Recently, I entered an Arts and Sciences competition in my Kingdom and was surprised to find there is no standard for documentation. I decided to ask the opinion of several different people, 20 to be exact. Laurels (in assorted fields), Maunches (East Kingdom Art and Sciences Award) and people who have not attained either ranking. I received many different opinions and suggestions. Since there doesn't seem to be an official standard for judging or writing documentation on entries, I offer the following. I am not suggesting this be the extent of the documentation you provide. I am offering a guideline for beginners who may not know what is expected of documentation. I firmly believe that the more documentation you provide, the richer our Society becomes. Not only do you learn in the process, you expand the knowledge of those who read your documentation. Have your documentation on one page This means that you should be able to say all you have to say on one typed page. (Handwritten documentation is fine only if you have very good handwriting.) Judges do not have time to read a 6 page dissertation at competitions. With anywhere from one to fifteen items per category, one page is plenty. Use point form if this suits your item or simply write in paragraph form. Remember to keep the wording readable and clear. Using a very small font so you can cram more onto the page will work against you (I have found 10 to 12 characters per inch to be ideal). Make the judge's life and yours easy and put all the pertinent information on the front page. Put the absolutely necessary information on this page and make an addendum or reference to page two. Have all your references on page two Put all your references to period materials, books, sources, or extraneous information (special tools used or unique method) or other explanations (why you chose those particular colors) on this page. This is also where you can include that funny rumor that Brian Boru was rumored to have used one of these during a particular battle ... or the interesting fact that the original was created by a blind artisan in his seventies. Additional information Include any other information in a file folder under the page one and two, that way the information is there for whoever is interested. Did you copy an original piece? Did you make a creation of your own design based on several sources? Make and include a photocopy, if possible, of the original. Did you use stencils? How about a recipe for lampblack that you discovered by accident? Were the size of the beads important to the item? If you are including photocopies from a book, highlight the paragraph or important phrases on that specific page. Otherwise it may be missed, the judge or gentle looking should not have to read everything to get to your three important lines of references. Consider as well that they may not be sure what information is pertinent. Should someone be interested in the process they can read up on it, but they will not be overwhelmed by the amount of material available as documentation. Explain who, what, where, when, how and why Who would have used this item? Was it a nobleman, peasant or a king. What is it? Sounds simple but even the obvious can be overlooked. If you are cross referencing the item it helps the judges know what item goes with which documentation. Where was this used? Explain what country or culture perhaps or more specifically was it used in the battle field, a royal kitchen or while on horseback. When was it used? What year are we looking at, is it early or late period. How was it used? This is very obvious with bracelets or goblets, but not so obvious with some pieces of garb or certain metal, wood or leatherwork objects. Why was it used? This can cover the owner of said item or the particular reason it was used, popular, or common at that time. If there is practical or decorative side to the item's use, explain why it was used that way. Use your judgement, some of these questions do not necessarily have to be answered in great detail, but it is a good start. Once you outline these questions your documentation begins to take form. How you proceeded You should be able to explain what you did. Why did you choose the materials you used. You should be able to show you know what the period materials and methods or choices were. This is very important since judges will not assume you know the information. This means you can say you used plastic pearl beads, due to the cost and scarcity of salt water pearls. You do not have to do the item in a 100% period fashion or with 100% period materials, unless you want to recreate a purely authentic piece. Remember, some inks and paints were and are toxic, and not everyone has a forge in their back yard. Be aware of what you are choosing to do and what your limitations are. Reading your documentation I know this sounds simple but imagine you are reading your documentation for the first time. Is it clear and concise with easy explanations? Can you truly say you understand what was done? Could you recreate the item in question on the basis of your documentation? Try to have a beginning, a middle and an end to what you write. This will show your progress, and how you proceeded and followed each of your steps. Not everyone has experience in all the Arts fields. Consider your reader, they should have a certain understanding of what you did. It should be easy to follow your instructions, since that is what your documentation is suppose to be, and have similar results to your outcome. I do not mean to imply that without prior knowledge or experience anyone should be able to be a master leather worker or mead maker. What I am saying is consider who may be reading this after the judges leave. You may inspire someone to try something they thought utterly impossible before, but after reading your documentation they can see how simple it can be and try themselves. Do not sign your name By putting your name to a piece you may damage and/or prejudice your chances for a fair judging. Face it, we are all human and if I know you and like you or I know you and do not like you I will tend to be biased one way or another. Better to save your face and mine by not putting either of us in that position. This particular Competition Occasionally, a competition is created with specific requirements or standards already in place. Make sure you read and understand the judging criteria, conditions and stipulations. Feel free to add any further information or notes that will help the judges assess your entry. Points or scores may be given or based on sources or materials, or judges may be looking for specific methods of completion or performance. Be aware that you are responsible for informing yourself. Always find out as much about the competition before hand. Perhaps your item can be entered in several categories or this competition limi ts the number of items per entrant. You can never have too much information. Get opinions from others I had a dozen people read my documentation, in every stage of it's development, to get opinions and ideas. Peers, Kingdom level Arts recipients as well as people with very little knowledge on this particular topic read my documentation. I got some good and not so good suggestions. All of which