minoanmiss | Today's Adventure

bironic, who is amazingly kind to me, linked me to this exhibition at Harvard's Fogg Museum of animal-shaped vessels from "the ancient world" (Mediterranean Bronze Age, Classical Greece and Rome, Achaemenid Persia, Moche Peru, 500's CE China, and a few others). Wednesdays are Free at the Harvard Art Museums, so I emailed several local friends about it.

Today I went to see the exhibition with WD and

kaiz. As I walked in saying "I love the Bronze Age," we were greeted by a beautifully burnished jug from 1500BCE Nubia. EEE. Then we went around the corner and found a REALLY FAMOUS MINOAN BULL'S HEAD RHYTON which I squeed over so hard the docent told me it was a replica, before I hurt myself or something.

I really loved the exhibition, the beauty and wit of the pieces, imagining them in people's hands. And I really enjoyed seeing it with K and WD, who spotted things for me and listened to my happy babble and talked with me about what we were seeing.

I am a terrible museum goer who scares docents. I leaned in so close to a painting I tripped on the velvet rope meant to keep people like me away from the artwork (it was an Alma-Tadema Ancient Greek Party Pic featuring one of the very rhytons on display, right beside it), and then I deliberately sat on the floor for a closer look at a Roman mosaic (the poor docent cried out to me not to touch it, which is exactly what I would have said to me in her place). Fortunately I am slow and fat so they figured I was harmless and wouldn't actually run off with something.

One of the things I love about art is human continuity. There's this curve to the spine in the stance of many Classical Greek statues, and whilst WD and I sat in the lobby after viewing the art (well, once my stupid feet started hurting), I saw a woman lean against the wall with exactly that curve to her spine.

I am so grateful to Bironic for telling me about this, and to everyone whom I knew I could tell about this, and to WD and K for accompanying me. And to the long-ago artists who made the beauties we looked at today.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

bikergeek

It was a lovely afternoon. *smooch*

The painting was The Women of Amphissa.

kore

That sounds so lovely, I am glad you got to have it!

Fortunately I am slow and fat so they figured I was harmless and wouldn't actually run off with something.

LOL HOW THEY UNDERESTIMATE US. I am fat and have shit knees but damn skippy I could make off with something Roman. If I ever wanted to. Which of course I would not. Right.

lindahoyland

It sounds really interesting.

julian

Dude. Given that description of supposed bad behavior, I would love to go with a museum with you. Also, this sounds like an interesting exhibit.

...Er. Go TO a museum. I preserve that brain-o because I liked it.

Edited Date: 2018-10-11 02:26 am (UTC)

amaebi

Yes! Enthusiasm for the win!

kaiz

I got quite a few ~looks on the way out carrying that quince, I’ll tell you what. :) Thank you for the quince and the recipes! It was a fantastic exhibit, glad you invited me! ::waves:: to WD great to meet you!

minoanmiss

*blushes* OMG, I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that. I should have given you the shopping bag. But/and I'm really glad I saw you and that I got a chance to give you the quince. :D