Please allow me to explain!
For over 20 years I have been staying at the Grosvenor Square Marriott off Oxford Street in London. In all these 20+ years, it never occurred to me to walk over to the British Museum. But for the past year, I have been wearing a wrist device called Jawbone, that monitors my steps; and all of a sudden I am obsessed about finding places to walk to.
My daily quota is a little over 10,000 steps (5 miles) and on this trip to London, I noticed that a walk to the British Museum from my hotel would get me 5,000 of those steps.
'Take that, jawbone!' I said, as I briskly set off to the British Museum.
Hope you enjoy what I saw there....
I. Breathtaking Foyer
The main lobby is a bright curvilinear affair with a spectacular glass ceiling
II. The Rosetta Stone
The first instance of our ability to 'crack the code' of recorded history from 4000 years ago. Spine tingling.
III. Hey, they are here!!
We took a vacation in Greece last year and saw the Parthenon. However, many of the actual marble plates from the Parthenon are here in this museum - called the 'Elgin Marbles'
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| Greek architectural influence in Lycia, Turkey |
IV. Bow to the King
Ramses II was quite the Pharaoh. And the museum has quite the collection!
V. The age of reason
Sigh, one can spend an entire day appreciating the European Enlightenment
VI. The Three Buddhas
Spectacular wall painting - dominates the hall it is placed in
VII. We are connected
Love and Respect symbolized in this Japanese painting
VIII. Journey to the self
A Sufi image titled 'Safar' or Journey
IX. A triumphal print
One of the world's largest prints ever produced - the Triumphal Arch
X. I went to ... and all I got was this ....
This most famous of all Japanese Paintings 'The Great Wave of Kanagawa' was not on display! So I got this cup instead!
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| Thank you Jawbone! |
12 comments:
Thank you Surya!
A wonderful way to start my Saturday.
A few questions:
1. That foyer is indeed breathtaking. What shape is it? It looks like an optical illusion, so can’t tell if it’s flat or rounded.
2. I’m assuming that those three Buddha’s are from different countries. If so, where? Or are they all from the same country but of different eras or schools of Buddhism?
3. I’m assuming that Triumphal Arch is only a print. Or was it actualized somewhere? And if so, where?
Thanks again… and welcome home.
Thanks Tim! It was such a pleasure going to this museum. I felt history reverberate in these halls!
The foyer is indeed a circular!
I am attaching two photos with explanation of the two other two questions. In brief the Buddhas are from the same time period and the print was never turned into an actual monument!
Sorry, I didn’t ask my question right about the foyer – I should have said, ‘what’s the shape of the ceiling of the foyer?’
OK, got it. I kept looking at it and it seemed to be flat when looking at the edges but then I noticed a peaked roof which seemed to argue against it. And of course, with ‘webbing’ meeting at two different nodes…, well, spectacularly confusing.
Tnx.
Really enjoyed this one Surya.
Hope all is well.
Beautiful images and a wonderful day at the museum it seems. Thanks for sharing.
I may borrow one of the images for my next venture - code-named FrothyWave .
Excellent blog. I've got to admit i did not know the trivia on much of the pics.. keep it coming, buddy!!!
Did you see the Poet Nannayay Bhattu's Tahalapatra poem? It was well preserved by the Museum when I visited in 1980's.
One thing about the British is that they are good at preserving the documents of places they colonized unlike others who invaded India.
Nice pictures. I have a few silly doubts/questions, though.
Why there iare holes in Ramsis' chest and shoulder?
What does it show or symbolize in the European Enlightenment?
Holes in Ramses were made to move the statue. Enlightenment has various science and arts artifacts.
Interesting notes and nice pictures. Will consult you when we plan our Europe tour sometime next year.
Nice pictures! I liked the last one very much. It was kind of surreal. You looked tranquil, and the sculpture behind-next to you ‘alive’ in perfect complement.
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