Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney is about a beautiful entry titled Fabric Banners, made by artisan Richard Foxmoore. As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! And to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

Banners I have made for the people of the SCA from device/ awards pictures they sent me. I use duct cloth and embroidery thread.

Could you tell me a little about you, your persona.

I have not yet determined a specific time period. For the time being, I am more or less encompassing an overall “generic medieval” persona than anything else. Sometimes it leans more to Viking, sometimes Norman, and sometimes Pirate. I feel my entries falls sometime between the late 12th, early 13th century to the early 16th century modern days.

What inspired you to make your entry?

My journey in this field started as just wanting to learn a new skill. As with most things I do. I dove into it using the learn as-you-go along with the trial and error method. All this as I made my first banner for a friend. As the banner was seen by others, they requested their own banners, and so the ball started rolling.

What is your intention with your entry?

My intentions with this entry is to simply have it noted and to field comments I can use to improve my skills and my finished projects ( It is my hope that my work will be viewed by a laurel who would perhaps consider me as a candidate for apprentice). While I have made many banners as gifts or at cost for close friends, I have begun to sell them as well.

Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?

Each banner or project I do is its own unique challenge. They are all so completely different and yet have commonalities as well. It is the combining of the unique with the common that makes the challenge of each banner its own journey. I have long had a love of doodling or drawing. I think this artistic streak in me helps make the creation of each project exciting.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

While traveling down the road that has led me to making my entry, I have learned that there are many arts within the SCA. In the past the bulk of my participation was as a fighter, however, as life progressed and time and age changed things, I have found there are still many venues and paths open to me to grow and expand my knowledge within the society. I suppose the motto is, its never to late to start a new journey on a new path.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney?

I entered the VQPT to take a chance on something new, share my new skills with others, and hopefully inspire others to be open to try something new. Although I began learning embroidery about a year ago, I did not start making banners until 4 months ago. I will be the first to say the quality of my work is not ideal and can always improve. I don’t expect it to be the best work of art out there, but I do challenge myself to produce the best product I can and over the last 4 months , I have seen an improvement and refinement in my work.

Is there anything you would like to add?

My philosophy would be that if you see something that someone else has displayed at an event and like it, then try to make it for yourself. Your initial attempts may hit roadblocks and may result in failure. Also, remember every ” failure ” is really just a lesson learned and each such lesson improves your knowledge of your craft . With time you will see your effort pay off and it will result in something outstanding. You may even find yourself with a new respect for ” handmade ” things once you see exactly how much time, effort and work goes into making one. When you succeed you will have new skills to share with others, and a lifetime to continually improve those skills. Enjoy what you do and be most proud of all that you try.

Thank you, Richard of Foxmoore, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Richard’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked his work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with his entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. Their Majesties announced the winners in Virtual Court at the Æthelmearc Æcademy on July the 11th, and the winners are listed in the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney website.

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney is about an fascinating entry called Tudor Rose, made by artisan Julianna Woolworth.

As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website, as well  as leave feedback. To learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the tourney organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

I was inspired by the anniversary of The Field of the Cloth of Gold to find a Tudor rose to represent our wonderful kingdom. It’s not finished yet; I plan on filling in the flowers and leaves when time permits.

Could you tell me a little about you, your persona.

I live in the Barony of Endless Hills, I’ve been the seneschal in the past and our Barony’s A&S Champion twice. I am mainly a cook and feastocrat. I work with my husband Tufa in the area of pickling vegetables. My persona is middle to late Tudor. I am a working class woman so I tend not to stand out, which suits me just fine. My persona would definitely use my entry, either on a fancy apron or I would make a pair and add them as a decoration to a sleeve for a dress.

What inspired you to make your entry?

Well, since food wasn’t allowed for the obvious reasons, I needed to come up with something that I know how to do.  I wanted to try something different, so that’s why I went with the blackwork. Whenever I enter a competition or an artisan exchange, I try to teach myself something new. I’m always trying to learn and broaden my knowledge.

What is your intention with your entry?

My intention was to showcase my needle work. I’ve always used food, but I wanted to try something that although I have been taught to do. I had no clue about blackwork. So it was a very quick learning course that I undertook. Of course it’s not how I planned it out to look, but I am very happy with the results. When I finish the piece I intend to use it as a personal gift.

Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?

I had no idea that it was due today until 48 hours ago, so although I already had the material and the design, I got it done in the last 24 hours of the tourney because I’m a procrastinator. The design itself gave me some issues, I really needed a light box but I made due with what I had on hand and thank the lord that my mother-in-law is a crafter so she had several items that I needed to make it work.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

Next time I need to find out the due date much more in advance when I agree to compete in any competition.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney?

