Education Committee
Luc Taelman (BEL)
President of the Western Branch, board member of the NKBKHK
In 2016, Jo Anseeuw was appointed as a director of the NKBKHK, and was tasked to focus on foreign members and relations. In october 2016, Jo Anseeuw and Luc Taelman were asked by Mr Nagata, President of the Katchukai, to start a Western branch.
Consequently, the western branch of the association (in short: the Japanese Armor Society) was established in early 2017.
Paul has held a deep interest in Japanese art and culture, predominantly focused on swords, for more than 40 years. During that time he was fortunate to be able to study under a number of leading European collectors including Michael Hagenbusch, Graham Curtis and Deryck Ingham.
Paul served as Chairman of the Token Society of Great Britain from 2015 to 2021. Uitilisng some of the networking and communication skills developed over a 45 year international career he used his tenure as Chairman to focus on education and improving interaction and co-operation between different groups in Europe the USA and Asia Pacific. He has helped students and collectors to appreciate the form and history of the Japanese sword and has written many articles on the subject. These have been published in a number of magazines and on The Token Society of GB website www.to-ken.uk . He has also worked closely with museums in the UK, arranging and participating in various seminars and study days.
In 2018 Paul chaired the educational committee of the inaugural Samurai Art Expo event in Utrecht and contributed material and presentations for the programme.
In 2022 Paul was elected to the position of Honorary Vice President of the Token Society of Great Britain and has continued to contribute to the Society’s activities.
Having started his education in Japanese language almost 50 years ago, Eckhard was elected President of the NBTHK European Branch in 2016.
Eckhard was previously a professor at the Institute of Fine Arts at the Philipps-University Marburg and in the Department of Communication Design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hildesheim as well as a free lance artist. In the late 70s, he received a grant from the Japanese Ministry of Culture (Monbushu) and DAAD to study Japanese painting and art history. Over his time studying in the Tokyo Municipal Academy of Fine Arts, he concentrated in learning about Namban Bijutsu (Japanese art and the western influence).
Dave van Gompel (NL)
Urushi Atelier Netherlands
Dave was born in Amsterdam in 1984, and graduated from the University of Amsterdam’s faculty of Art History and Conservation & Restoration of Cultural Heritage. After working for the Tropenmuseum and Rijksmuseum as a furniture restorer and researcher, he moved to Tokyo to complete a five year long training in urushi lacquer at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He now runs Urushi Atelier Netherlands; the largest conservation studio outside Japan that is entirely specialized in lacquer art.
Eddy Wertheim (GBR)
Japanese Gallery Kensington / JG Auction
japanesegallery.com / jgauction.com
Japanese Gallery was initially established in 1977. As the second generation of JGK's directors in the family, Eddy Wertheim has been familiarised with the world of Japanese art and antiques since childhood. With one of the largest catalogues of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) in Europe, Eddy's knowledge of the history of woodblock printing is unparalleled. Through the years he has appraised thousands of Japanese antiques, curated numerous exhibits, and worked with embassies, museums and educational institutions to promote Japanese culture.
.png)
