The Cosmati Pavement, the incredible medieval tile mosaic floor in front of Westminster Abbey’s High Altar, where Prince William and Kate Middleton took their vows last year, was rarely visible in past due to its age and condition, but all… More»
The Getty Conservation Institute recently completed the first training course for MOSAIKON, an ambitious collaboration dedicated to improving the conservation and maintenance of ancient mosaics in the Mediterranean region. Begun in 2008, MOSAIKON is a partnership between the Conservation Institute,… More»
The Cosmati Pavement, the medieval tile mosaic floor in front of the Abbey’s High Alter where Prince William and Middleton are expected to take their vows, has in past been rarely visible due to its age and condition, but the floor has been newly conserved thanks in large part to a grant from the Getty Foundation. More»
Update: video of this lecture is available here. Amid the moon-like landscape of the Sinai, the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine has stood unfailing for 17 centuries, unaltered by invasion or conquest. Imagine a place rooted in the ancient world… More»
This could be my favourite Greek drinking vessel ever!
Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in the Shape of a Donkey Head
c. 460 BC
Greek, Attica
This drinking cup could not have been set down without its contents spilling. It is fashioned after the head of a bridled donkey with a white muzzle, teeth, and ears. Like the naked satyr chasing a fleeing maenad on the vessel’s neck, the donkey belongs to the retinue of the wine god Dionysos. Douris, one of the great Athenian vase painters of first half of the fifth century B.C., decorated this amusing cup.
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago
In the morning, I’m making WAFFLES
This cup has a built-in drinking game: it can’t be put down until empty.