My motivation was to make not only my Barony but my Baron and Baroness proud of their decision to appoint me their Arts and Sciences champion. Exposure is nice because it will help me learn, everything is a learning opportunity to me. Plus, I can’t wait to give over the finished project to it’s intended because I think that she will love it.
If you need anything else, please just let me know. Thank you.

Thank you, Julianna Woolworth, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Julianna’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked her work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with her entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. Their Majesties announced the winners in Virtual Court at the Æthelmearc Æcademy on July 11.

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney is about a beautiful entry titled the White Scarf Scroll, made by artisan Gesa van Wellenstein. She also entered a second entry featuring Royal Horse Barding, which unfortunately is not discussed here but can be read about in detail on the Queen’s Prize Tourney website. As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! And to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

Back Log scroll based on J. Mayer’s book cover “Gruendliche Beschreibung der freyen ritterlichen unnd adelichen Kunst des Fechtens.”

Could you tell me a little about you, your persona.

My persona is German, but I do not have a specific time period as I am playing in different groups. I belong to a Celtic mercenary group called ANGLESY. As a Celt I get exposed to various cultures, but primarily I identify myself as a high-born German Lady who had the privilege to be trained as a mounted warrior.

What inspired you to make your entry?

For many moons I have been fascinated by Albrecht Durer’s woodcut prints. Over time I tried often to replicate them, but often failed to do the masters justness. I recently got an electronic copy of Joachim Meyer’s book “Grundtliche Beschreibung der freyer ritterlicher unnd adlichen Kunst des Fechtens,” as I started earlier this year to indulge myself with exploring the art of long sword fighting. Each time I read this manual I looked at the cover and thought I should try to create a blank scroll from it. Having some extra time over the past months, allowed my to play with different ink and nibs on various paper. What you see in the picture is the resold of many try and errors, which ended up in a White Scarf Scroll.

What is your intention with your entry?

It has been mailed out to its recipient.

Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?

No, as I did not start the scroll with the intention to submit it for a competition. I was just one of many scroll blacks I played around with.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

Yes, I learned a lot about different nib qualities, flexibility and how frustrating a very pointy nip can be, especially if the paper is not smooth.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney? I had something completed in time of the deadline. Are you interested in the exposure? Not really, I never submitted my art before. It appeared to be time to try something new. The feedback? Only positive ones. Lol. Provide inspiration to others? Modeling, inspiring and supporting for others is always one of my priorities. Needed a little me-time to create something beautiful in these unusual times? Being creative is my coping skill from everyday problems. I struggle sitting still, and craft, painting, sewing and scribal work keeps me occupied. I often work on multiple projects. The COVID-19 shutdown allowed me to finish many projects as well as getting into very time consuming projects.

Thank you, Gesa van Wellenstein, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Gesa’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked her work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with her entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. We have until Æthelmearc Æcademy on July the 11th, when Her Majesty will announce the winners in Virtual Court, to peruse, enjoy and interact with the entrants. Make use of the opportunity, if you can!

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney is about an fascinating entry called Torture as Display, made by artisan Maggie Rue. As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! And to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

THL Maggie Rue had created a miniature torture chamber for Ice Dragon; included is a “scold’s bridle” and documentation for what was created. For the Ice Dragon Project, the torture display was supposed to be interactive, with both the rack and the strappado capable of being used by visitors.

Could you tell me a little about you, your persona.

Generally, as Rue, I am a “go-to” person behind the counter of an apothecary: a “Mr. Smith or Johnson”, in game terms. People come to me, ask a few questions, and I procure what they need. While my entry would not be something I would use, I would likely be very familiar with the items in question as well as the officials in charge of the prison, the actual guardsmen and torturers, and I would know whose hands to grease in the event of influencing a verdict. In the event of poisonings and treatments, I might even be asked by the officials themselves for items, as seen in documentations by the medieval Venetian Council of Ten. So, I would definitely know of such things and would be doing my best not to be IN one of them.

What inspired you to make your entry?

I had this great idea for the Ice Dragon Pentathlon to create an interactive display where people could actually turn the wheel of a rack and hear the snap of the cords in the shoulders and thighs of my cloth victims. Same with the scolds’ bridle and the strappado, etc. I wanted to do a miniature because I couldn’t imagine bringing in a full-sized rack up to Ice Dragon (maybe for a local event). I was working on the cordial when I read a passage in one of the torture books about applying cordials until a victim was revived, so thought it would be awesome to incorporate it as well. The cordial is waiting until the end of the epidemic to be sampled, but Master Madoc was able to check it out before the pandemic began in full, so he would need to be contacted to see how successful I was. As for the subject matter, I’ve been wanting to do a focus on the strangeness of the torture culture that seemed to be such a public phenomena in period, and learn more about the people behind the designs.

What is your intention with your entry?

I’d like to display the pieces as learning tools, maybe work with metal to create a larger display with manacles, a metal scold’s bridle, keys…. I could see making parts of this as part of an event (a jailbreak scenario) that could incorporate heavy armored combat, rapiers, and even archery….

Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?

There were problems getting everything into an online format because I am so tech-inept. References—I suck at them. I started having an issue sewing the scold’s bridle together with my hands and elbow getting strained; the elbow is still injured. The rack was too small for the doll so the joints didn’t snap in the end… etc.

The scold’s bridle was capable of being displayed on a “victim.”

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

I learned a lot actually. I appreciate the gruesome, but the technicalities of how these items were created and, really, the amount of effort some people put into making torture devices is mind-boggling. There’s a lot more information to be gathered: how different regions altered the same design, how government officials manipulated the word of the law, etc. Certainly there’s room for improvement on what I did.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney?

I knew it was nearly completed and I luckily found a few moments to put it together. I think, though not pretty, it is an important, fascinating aspect that should be shared for those who are interested. When we all get back together, I look forward having a display at certain places where people can satisfy their morbidity, should they have some, in a safe, non-threatening manner.

Thank you, Maggie Rue, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Maggie Rue’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked her work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with her entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. We have until Æthelmearc Æcademy on July the 11th, when Her Majesty will announce the winners in Virtual Court, to peruse, enjoy and interact with the entrants. Make use of the opportunity, if you can!

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney is about an intriguing 14th Century Aumoniere or Alms Purse, made by artisan Lisette la bergiere. As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! And to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

This project piece was made for the AEthelmearc Artisan Exchange group in the Spring of 2020. It is a silk alms purse, decorated with silk embroidery in the recipient’s Arms, with finger loop laces for drawstrings and carrying cord.

Could you tell us a little about you, your persona.

I am known as the Honorable Lady Lisette la bergiere. Having found the SCA more than 20 years ago while a student in Misty Highlands, most of my experience comes from my time in Atlantia as a Minister of the Lists. I currently reside in the Shire of Kings Crossing, having moved back to Æthelmearc a few years ago with my family. My persona is a late 15th- early 16th century French woman of the Loire Valley. Alms purses were a popular and useful accessory during the 13th-15th centuries across several countries. While my persona is at the end of that time frame, I still would have used an alms purse, or aumoniere, but this wasn’t for me.

What inspired you to make your entry?

I had signed up last winter for the current round of the Æthelmearc Artisan Exchange group. Mistress Oddkatla does a fabulous job of running the exchanges and matching artisans and recipients together. This round, the theme was what we do best and my recipient was Lady Isabetta Orsini from the Barony of the Rhydderich Hael. I like to sew (as well as many other things) and knew I would be sewing and embellishing some accessory for the exchange. As I have not had the pleasure of meeting Lady Isabetta, I could only rely on the information provided in the exchange survey, including a picture of her heraldry, to design and create a gift for her. I have recently been doing more with finger loop braiding and wanted to incorporate those skills in the gift. After learning that she favored period-appropriate fabrics and Italian accessories, I began my research to find something that would fit those several parameters. I found a few extant examples of alms purses from 14th century continental Europe and began designing.

What is your intention with your entry?

My intention was to make an item that would be useful, using period-appropriate fabrics and embellishments for Lady Isabetta’s persona. With the caveat that my materials were limited to what I had on hand currently. I, ashamedly, did not begin working on the project until well after the plague arrived, which prevented any acquisition of new materials. The feedback that I received from Lady Isabetta indicates that she is most pleased with the alms purse. I hope that she intends to use it. An alms purse is worn looped on or over a belt by the carrying chord (the white and black cord in the picture).

Did the entry pose any unexpected issues?

