Antiquities
Peabody Essex Museum at Salem – Opening Windows on the World
A connoisseur, scholar and devout Buddhist, within the forbidden city Chinese Emperor Qianlong created a luxurious garden compound to serve throughout his retirement as a secluded place of contemplation, repose and entertainment. When the city was shut down following the Chinese revolution of 1911 – 1912 many of its treasures gathered dust for a century. Now, through a great deal of international cooperation and negotiation they have been conserved and sent on tour.
The Culture Concept Circle – You Tube Channel
On our You Tube Channel you will find our mini-documentaries, which provide an insight into the evolution of art, design, music, fashion and style.
The First Emperor of China – Seeking the Mandate of Heaven
Today the first Emperor of China’s terracotta army has no battles to fight, but rather it seeks to win the war for China about culture as art. Should they be displayed in an ‘art’ gallery or in a Museum whose premise is about presenting stories of cultural development and history.
French Country Style – Provence is c’est magnifique!
Provence until the end of the 15th century was a group of states entirely separate from France. It had its own language, government and a sense of style, with deeply rooted ideas and philosophies first founded in strong traditions. They kept goats and ate fish, grew herbs in abundance, as well as olives which were introduced by the Greeks. With the fabled vitis vinifera grape vine for stock they made wine and became great consumers of wild boar as well as truffles. The oak forests of Provence would have been prime truffle territory then as now. The little slivers of this celestial fungus harbors many of the amusing stories of the region. They were often obtained by nefarious means or through a local truffle fair not listed in any tourist guide.
Apollo, Lully, Secret Garden and Shelley – Making my Day
There are a few things I really respond to, inspiration wise. They are images of the ancient Greek God Apollo and his twin sister Artemis, early and new age classical music (Lully and Secret Garden) as well as poetry by one of the great English romantic lyric poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
What is an Antique?
An antique is something made in a previous era. However, according to antique dealers, their associations and the tax man, it is not really that simple at all.
Trio of Boutique Style Museums – At Sydney, Paris and London
My favourite trio of boutique style small museums offer a unique experience to the visitor. All are in amazing locations with collections that cover epochs of history from antiquity to the nineteenth century in Europe. The advantage of this type of Museum is you can get up close and personal with very classy collections. And, the bonus is they all offer a special view and perspective on, and of the art and history of man.
Early Civilisations – In the Beginning
All cultures on earth, just like individuals, have distinct modes of existence. Creation stories are something they all have in common in a logical attempt to rationalize the presence of humans on earth.
Ancient Rome – An Important Precinct of Power and Glory
During the reign of Augustus (31BC – 14ACE) Rome emerged as an economically successful city with a population approaching one million. To become a free citizen of Rome was considered a great honour.
Whoever you were if you were born within the boundaries of the Roman Empire you had the right to hold the highest office in the State. Under Augustus the concept of an eternal Rome emerged, revealing its link to the legendary past and its promise of a new era.
Love Jewellery from Cupid to Cartier
When people today talk about jewels, jewellery, gemmology and gems it is clear the vocabulary has become confused. Gemstones are treasured minerals found in the earth. ‘Gems’ are the objects fashioned from them. Jewels are gem ready for mounting into jewellery and other objects of art. And, jewellery – it is the finished product that if its designer from Cupid to Cartier has succeeded, adorns its wearer well.
Classic Architecture, is it more than a Column?
Classical architecture reflects the very nature of a society, its attitudes and philosophies, fashion and passions. It provides us with an insight into the cultural development of ancient Greece and Rome at any given time in their history.
Ancient Greek Art – A Meeting of the Human with the Divine
Greek sculpture was the first, the only ancient art to break free from conceptual conventions, for that of representing men and animals. Artisans wanted to explore consciously how art might imitate nature, or even improve upon it. There was no conscious striving towards realism at first, especially until it was understood to be a possible and desirable goal. This began six centuries before the Christ event.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina – Faces, Muses, Arts and Culture
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, or new library of Alexandria was inspired by the enormous repository of knowledge lost when the ancient library caught on fire during a battle with Roman General Julius Caesar and burned to the ground. This all-new library of Alexandria opened its physical doors to the world in 2002. Since then it has become an important focal point for the sharing of knowledge as a practical means of aiding an understanding between world cultures.
Treasures of the Bodleian and Humankind – Cherishing Wisdom
Searching for hidden treasure is a continuing theme in fiction, fantasy and fact; real-life treasure hunters do exist and seek lost gold and wealth for a living. What makes a treasure in the 21st century is a debate that the Bodleian Libraries is inviting the public to take part in during their major autumn exhibition entitled Treasures of the Bodleian.
What is a Mirror, more than just Glass?
The mirror, more than just glass, has occupied a unique place in his imagination as a site of the divine or demonic, of lucidity or madness. It is the ‘matrix of the symbolic’ and accompanies the human quest to know and understand our identity.
All That Glistens Is Glass – Venice, Verzelini and Vauxhall
Venetian maker Jacopo Verzelini was bought to England by Huguenot Jean Carré to improve the quality of glass being produced at his London workshop. After a troubled start Verzelini acquired royal patronage in 1575 when Queen Elizabeth granted him a licence ‘to make drinking glasses in the manner of Murano, on the undertaking that he bring up in the said art and knowledge our natural subjects’.
Asides
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