Greetings to the Shire,

I am astonished and grateful for the attendance and participation of the six gentles who brought their artwork to display at this year’s 100 Minutes War. In recent years the displays averaged between three and five, so six was a pleasant surprise, and made for a bit of a challenge as we shuffled to make use of the space available.

The Overall Display

We commandeered a second table so three displays were on one, and three on the other (a writing slope took most of the table, so a toolbox and chair used the adjacent floorspace).

Individual Displays

Working from the the table directly in front of the wood stove, right to left, Lady Aislinn Chiabach presented scroll wordings from poems she had composed for four scroll recipients, three presented here, selecting those which referenced the theme for this year, “Waning Sun, Brightening Moon.” She educated her readers about the forms she used with a key for each verse. She included a QR-code that took people to her website that details her research, but I am just enough of a Luddite that I could not present those codes here. Suffice to say she did her due diligence, and those who read her words were much impressed:

Lady Sabine di Sandra encouraged five gentles from the Black Lance, the Blue Tyger Legion of Pennsic XLIX, to collectively write on the subject of their deeds that Pennsic War. She then flowed ink to paper and created four pages after the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Gentles mentioned in this war chronicle were presented in illustration. This entry had won in the St. Eligius Arts & Sciences competition in the Barony of Dragonship Haven the week before, and I am happy that she brought this for our delectation here. I apologize for the less than stellar quality of the images; they don’t do these pages justice. This poet was duly impressed by the alliance encouraged by Lady Sabine.

The Honorable Lady Elinor Walden visited us once again from the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands in the Kingdom of AEthelmearc to present a gorgeous silk and wool caftan after a 10th century Rus grave find from Gnezdovo. She was commissioned this elevation garment for a gentle being made that kingdom’s Principal member of the Order of the Mark. We thank both the maker and the new Peer for permission to have this piece marveled over by the populace here, and there was much marveling:

Another returning gentle, our intrepid Noble Valentine Ambrose, placed a sample of a weaving project in progress, a scarf in houndstooth, wittily named “puppytooth” in acknowledgement of the less-than-solid documentation for the pattern:

One of the earliest arrivals to grace the tables was a toolbox made after the Mastermyr tool chest. Young Nat Beeten, a newcomer to our society, made the toolbox, and he also fashioned the lock and key for it. A gentle or two with some metalworking, woodworking, and leatherworking experience stopped by to take a look at the box as well as at the paper left as documentation.

The toolbox found its place on the floor not long after when Lord Conall na Seamare O’Conghaile brought his two works, a writing slope and a curule chair, hand-carved, made for the most part with tools he made himself after tools from the period or with modern tools in cases where he could not. He plans to eventually reach full reliance on older tools. Each piece was given the once-over by most of the same people who had visited the tool box, with much the same scrutiny that was given to the caftan by clothiers amongst us.

I will ever be impressed by the artistry and craftsmanship of our kingdom and of those of our visitors, and I thank you all for bringing your works to be enjoyed by the attendees in the Manor Hall.

At the service of your honors, I am

M. Ana de Guzman, OL
Minister of Arts & Sciences, Shire of Rusted Woodlands