While the final construction of the silk bag, the tassels, and braiding of the finger loop cords took little time and went mostly to plan, I vastly underestimated the amount of time necessary to hand-embroider the front panel with Lady Isabetta’s heraldry. This was the first project that I have ever embroidered. Between learning the stitches and putting them to use, it took far longer than I had hoped.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

I highly recommend artisans to consider joining the Æthelmearc Artisan Exchange! It provides a wonderful opportunity to ‘meet’ other artisans in the Kingdom, which was great for me, since we have not been participating here very long. I love seeing all of the creations that people have made at the end of the Exchange. It is also a great opportunity to stretch yourself artistically to try new skills or techniques. I learned a great deal about embroidery that I hadn’t known before, but I also learned that I have not yet mastered time management.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney?

All of the above? Is that a valid answer? I hope someone may be inspired by my work; to try new things and to enter A&S. I entered mostly because the time was right; I finished the project in mid-May and had already gathered the research during the planning phase. I don’t have a lot of experience in entering A&S tourneys. Before I had submitted the entry, I did ask Lady Isabetta if I could share the project since the alms purse is now hers. With events and gatherings being cancelled, this opportunity to share art, in any form, is a way for people to connect. I don’t have the courage to enter something like Ice Dragon (one day, I would like to work up to that), but this Virtual Tourney seemed like a good idea.

Anything else you would like to share?

I encourage everyone to try something new and I hope to meet people soon!

Thank you, Lisette la Bergiere, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Lisette’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked her work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with her entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. We have a few more days to peruse, enjoy and interact with the entrants. Make use of the opportunity, if you can!

Would you like to enter your own project? The deadline for entering the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney is June 30th, TODAY, and you can find all you need to know on how to enter on the KMOAS website.

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queens Prize Tourney features the intricate Blackwork Embroidery Piece, made by artisan, Lady Thalia Papillon. As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! And to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

The piece I have been working on is the Polychrome counted thread embroidery from the Jane Bostocke sampler, year 1598. I chose one portion of the sampler to work on.

Could you tell us a little about you, your persona.

My involvement with the SCA began when I was living down in western Virginia in the Charlottesville area in the Kingdom of Atlantia with a small local group the Shire of Isenfir. My first SCA event I attended was the Kingdom of Atlantia Arts and Science Championship. I participated in monthly archery practices, took classes in Arts and Science, and attended weekly dance practice. I moved to Buffalo and joined the Barony of the Rhydderich Hael in 2016 and Ice Dragon was my first event I attended in Aethelmearc. The persona I chose was Viking as the style of garb with apron dresses and strings of beads which I found particularly interesting.

What inspired you to make your entry?

The inspiration for making my entry is my love for doing needlework as I have been doing cross stitch since I was kid which I learned from my Aunt. After entering several arts and science displays, making largesse to donate to the Kingdom, as well as entering completed cross stitch work into competitions including the Pentathlon, I received encouragement from peers who saw my work with cross stitch to branch out to trying to black work because of the skill I already had with needlework to move towards doing work that is representative of the middle ages period. I found myself being open to trying a new skill as I have the basics down with doing needlework and felt that I had the ability to be able to branch out to try a different form of needlework.

What is your intention with your entry?

The intention with my entry to showcase my work and be able to gain feedback with how I can improve / expand with doing black work as I am currently in the beginning stages with doing this method and this piece that I am sharing is only the second piece I have completed. I would like to grow this current piece and explore ways to incorporate using different materials and work towards how to utilize black work as was done in the middle ages period according to the research that I have done while working on this piece.

Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?

As I started working on the entry, due to the nature of the pattern being a chain like pattern I chose to inquire with a peer what would be the best area of the pattern to start with and the length of thread to use and how to loop it in on the other side so as not have too many loose ends of threads on the other side as it is custom in black work for the work to look identical on both sides of the fabric. I am accustomed to starting in the center of the fabric when working on cross stitch so that the design is centered. I found it a bit challenging to start on a different area of the pattern other than the center only because that is what I am used to doing with cross stitch and had concerns about the design not being even or centered. I had to pay particular attention to the reverse side of the fabric to make sure stitches were going in the same direction as the ones on the other side so that both sides would be identical. I was able to grasp this concept to some degree, however, I would have to continue to work on ending the stitches on the other side so that there would less thread tails showing which would take some time and continued practice.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

This piece was my first venture into stitching a project using a pattern from a period sampler. Something different that I would do is continue to work on pieces that are of a period reference and have historical significance. I would also like to spend time exploring black work to look for other patterns to work on and do additional research of how black work was utilized in the middle ages time period.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney?

