Kornel R.

That's something ! for sure one of the best/interesting colonial items I ever saw !! my congratulations Kornel

this is a very lovely piece of history Kris !! I'm not familiar with Belgian medals and decorations but like this one a lot . Colonial items are always somehow more exiting , at least for me best regards Kornel

it's even hard to comment - so spectacular ! I love this splendor of higher class colonial world , with it's uniforms , local wars , hunting, affairs , tea times , beautiful interiors and gardens .... I would be happy to be there and done that . regards Kornel

Hello everybody ! I want to show something Robin may like . Small ( about 8cm tall ) silver beak which was once the third price in some motorcycle racing in 1928. I didn't have a time to check that club or try to find any relation between this trophy , club and skull ..... does it have any relation to "our black boys " ? or perhaps ex. hussars riding motorcycles ??? these questions will try to answer letter on ... Any way it's nicely made and like it . best regards Kornel

Hello Mervyn , hello everybody ! Originally I'm from Torun / Poland --> ex. Thorn in Westpreussen from family with mixed Polish -German roots and tradition ( most of my family ) which also somehow influenced / affected me directing to collecting and researching and just being passionate about military history , some art and history in general in it's many different aspects . .....sounds scary ? - please don't be fooled , I'm not as good and/or professional as many of you are , I just want express at least my emotional relation to the subject . I'm fascinated with Imperial German Army also because most of my ancestors used to serve there . Most of my mom's family members also served in German Army during the Second World War , very few not . I don't want to kill you guys with some boring family stories - even if they fascinating or emotional for me , but they don't have this kind of sensational potential as many you can read in military history books about ( maybe only some for me ) . we can continue this conversation but perhaps on PM or drinking cup of good tea or single malt if we can meet some when , somewhere .... best regards Kornel ps. I live in NY and thanks god we have still relatively warm - at least I'm still swimming in the ocean sometimes as the only person on the beach ...

Mervyn you're absolutely right - it is bizarre , but aren't we as a human race not ? I'm not really able for any polemic not only because of my poor , monkey-broken English (still after 9 years in US , never learned it anyway ) , but simply because it's rhetorical question , plus you're much more life experienced , world traveled and educated then me . Collecting incl. any kind of oddities is as old as our material culture , what's well known fact . Instead of trying to describe it I use another book's description : >>>Unicorns’ horns, mermaids’ skeletons, stuffed and preserved animals and plants, work in precious metals, clocks, scientific instruments, celestial globes . . . all knowledge, the whole cosmos arranged on shelves. Such were the cabinets of curiosities of the seventeenth century, the last period of history when man could aspire to know everything. Who were the collectors? They were archdukes and kings—the Emperor Rudolf II was the prince of all collectors—rich merchants and scholars, and their collections ranged from a single crowded room to whole palatial suites. <<< best friendly regards Kornel

Jonas is right . Visiting as a child with my parents similar place in Silesia in southern Poland - Czermna near Kudowa Zdroj - was said exactly the same. you may take a look : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_Chapel_in_Czermna Stuka , these art pieces of your friend are VERY , VERY impressive ! His sense of taste , workmanship and detail orientation are unbelievable ! I like them a lot . Thanks for showing them ! best regards Kornel ps. Mervyn you know why skulls ... skull is , and always was kind of mystery , a symbol of a journey which more or less scares some of us , but regardless that fact stimulate our imagination - almost touching untouchable . * friendly regards Kornel * don't worry , I'm not too exited about coffins , cemeteries etc. - I just like some of it's esthetic value and find them reflective .

yes ! .... and the broken Irminsul , I remember it very well ! Robin thanks for this sentimental journey . best regards Kornel

Nice stuff gentlemen , Alex great photo ! thank you all . If anybody's interesting in this particular subject , there is very interesting pictorial from Paul Koudounaris "Empire of Death" . best regards Kornel

nice card gentlemen ! especially this Russian one is not to common . I do have very few ,not sure if can find all , but have pretty interesting / sad one - returned to the sender with the note >> + Auf dem Felde der Ehre + << on the field of glory .... and one , don't know if may post it here is from wife sent thru Red Cross to her husband POW in the rang of Leutnant ... best regards Kornel

I was there twice , last time about 20 years ago , but I'm still impressed . Robin ,you should be pretty interested in place called Extersteine - which is pretty close . very , very excited . best regards Kornel

Amazing Odulf ! especially these fahrbaren Feldbackoefen ( but not only of course ) and photos/ postcards representing the whole process of baking . best regards Kornel

Thank you Mervyn ! Kornel

plus if you guys mind ... "organic" meat supply and Russian prisoners of war expecting their "bowl" ... best regards Kornel perhaps I should have something more in my photo collection , but isn't easy to find

I can't find already any with soldiers by eating , by think some with field kitchens counts ...

very , very impressive ! I like both , the mystery and the esthetic way it looks !! regards Kornel

my congratulations ! very nice stoneware pitcher !! Robin - have you seen the "real" Hermann monument near Detmold / Germany ? that's a piece of Hermann ! regards Kornel

As I'm not mistaking , these are still in one of the catacombs of Palermo/ Italy best regards Kornel

isn't this one made by Edward Hall ? please look underneath for any glass engraving best regards Kornel

one more strap , this time related to 3. Garde Feld- Artillerie Regt. best regards Kornel ps. Andreas kannst Du stolz sein , dass Du so schoene familien Andenken hast ! mfG - Kornel

Wow ! Bromberg - near my home town Thorn . ... I'm always touched with some regional stuff. best regards Kornel

Sorry Chris it's not a photo , but got it already .... if you mind best regards Kornel ps. try to find some photos maybe letter ( have to go thru some )

first pic. from the left : - left shoulder strap : 3rd East Prussian Field Artillery Regt. No. 79 from Osterode / East Prussia - right one : Royal Saxon 1st ( Life Guard ) Grenadier Regt. No. 100 from Dresden * second picture from the left is nice pair of shoulder straps for Driver Corps' leather jacket ( Kraftfahrer ) I don't knot anything about that oval strap , which doesn't look German to me , perhaps maybe something from .... short post WW I period ( ?? - no idea at all ) best regards Kornel * please confirm with Chip or other members on the forum , there are some professionals here !

I have ca. 5 of these cups and not trying to get any more .... maybe if kind of unusual , not too common color ..... far too many . Chip , as usually cut my wings ... best regards Kornel

Mine was delivered to Germany ( will pick up while visiting ) - 10 Euro all in !!! I can't believe it , especially after some good reviews .