti's book arrived today and as promised ( thanks David) its illustrated with examples from the Venice collection.

A very nice hard cover large forma book with excellent illustrations- recommended.

[Adrian]

 Just spent 8 days in Venice with my family and among many other things we visited the Ca' Pesaro.  The Oriental Museum part is located at the top floor (lower ones being the International Gallery of Modern Art) and has some nice pieces. Not very relevant when it comes to nihonto as only 20-30 blades can actually be seen (many others are being kept inside their scabbards). Lots of tsubas and fittings as well. 

 

 However they have a quite impressive o-dachi blade hidden behind a bunch of arrows. Couldn't get a good pic of the whole blade as the display was an old, weird 3 windows cabinet placed near a window. I knew the collection since 25 years ago when I spent a month in Venice as a student but I had no memory of this piece, probably it was in storage/restoration at the time.

 

 

[Adrian]

 They also have many  other interesting Japanese items like this Norimono: