[Ansteorra] Documentation

[Faelan Caimbeul]

> Yes, A&S is indeed a place to write papers as well as show off your
> skill. <snip> And how do you know the dish is even remotely period or is it just "peri-oid"?
>   
That would be a research paper, and entry in itself.
> People enter the SCA or history with totally preconcieved notions and
> many of them have to be rather firmly unstuck.  
True, but the same can be said of any endeavor. We all have preconceived 
notions of things, but many of them get busted wide open when you dive 
into a project.
> But I also want to know that lathe turned goblets were used during period
> and where you got the information from. <snip> I judge documentation first at A&S and the piece second. Why? Because I want to know if what I'm looking at is something as close to what a person of the time would recognize as possible. 
>   
Prove to me they weren't. Here's our biggest problem with everything we 
do. We're RECONSTRUCTIONISTS. The is so little remaining of intact, 
actual artifacts that we need to improvise, and engage in experimental 
archeology. We know that lathes existed, we know that wood existed, we 
know that drinking vessels existed. Prove to me a lathe turned wooden 
drinking vessel didn't exist. As someone else said, your documentation 
can just prove that you don't know what really happened or what people 
did. Just cause we can't prove a thing existed, doesn't mean it didn't. 
Look around today. How many variations on chairs, clothes, and furniture 
can you find? And that's just three examples.See above
> I also want to know if the person who created the item understands what he or she is
> displaying or simply following a recipe or pattern.>>
>   
You don't think people used patterns to learn in period?
> And still a JUDGE should be qualified to judge and should have a good 
> knowledge of what was actually used in period before they are even allowed to 
> judge.
>   
Absolutely. the problem is that we would need a rather large and diverse 
bunch of judges. I heard a story from a friend who stopped entering A&S 
when he entered his hand made, period authentic archery gear in a 
competition. An Elizabethan garb laurel tore apart his entry and 
documentation. After listening to the laurel's criticisms, my friend 
asked him what his area of expertise is. He then asked the man if he 
knew anything about archery. He said no. My friend then asked the judge 
what qualified him to judge and give commentary on archery equipment? 
Answer, nothing.
> The A&S competitions I saw at most Drachenwald events had a pre-requirement of 
> letting the A&S person incharge at the event, know ahead of time if they were 
> entering and what they were entering.. this gave the judges a chance to 'do 
> their own homework' on the items so they would have the knowledge prior to 
> judging anything. If there were questions, they discussed it with the artist 
> prior to the actual judging.
>   
This is a good idea. We should require it in all competitions. Then we 
wouldn't need the documentation. Basically, the documentation's just for 
the judges anyway it seems.
> As I stated.. the artist should not have to write a report for this.. not if 
> they have perhaps a book detailing this information or even a printout from an 
> acceptable website source. I would have no problem laying a book or two with my 
> artwork.. but not have to write out the same flippen info in a document.. 
> because in a document you still have to list your SOURCE for this information.. 
> And quite frankly, how do I really know that the paperwork you did with your 
> work is accurate anyway.  No one in the society can absolutely say, without a 
> reasonable doubt that something absolutely was or wasn't used IN PERIOD.
>
> Oh, and COTTON was warn.. just not by everyone ..in period.
>   
Amen.
> Also, at several competitions at some of the events we went too.. they did it 
> where you had to actually MAKE YOUR ART ITEM ON SITE at the event (bringing all 
> your supplies ahead of time) then it was judged.. some items required a little 
> pre-prep for some of their supplies like things that maybe needed a few days 
> prep before use. This way the judges could actually watch the artist CREATE 
> their art and could ask questions and such.
>   
Interesting idea . . .

Faelan