helped me, so do not discount someone simply because they do not have a leafy hat. Ask questions Your Kingdom is full of talented people who are willing to help YOU. Do not discount the gentle who has a Laurel in Armouring simply because you do embroidery. No, you may never take up metalwork, BUT that gentle may have access to a book that has incredible photos of period pieces ... you get the idea. Expand your horizons and speak to Laurels, Kingdom level Arts and Sciences gentles, get their opinions and ideas. Many people have simply not been recognized by the Society. This does not mean you should discount their work, experience or knowledge. Our Society is graced with many, many talented gentles who do excellent work. I would like to see gentles who are just beginning to explore the Arts and Sciences to have the opportunity to experience and explore the talent, wisdom, expertise and skills that are currently available. You have access to an incredible store of knowledge and information, make the most of it. Also, remember that simply because a gentle has a Laurel does not mean that their opinion is Law. You may discover an otherwise unknown source or reference. Listen to everyone's opinion but do not be afraid to make your own judgments. Just because everyone thought the world was flat, did not make it so. Final comment "I do not believe in competitions, how can you compare my art to yours?" This is a comment I have heard several times. Though competition is the commonly used word, everyone who enters an Arts and Sciences competition is showing off their best effort. My first competition was a horrible experience. I was berated for having inadequate documentation and doing a very poor job. I was not given any suggestions for correction or improvement. All I learned was that I never wanted to enter another competition, and I did not do so for 7 years. I do not want anyone else to go through this unnecessarily. Let's work together to make the Society's Arts and Sciences flourish and encourage growth and development. This letter is meant as a beginning and a forum to open up discussions on this topic. I would like to see a set of standards in place. It will help newcomers to understand what is required of them. It will also give our Society a basis for judging competitions. I welcome any and all comments or suggestions to adding to or improving this list. Please feel free to contact me I look forward to hearing from you. The following is an example of simple documentation for a padded gambeson done on two pages.. Page one: Padded Gambeson Armour has changed and evolved since the first time one man hit another man with a pointy stick. Near the year 1000, in and around the European continent, metal and iron were difficult to come by and reserved for the wealthy and affluent. The common foot soldier could not afford these luxuries. "Forms of 'soft armour' were certainly in general use by the mid-twelfth century; defences of thickly padded, quilted cloth were a cheap, practical and comfortable alternative to those made of metal." (1) "Infantry, as laid down in the Assize of Arms of 1182, often wore one of two types of gambeson. One type was a sleevless garment with a stiff collar and stiffened arm openings; the other was a plain quilted garment reaching to the knee, with full-length sleeves." (2) Requiring some kind of body protection; our soldier was relegated to making his armour from materials that were simple to make or obtain and were inexpensive but offered coverage and protection. "Period choices of materials were usually two or more layers of linen stuffed with tow, rags or other material." (3) There are examples of padded gambesons in the Bayeux Tapestry. (4) "Odon, Bishop of Bayeux (William's brother) and William the Conqueror both wear a hauberk composed of large, differently-coloured triangles, a quilted gambeson." (1) A battle scene from The Maciejowsky Bible shows infantry wearing padded gambesons. (5) I chose a white colored three-ounce Duck and commercially purchased polyester batting for the filling. I cut four identical square pieces of material (2 front and 2 back panels), making it longer and wider than I wanted the final tunic to be. Quilting shrinks the material and I intended to have three pieces to the tunic, because quilting one huge piece of material was unwieldy. I planned the seams to be along the waistline. I cut one panel in half, these I would use for the lower po rtion of the gambeson. I left the other portion whole. Large pieces do not quilt easily and seams on the shoulders would be bulky for fighting. With the seam at the waist, it would be unseen while worn (because of belt) and would give the impression of one large quilted piece. Having decided what angle the squares/diamonds would have, I began to draw lines on the inside panel of the gambeson with a pencil, first in one direction then perpendicularly. This done, I placed the outside piece and 2 layers of polyester batting down on the ground and place the inside marked portion on top. Having done several samples, I found two layers of batting gave me the look and feel I wanted. I pinned both sides of the centerline of my material (diagonally point to point) and sewed. I then made one then another pass on each side of this seam, keeping the tension even and not allowing the material to lump or bunch underneath. With five lines (centerline and two on each side) done I was confident the material would not shift, I continued the lines on one complete side and then proceeded to the other side. One direction done, I now repeated the same process for the cross section. Once the three pieces were done, I measured and cut the tunic to size (with seam allowance). I left the underarm holes open to allow air circulation and cut a neck opening. I trimmed the outer edges: sleeves, neck and hem with a red colored bias tape. This would stop any fraying from occurring and contrasted nicely with the white material. I finished by sewing a knot work pattern made of red silk cording, to decorate and distinguish the front of the tunic. Page two: (1) Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight an Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages, authors David Edge and John Miles Paddock, page 21, ISBN 0-517-10319-2, 1995 edition, published by Crescent Books (2) Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight an Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages, authors David Edge and John Miles Paddock, page 65, ISBN 0-517-10319-2, 1995 edition, published by Crescent Books (3) Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight an Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages, authors David Edge and John Miles Paddock, page 57, ISBN 0-517-10319-2, 1995 edition, published by Crescent Books (4) La Tapisserie de Bayeux (The Bayeux Tapestry) Complete reproduction 1/7 with French, English and German translation of the text, Edition Ville de Bayeux No ISBN, published in France (5) Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight an Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages, authors David Edge and John Miles Paddock, illustration, page 61, ISBN 0-517-10319-2, 1995 edition, published by Crescent Books
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