1800s

“In the Wild North”

“in the Wild North” by Ivan Shishkin (1891)

I’m Living In An Archaeology Dig!

I’m apparently living out my dream in an Archaeology Dig! Students were told today that in the building of the new college library here on campus, they found a massive ancient burial ground! According to what I’ve been told, they estimate at least 1400 years old. They believe that the people here were commoners who died peacefully, and after looking at the bodies, they are certainly mostly whole. It is incredibly fascinating to see. The students are allowed to simply wander around the burial spots at least until Monday when they will be closed off by the historians and archeologists. I’ll post more pictures soon. So Cool!!

Sleeve Bands for a Chinese Woman’s Informal Coat: Cai Wenji Returning to China and Wang Zhaojun Departs for the Frontier

Sleeve Bands for a Chinese Woman’s Informal Coat:

Cai Wenji Returning to China and Wang Zhaojun Departs for the Frontier

Silk and Metal thread embroidered on Silk (1850-1875)

Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin

Coming Exhibition: Afghan Rugs ~ The Contemporary Art of Central Asia

“Afghan Rugs ~ The Contemporary Art of Central Asia”

Who: BOCA Museum of Art

When: May 3, 2014 – July 27, 2014 (Tues-Fri. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m.)

Where:

BOCA Museum of Art
501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432
In Mizner Park

How Much:

Adults ($8) Seniors 65+ ($6) Students ($5) Children 12- (Free)

More Information: Here.

“The international exhibition, Afghan Rugs: The Contemporary Art of Central Asia, features over 40 rugs from a private European collection, traveling for the first time to museums in North America. Selected for their exceptional quality and stunning imagery, the rugs in this exhibition represent a unique category in decorative arts. They constitute some of the most powerful visual inventions of the late 20th century and are skillfully crafted with hand-spun and dyed, tightly knotted wool.

These exquisitely woven works of art are designed with thoroughly untraditional motifs. Approximately half of the rugs—some produced well before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979—feature cityscapes, portraits, landscapes, and world maps, framed by tanks and helicopters. Other rugs in the include weapons and fighting scenes made by weavers in Afghanistan, or in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. No matter the central imagery, each rug is traditionally bounded by an intricately framed and detailed border design offering incredible works of art to be enjoyed on the floor as well as the wall.”

Current Exhibition: “Museum of Russian Icons Peeks into Romanov Cupboards”

“Museum of Russian Icons Peeks into Romanov Cupboards”

by Sebastian Smee via “Boston Globe”

WHAT:

“The Tsar’s Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs”

WHERE:

“Museum of Russian Icons.”

203 Union St.

Clinton, MA 01510

Hours:

Tues.-Fri. ~ 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Sat. ~ 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

WHEN:

March 27, 2014 – May 24, 2014

HOW MUCH:

Generally:

Adults: $9

Seniors: $5

Students: $2

Children: $2

Children (under 3): Free

Special Free Admission: Varies, for more details, see here.

DETAILS:

“CLINTON — The romance of the Romanov dynasty — in odor so like certain over-evolved orchids — has been affiliated, aptly enough, with fragile accessories forever. One thinks, above all, of the products of the House of Fabergé, but more generally of the decorative arts (particularly porcelain) produced specifically for the Romanovs between the 18th and early 20th centuries, when the dynasty came to its bloody and unambiguous end.

The Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton is currently hosting a show called “The Tsar’s Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs” that’s filled with porcelain, as well as glass, lacquer, enamel, and other luxury materials.

Drawn from the private collection of consultant Kathleen Durdin (who, according to a biographical note in the show’s catalog, used to collect magazine advertisements that featured the Forbes Fabergé collection), the show summons the rich history of Romanov rule.

It comes to Clinton at the end of a five-venue tour of Canada and the United States. It was organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art, which is on the campus of the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va., in collaboration with International Arts and Artists, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. . . . .