[Ansteorra] How to Trap a Laurel

[willowdewisp at juno.com]

Thank you for trying to help me out. 
When Mistress Branywn came up with the idea of the Laurel Prize tourney it was event for the Laurel's to spot light the emerging artisans of our kingdom. We even had a tournament where each fighter fought for a Laurel.
The displays were a chance to show off not only the work of the artist but his or hers knowledge of the cultures that go with the art. It was a time to show off the artisan. it was a chance to have this pretty thing were we admire each other.  
Mistress Branywn went on to create the "Artisan" competition starting with Artisan of the Steppes.
Before that everything was cut and dry. Art--Craft- documentation- win- lose. We didn't talk about the Artisan we just talked about the piece. That tradition is unbroken in the case of the North because they never followed the Central fad of the artisan contest. 
In fact the main group that still makes a big thing about displaying your works in a pleasing and attractive manner is the Artisan of the Steppes and of five years ago it was one of the hardest and biggest art event in the kingdom. Artisan from throughout the kingdom and from other kingdoms would show up. 
Anytime you are looking at the complete artisan there is more to see than just the piece. 
For example we have been talking about the "perfect brick" in the piece competition you put your brick down and the documentation showing everything is in period. The judges give it a perfect score and that is the end of story.
In an "Artisan" display you might put the brick in center and slightly raised and like you were making a learning diagram you might show an article on the history of the brick and some pictures of uses of bricks, period tools for making bricks, kilns for bricks and papers on the changes in bricks and how bricks affected the medieval culture. 
This kind of display would show the kind of research you went into to create this brick and If this display was put out at a demo it would show the SAC commitment to life long learning. 
A brick can just be a perfect score or it is the tip of the iceberg of lifelong research. 
In the years long, long ago we would show  this kind of display in our campsites. We called it "living Arts" and even gave prizes for it and some people even got Laurel for it. 
I am sorry that Lord Arthur got upset at my suggestion but I can assure him that I haven't seen a single competition in the North that cares if you put a pretty cloth under your item. I think he is being unfair to the  people up here.
On the other hand a piece of chocolate and a piece of cloth that will help us start talking without me sounding like I am grilling a crime suspect would be nice. I find it hard to open up with people who are shaking in fear because I am a Laurel. 
Mistress Willow de Wisp 
 
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