Prolegomena to the study of weapons as Fine Art

Prolegomena to the study of weapons as Fine Art

There has been discussion as to whether engraving, long considered a craft by many, should now be included in the broad field known as Fine Art. If this question is to be answered, the prerequisite question may be,” What is Art?” What divides Art from simple craft? And further, if engraving is found to be Art, could it be described and criticized in the same language as the other arts?

It may be folly to classify artists by “isms”, but if we cannot classify the engraver, perhaps we can observe elements of style or temper in a work that may be recognized and described by the language of the arts. Can we see the importance of the subject matter in engraving as it can be seen in Hellenistic art? Can we observe the importance of content, decorum and space in Victorian scroll, as we can in roman art and neoclassicism? And can we see expressionism in engraving as the rejection of realism, superseding form and subject matter, as it has been seen in Modern art?

If engraving is an art it would be a culturally literate art and thereby be discussed in ways which allow it to be intellectualized and appreciated by those who have a knowledge of the arts or the background which gives them understanding of the common language of art, without the requirement of being an artist themselves.

Perhaps we should ask if there is a precedent for examining engraved weapons in such a serious manner. What is their historical value in relation to other objects made by the hands of men?

When we look to literature for examples of the value placed on engraved weapons, there are many. In Book VI of the Iliad Homer describes how Adrestos, defeated in battle, pleads for his life at the point of Menelaos’ spear. Adrestos offers a tempting ransom of “Gold and smithied iron” from the treasures in his father’s palace. Unfortunately for Adrestos, Agamemnon appears and runs him through.

Homer describes Hector carrying a spear eleven cubits long, having a bronze point, with a “ring of gold “on the shaft.

Achilles is described as Godlike, and appropriately, wears armor fashioned by a God, Hephaestus. Homer goes into great detail describing the shield, and the chasing, repose and engraving wrought by this God, which was very ambitious work indeed. It included in its subject matter, the heavens, the earth and the sea, living constellations and the sun, Two cities and armies, Their wars and the battles therein, Gods and Goddesses, all framed by fields of grain and the sickles in the hands of the men who worked them, herds of Kine with upright horns, pursued by Lions and Dogs, and vineyards populated with wooing maidens accompanied by dancing youths wearing daggers of gold.

The infinite detail, as described by Homer, would have made this a fine piece to examine, but unfortunately this work is lost to us. Enveloped and obscured by the mists of time, it can still be an Icon of creative genius in our minds. Immortal as the God who wrought it, as long as men speak of the shield of Achilles, it may be studied by our imaginations.

By contrast the common Greek soldiers he leads are described in their inexpensive armor as “Mail Clad Achians.” This in itself demonstrates the status of even such a hero as Achilles, was further enhanced, by not only the best quality edged weapons and armor, but the highly skilled artwork thereon, and the drama of the scenes which Hephaestus chose for the content of this artwork.

This emphasis on content of the work is in keeping with the Temper of Classicism, The dramatic and heroic nature of the events depicted being important above all else, with technique being formalized to cause as little distraction as possible from the subject matter.

In the field of edged weapons we can see a tremendous diversity in engraving styles from Hephaestus’s creation, examples of excavated Mycenaean gold and silver blades inlaid with hunting scenes from 1500 years before Christ, presentation knives dating to 3300 BC in Tutankhamen’s tomb, Japanese Tuba and Napoleonic swords, all done with the finest material and engraving and finishes, guiding the way forward to the latest diversity in automatic folders created by the most gifted makers and engravers of today.

If we include the subject of engraving in the fine arts, perhaps we also include checkering and filework on the grips, scales and stocks of knives and firearms.

The point pattern on the stock of a gun may be described as classic by its adherence to the ancient idea of detail being subordinate to design. The classic temper holds that order and good sense will prevail. Classicists might consider the development of the point pattern to be final and complete with its unity of form and balance, decorum and dignity. It offers a transparency of arrangement and simplicity of style.

The fleur de lis pattern may be viewed as romanticism with its imaginative and emotional elements. Exhuberence and passion in this work is hard to deny. The romantic spirit may be expressed by the flowing ribbons, bold curves and attention to detail. Perhaps we can describe the more flamboyant examples as expressionism as practiced by a distinct artist expressing his personal style and development.

Romanticism?

If we include engraving and checkering as fine arts, dare we say that it may follow that the lines of the stock itself be analyzed by these methods? Are the lines of a Manton rifle from 1819 and an American classic stock from the twenty-first century similar by chance, or could it be the respect for form and insistence on balance, the harmony of line and radius inherent in the mind of classicism unify the two?

Classicism?

In Custom Rifles of the 50’s perhaps the rollover cheekpiece, exaggerated pistolgrip, ivory inlaid stock and skipline checkering, presently discredited, were all characteristics of a decadent period; symptoms of a lack of any real artistic direction at all.

If that is true, we may cautiously embrace the neoclassicism which today brings us back to the traditional lines and rules of form, and be optimistic that we avoid the inherent danger of neoclassicism, that brilliant execution becomes simply a matter of successfully duplicating previous sets of rules.

Perhaps this discipline is indeed merely craft, but, if it is art, should we not speak of it in the language of art?

Barry Lee Hands, Bigfork, Montana