English (UK)
On October 29, 2026, starting at 6:00 PM, our shop at Corso di Porta Romana 1 will host a presentation of 8 rare swords—artifacts dating from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries—from the collection of Vanna Ghiringhelli.
Vanna, who has been a collector for over 60 years and has authored several books on the subject, says: "Having these weapons at home—on our walls, right before our eyes—was like seeing everything my husband Mario and I had studied take tangible form; it was like reliving our adventurous journeys across Asia. It was a kind of badge we always wore with pride. Preserving these various types of Asian weapons gave us the feeling that we were saving a world that everyone else was forgetting."
In the photograph above: Burmese Dha sword
Joining Vanna will be Marco Briccola Asti, who could be described as an experienced protégé of hers. Marco Briccola has a keen interest in hoplology and anthropology. Over the years, he has gained a deep understanding of the complex world of the Indo-Malay *keris*—both through study trips and his own hands-on work in forging and artistic knife-making, a practice essential for grasping metallurgical processes and techniques. Both are board members of the Italy-Asia Cultural Center and rank among the world’s foremost experts and few dedicated collectors of edged weapons from the Orient.
In the photograph above: a Nimcha sword, typical of North Africa and Morocco
Reference Bibliography (books available for purchase on this site)
DAMASCO D’ORO DAMASCO D’ARGENTO – Vanna Ghiringhelli, Marco Briccola – Tralerighe 2023 – 45.00 euros
KATANA E KRIS – Vanna Ghiringhelli, Susanna Marino, Nicoletta Spadavecchia – Centro di Cultura Italia Asia 2013 – 25.00 euros
THE INVINCIBLE KRISES 2 – Vanna Ghiringhelli – Saviolo Publisher 2007 – 75.00 euros
KRIS HILTS – Vanna Ghiringhelli – 5 Continents Editions 2011 – 40.00 euros
THE AMAZING KERIS – Sandro Forgiarini – Olmis 2023 – 45.00 euros
THE INVISIBLE WORLD OF THE KRIS – Vanna Ghiringhelli – Tralerighe 2020 – 40.00 euros