I chose to enter the Virtual queen’s prize tourney for several different reasons. I would like to have opportunities to showcase my work and to be able to share with others because before coming to the SCA, the pieces that I worked on were only shared with a few close people in my life. I would like opportunities for feedback / guidance as I have taken the first steps towards branching out in different type of needlework as encouraged by peers. I find that being able to create things with needlework to be very satisfying and uplifting. I have also had the personal satisfaction thus far with seeing how my work can be appreciated by others and that items that I have had made with cross stitch for largesse have been shared and appreciated by others. I would like to continue in this path be able to learn more and gain experience with Black work.

Thank you, Lady Thalia Papillon, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Lady Thalia’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked her work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with her entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. We have a few more days to peruse, enjoy and interact with the entrants. Make use of the opportunity, if you can!

Would you like to enter your own project? The deadline for entering the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney is June 30th, JUST A FEW MORE DAYS, and you can find all you need to know on how to enter on the KMOAS website.

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queens Prize Tourney are about three beautiful Early 15th c. Bourrelet Headdresses, made by artisan Ilaria of Delftwood. As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! And to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

Ilaria’s entry consists of research into the development of the early 15th c padded roll headdress (bourrelet) in Western Europe, and includes construction of three different versions.

Could you tell me a little about you, your persona.

I’m still fine-tuning my persona because I find it so hard to choose! I’m focusing on Northern Italy, 15th-16th centuries. Although I focused on French sources for this project, there are enough similarities during this time that my persona could plausibly wear these styles of hats.

What inspired you to make your entry?

I am always fascinated by all kinds of headwear: how it’s made, how it stays on, what it symbolizes, how it affects demeanor. I’ve always been drawn to projects small enough to sit down and hold in front of me, so I usually have a hat project going on. This one was a chance to try some earlier styles.

What is your intention with your entry?

This entry is for my own use. I’m interested in how headwear styles change over time, and I’d like to have that chronology reflected in my wardrobe. This is the start of a longer term exploration of 15th century French aristocratic women’s headdresses. Ultimately I plan to have a representative style for every decade or two of the 15th century and early 16th.

Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?

In my documentation I have a description for each hat, and how I changed the construction each time in order to change the shape. Covering the red bourrelet was actually very tricky because of its horned shape. It took a lot of adjusting to get the velvet to lay smoothly.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?

I would say that when making very structured hats, especially for the first time, it is important to work on the structure first and be flexible about covering and embellishment.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney?

It is my honor to represent Delftwood as Baronial A&S champion. Which is difficult when we’re all far apart, so thank you for running this!

Thank you, Ilaria of Delftwood, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Ilaria’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked her work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with her entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. We have two more weeks to peruse, enjoy and interact with the entrants. Make use of the opportunity, if you can!

Would you like to enter your own project? The deadline for entering the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney is June 30th, and you can find all you need to know on how to enter on the KMOAS website.

Today’s article in our series on the Kingdom’s Virtual Queens Prize Tourney is about a fantastic Crusader Dagger, made by artisan Minamoto Sakurako.

As we do not have the ability to converse with our entrants face to face, the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney now offers the opportunity to drool over images and read the documentation right there on the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences website – even to leave feedback! In order to learn a little more about the artisan and their thoughts behind their entry, the organizers decided to broaden our traditional entry of object and documentation with personal interviews.

This dagger is based off the styles used around the 12th century. It is heat treated and tempered, so this piece is combat ready.

Could you tell me a little about your persona.

My persona is a 14th century samurai, but the dagger I made was based off the German Crusader style.

What inspired you to make your entry?

I wanted to challenge myself to a new skill, but it was also a labor of love made as a gift for a very dear friend.  It made the blisters worth it .

What is your intention with your entry?

My goal was to great a battle-ready weapon worthy of a knight.  And it met all expectations. It’s cool to make something that I know would go through chainmail.

Did the entry have any unexpected issues?

The biggest challenge was working with 5160 steel. It moves very slow. That means you have to hit it very hard to get any movement. That’s why for this piece I had to grind the final shape.

Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do?

I learned about European handle configuration and how to forge a double edge.

What motivated you to enter the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney?

I don’t show off my work a lot, and my peer wants me to show off more.

Thank you, Minamoto Sakurako, for sharing your wonderful work with our Kingdom’s artisans and populace!

If you would like to see Minamoto Sakurako’s entry, follow this link. And if you liked his work, have a question to ask, or a tip to share – please leave your comments with his entry! You can “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of the entry’s page. We have two more weeks to peruse, enjoy and interact with the entrants. Make use of the opportunity, if you can!

Would you like to enter your own project? The deadline for entering the Virtual Queens Prize Tourney is June 30th, and you can find all you need to know on how to enter on the KMOAS website.