Impressions of our demo's and expos in 2019

[Hans Richter]

Below some atmospheric impressions of the demos, exhibitions, events and vernissages in which "F&F Tumulus" participated in 2019. Highlights include, for example, the Demo-forging in Tongeren under the feet of Ambiorix, a three-day event in a castle transformed into an art oasis, and an underground event in the heart of Liège in the catacombs next to the river Maas.
The result for the necessary use of "blood, sweat and tears" was a lot of attention, many positive reactions and above all a lot of interaction with the audience present . A number of interesting leads, invitations for 2020, and a broadening of our network resulted from this.
Portfolios of the various collections (Steampunk Lamps and Animal Collection) have been prepared.
Wish you a lot of entertainment when viewing the photos. Cheers, Hans

[Daswulf]

Great pictures pieces and atmospheres Hans. Some of the rooms look pretty interesting. 

[Steve Shimanek]

Trippy scene, great work.

[jlpservicesinc]

Very nice.  Thank you for sharing.  Love all of it. 

[George N. M.]

In the 16th photo I see what I assume is a World War I French 75mm shell (or a German 77mm).  I REALLY hope that it has been properly deactivated.  These sorts of things are much commoner in Belgium and France than the US.  Here, someone would probably hit the panic button, the place would be evacuated, and the local bomb squad called in.  The Explosive Ordnance Disposal folk would then remove it and blow it up with C4 explosive "just to be safe."

"By hammer and hand al arts do stand."

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Wow good eye George, I completely missed that.

[Hans Richter]

Thanks for your feedback, that means a lot to me. The comments show how well and deeply the images are viewed.
Aric - in fact, special locations, for example, the ant was shown in the tiled basement of an out of duty slaughterhouse. Here still the traces of the activities (withdrawn blood on walls and ceiling) present. It was like a scene from the movie Saw.
George -you have very good eyesight it is a German 77mm obus that is part of my bell sculpture Ypres 17/18 together with a gun barrel of a Mauser rifle. As you can see on the photo, it was fragmented and completely empty. Unbelievable how the Flemish clay has preserved the details, so you can still read the time scale and 'Reichspatent Doppelzunder' on the igniter itself after more than 100 years. The origin and intention of the sculpture is described in my blog of the website of Forge Furnace Tumulus.

[George N. M.]

Dear Hans,

Besides being a blacksmith I am a retired Field Artillery Lieutenant Colonel and military historian with an interest in World War I.  So, I was seeing a familiar object in the photo.  The large bell in the  sculpture appears to be a 210 mm shell from either a German howitzer or a minenwerfer (a short barrel, mortar type weapon).  I suspect that it is from a minenwerfer because it appears to be of lighter construction that a regular artillery shell which has to survive much higher pressures when fired.  However, since there is no visible rotating band (the soft metal part the engages the rifling) there is a possibility in my mind that it may be something else other than an artillery shell such as the top of a pressure tank for compressed gas.

In any case, nice work.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Hans Richter]

Hi George, I m glad that in addition to the pieces of forged ironwork (flemish poppies) you have found something else in the work that interests you too. I also collect (and as a German) a collection of old paper money and coins from that time. That is also the courancy and the chance to trade these artevacts.
You are right, the bell itself is a discarded oxygen cylinder and not a projectile. This is another metaphor to recall the green + cross poison gas atects that were conducted during the battles at Paschendaele (Ypres) in this days.
Glad to hear that you have served your country as an LC, respect, I myself have never had to serve with a broken neck (diving in shallow water when I was 17). This was the reason that I now have to earn my money with an office job instead of staying in a workshop every day. Cheers, Hans

[George N. M.]

Dear Hans,

Ring the bell for all the boys and men in all the armies and all the wars who never came home.  There isn't a day I don't think of my brothers in Viet Nam who never got the chance to grow old like I did.

"They will not grow old, as we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

Peace.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Even though I was never "in country" I spent 4 years active USCG in the Vietnam Era '64-'68 and lost my best childhood friend over there along with several others. Same here George think of them all the time. One of the guys who work's at the PD with me before I retired, lost his best friend in Afghanistan, ironically,  they are both named Tommy.