Dear forumites, I am happy and proud to announce that the exhibition "The Sword - Form and Thought", is to be held at Deutsches Klingenmuseum (German Blade Museum) in Solingen, from September 2015 to February 2016.
The exhibition will be dedicated to the European sword of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, exploring its cultural meaning and its role as a weapon. It will highlight important aspects of the sword, such as:

- principles for geometric design and details of functional properties - outlined for every sword on display;
- the art of fencing and original fencing manuals;
- the wide variety of forms and types.

Uniquely, the display of historical weapons will be accompanied by works of selected contemporary swordsmiths, interpreting the theme "Xiphos - penetrating light".

Special events to held during the period of the exhibition include:
- HEMA workshop weekend with well known fencing teachers;
- an international, interdisciplinary conference on academic sword research;
- a sales show featuring custom sword makers, production companies, and purveyors of HEMA equipment.
- events for kids on a regular basis.

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There is a Facebook page for the exhibition, where new info on the various projects that will combine into the final exhibition will be presented:

https://www.facebook.com/SwordExhibition

Some 40+ swords will be displayed, mostly focusing on the medieval and early renaissance period. The swords come from the collection of the Deutshces Klingenmuseum, but many important swords are also loaned from other museums and from generous private collectors.
All the swords that are to be displayed in the exhibition will be published in the catalogue with photographs and clear line drawings, to present their form and character in a rich and unambiguous manner.
Together with the images, measurements and details about dynamic properties will be noted.
Our ambition is to provide a basis of understanding of the sword with a perspective from many points of view.

I am very happy that we have been given permission to illustrate the role and importance of the sword in medieval society by the use of high quality reproduction prints and close up photos of period art work.

The making, function, design and use of the sword will be shown through analysis of all the swords included in the exhibit. Several original edition fight manuals that are in the museum´s collection will be on display.

Four contemporary sword makers (me included) are invited to create original work on a shared theme: four new swords will be made to express the idea of the sword as an object of "penetrating light" from the ancient Greek word "Xiphos". These timeless new creations will be exhibited in a special section alongside with photos of the work and the artist´s own sketches and notes, to show the craft and design but also to highlight the creative, artistic aspect of the work that goes into the making of a sword.

For me, this project is a dream come true.
I hope that many Forumites will be able to make the trip to Solingen to see the exhibit.
In October there will be an international seminar on the Sword. The papers of this seminar will also be published as a second part of the catalogue, to provide a range of contemporary scholarly work in the field of Spathology.

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Many swords on display are well known favourites, while others have undeservedly received little attention in popular awareness.

I want to go there...

Dear Peter,

I assume you will participate in the October seminar?

Will you be there for any other events like the opening? It would be a great honor to meet you in person.

JD (Doug) Crawford

I'll try to come !

The exhibit and catalogue promise to be landmarks in sword studies! I suspect they'll be constantly referred to in the years to come :)

Dear forumites,

On the 19th - 20th November an international conference will be held in Solingen at the Deutsches Klingenmuseum as an event during the exhibition: "The Sword: Form and Thought".

A call for papers is now public and those who are interested are welcome to send in their applications.
-Please see attached document below.

I hope to meet you in November!
-Peter

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Call for Papers

The Sword - Form and Thought
Interdisciplinary Conference
Deutsches Klingenmuseum Solingen, November 19th - 20th 2015

The sword is one of the central objects of human culture, both as a deadly weapon and as a powerful symbol. Based on
the results of the 2012 conference "Das Schwert - Symbol & Waffe", the interdisciplinary conference "The Sword - Form
& Thought" will continue to explore the various aspects of this object. Some of the themes for possible papers include
material characteristics, decoration and symbolic value , use as weapon , and cultural discourse on the sword; of central
interest is how these aspects are interwoven.
To highlight the interactions between the different aspects of the sword at a given age, the panels will be structured
chronologically:
1. Bronze and Iron Age (C. _2000 B.CE. - c. 0 CE.)
2. Roman Empire, Migration Period, Early Middle Age/Viking Age, High Middle Ages (c. 0 CE. - 1300)
3. Late Middle Age, Renaissance, Early Modern Age (1300 -1789)
4. Modern Age until present (1789-2015)
A fifth panel will open up the discussion to swords from outside Europe, from any time period:
5. Non-European swords and swordsmanship
Because the conference will be part of the homonymous exhibition at the Klingenmuseum, the quality of the sword as
a material object shall be stressed. We would therefore invite participants to base their papers - if only loosely - on
an existing, individual sword , that mayor may not be from the collection of the Klingenmuseum, and can highlight or
underline the relevant topic. (The sword does not have to be brought along.)
As in 2012, those participants interested in practical swordsmanship will have the opportunity for a training exchange
on the day after the conference, November 21St.
Abstracts for presentations may be submitted until April 30th, 2015. Please send your proposal and short academic bio
(of about one page in length) in pdf format to swordconference@posteo.de. If you can attach a picture of the sword
that will be the focus of your presentation, it would be most welcome. Presentations should not exceed a length of 20
minutes and should be held in English. Young scientists are welcome.
A conference volume will be published; please take this into account when deciding for a topic.
We are lookingforward to your drafts, and a great conference!

Lisa Deutscher; Mirjam Kaiser & Sixt Wetzler
AG Schwertsymposium - Abteilungfur Fruhgeschichtliche Archaologie und Archaologie des Mittelalters - Mirjam KaiserBelfortstrafie
22, 79098 Freiburg - Deutschland / Germany

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[ Download ]

I'll be there! :D

The RL Scott will be a great start to the year, and this will be a great way to end it!

Hi all!
Main reason for this post is to clarify that the opening of the exhibition on the 25th of September is an open event: all who are able to make the trip to Solingen are very welcome!

This would be an opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts of the sword and together enjoy the exhibition and afterwards pour over the catalogue in one of the nearby restaurants.

The day after, on the Saturday, there will be an international sword maker´s show held at the museum. Invited custom makers and manufacturers of swords will display their work and products at tables in one of the rooms of the museum.

-Having seen the list of replies from interested sword makers, I think this event alone would make the trip worth while.
Also present at the evening of the opening will be those makers who have been involved in the Xiphos project, that is part of the exhibition (four contemporary works that interpret the word "Xiphos" and its meaning of "Penetrating Light" in the form of a sword). You will have an opportunity to meet with Jake Powning, Petr Florianek and the duo Ralff Hoffmann & Sabine Piper (plus me).

Preparation for the exhibition is steadily in progress.
Currently the main work is the documentation and analysis of all the swords that form part of the exhibit. Dynamic properties and aspects of design and proportions are to be presented in both exhibit and catalogue.

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A somewhat unusual and beautiful sword that belongs to the collection of the Deutsches Klingenmuseum. [ Download ]

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A very fine XIIIa from a private collection that will be on loan for the exhibition. It is published by Oakeshott as XIIIa.12 [ Download ]

I was just out there. Shame I will miss it. Looking forward to any pics and dimensions that come out of the conference. Also if folks get a chance the Reichsstadtmuseum in Rothenburg o.d.T. Is close and worth a visit