Day 2, Apr 29, 2013, Monday:
Disappointment at Westminster abbey offset yesteryear the riot of colors at St James common , melodious performance at Royal opera household with the finale at British museum.
There are free concerts on most Mondays at the famous Royal opera household at 1 o'clock –details available at: www.roh.org.uk/recitals/lunchtime-recitals
Free Tickets for these lunchtime concerts tin live on reserved online nine days before the concert date. We had tickets for the organ concert that day
Decided to see the Westminster Abbey inwards the morning. The previous hateful solar daytime nosotros had gone on to the Abbey in addition to attended the famous evensong but nosotros wanted to run into the interiors inwards to a greater extent than detail.
We reached the abbey at 9.20, 10 minutes before it opens but found mile long queue at both cash in addition to credit menu lines. May live on nosotros should have got bought tickets on the web—-but my interrogation had non indicated this…Time for programme B…
St Margaret's church:
We visited the beautiful St Margaret's church building nearby in addition to admired the stained drinking glass there. St Margaret's church building is called the people's church building equally it is close the House of Commons.
Horse guards parade:
Then walked toward Westminster cathedral but lost our agency in addition to made it to the Equus caballus guards parade.. .Tourists were milling around for the photograph op despite the alert re bite/kick. We took the mandatory pictures in addition to watched the parade— non actually activity nosotros had scheduled for prime number time!!
Now nosotros were nether pressure level to salve the ease of the morning… walked towards Trafalgar square: Nelson column,
Nelson's Column is a monument inwards Trafalgar Square built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar inwards 1805. (Napoleonic wars).
The pedestal is decorated with iv bronze relief panels, each 18 feet (5.5 m) square, cast from captured French guns. They depict the Battle of Cape St Vincent, the Battle of the Nile, the Battle of Copenhagen in addition to the Death of Nelson at Trafalgar.
It was refurbished inwards 2006 at a terms of £420,000, The whole monument is 169 ft 3 inwards (51.6 m) tall from the bottom of the pedestal to the top of Nelson's hat. We captured amend pics on our in conclusion day.
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Trafalgar square: Nelson column |
St James Park:
Went on walking in addition to landed at St James Park. This turned out to live on a lucky break—their tulip beds is 1 of the most beautiful bloom patches 1 tin instruct to see—-so aesthetically planted with a veritable symphony of colors….such a lovely harmony betwixt the main tulips in addition to the background flowers inwards each random patch…
One of the most beautiful bloom patches 1 tin instruct to see---pics don't create jurist to the beauty of the tulips in addition to the background wallflowers. London had experienced the coldest Apr inwards 65 years--we were stunned to run into the riot of colors in addition to the lovely weather.
had our picnic tiffin at that spot inwards front end of the natural springtime enjoying the ambience of pet dogs scurrying yesteryear in addition to kids running around.
So glad nosotros enjoyed the stunning tulip beds at St James park… at Kew gardens, nosotros had merely taken some pics of a lovely tulip bed when a troop of gardeners descended in addition to rooted out the whole bed in addition to hoed it… likely for planting novel seeds for the coming season, all inwards a bridge of 10 minutes… nosotros thanked our lucky stars nosotros had non arrived at that spot later.
Royal opera house:
After tiffin nosotros retraced our steps in addition to hopped on a motorcoach headed towards Aldwych, got downwards at the cutting in addition to trekked a long agency to the majestic opera household …the concert was inwards the compaction room, non inwards the main auditorium … it was slap-up though.
British Museum:
We considered entering the carry museum on the agency dorsum but decided we’ll brand our agency to the British Museum to air current upward the day.
The Greek Revival façade facing Great Russell Street has 44 columns inwards the Ionic monastic tell 45 ft high, based on those of the temple of Athena Polias at Priene inwards Asia Minor. The pediment over the main entrance is decorated yesteryear sculptures depicting The Progress of Civilisation, consisting of 15 allegorical figures, installed inwards 1852.
Physician in addition to naturalist Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753) bequeathed his collection to King George II, for the nation, for the princely amount of £20,000.
We had read upward plenty of details from the site: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlights_all_relationships.aspx?Title=Ancient+Egypt&ContentType=World%20Culture&PageId=599
Some of the stories are elaborated here.
We enjoyed the huge statues in addition to totem poles inwards the slap-up court, wondering non merely at the exhibits but the sheer engineering feat of mounting 10 ton pieces upward safely for view…
Colossal marble king of beasts from a tomb monument
Greek, most 350-200 BC. From Knidos, south-west Asia Minor (modern Turkey)
This colossal king of beasts weighs some six tons. Made from one slice of marble, it was mounted on a base of operations crowning a funerary monument. The monument was assault a sheer cliff 200 feet higher upward the sea. The hollow eyes of the king of beasts were likely originally inset with coloured glass, in addition to the reflection of calorie-free may have got been an aid to sailors navigating the notoriously hard coast.
Statue of Ramesses II, the 'Younger Memnon'
From the Ramesseum, Thebes, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, most 1250 BC
One of the largest pieces of Egyptian sculpture inwards the British Museum, this statue shows Ramesses II, who succeeded his begetter Sethos I inwards around 1279 BC in addition to ruled Arab Republic of Egypt for 67 years. Ramesses was aged 25 when he ascended the throne equally the tertiary manful individual monarch of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
In his 67-year reign he built to a greater extent than temples in addition to sired to a greater extent than children than whatsoever other Egyptian king.
Weighing 7.25 tons, this fragment of his statue was cutting from a single block of two-coloured granite. He is shown wearing the nemes head-dress surmounted yesteryear a cobra diadem. The sculptor has used a slight variation of normal conventions to relate his operate to the viewer, fishing the eyes downwards slightly, thence that the statue relates to a greater extent than to those looking at it.
It was retrieved from the mortuary temple of Ramesses at Thebes (the 'Ramesseum'). The hole on the right of the body is made yesteryear Napoleon's expedition to Arab Republic of Egypt at the terminate of the eighteenth century, inwards an unsuccessful effort to take the statue.
Granodiorite seated statue of Amenhotep.
From his mortuary temple, Thebes, Egypt, about 1350 BC
Amun's hollo defaced. Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC) commissioned hundreds of sculptures for his mortuary temple on the due west banking company of the Nile at Thebes. Statues representing the seated ruler were likely intended to business office equally the recipients of offerings in addition to prayers.
On the sides of the throne of this sculpture are the intertwined symbols of the plants of Upper in addition to Lower Egypt, representing the spousal human relationship of the ii lands of Egypt, in addition to illustrating the fact that it is the manful individual monarch who keeps them together. There is also an inscription on the dorsum pillar, which was defaced during the religious changes brought most yesteryear King Akhenaten, successor to Amenhotep III. These erasures were later restored on the provide to orthodox beliefs. Parts of several large statues from Amenhotep III's mortuary temple are right away inwards The British Museum.
Black granite statue of Sekhmet 'She who is powerful'
From Karnak, Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, around 1360 BC
The Egyptian goddess Sekhmet was associated with destruction. According to myth, she was the fiery optic of Re, which he sent against his enemies. In this shape she also appeared equally the cobra on the forehead of the king, rearing to protect him. She is represented equally a lioness-headed woman, maybe because the Egyptians observed that it is the woman individual king of beasts who is the hunter.
King Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC) revered Sekhmet, equally he had an enormous quantity of statues of her erected inwards his mortuary temple inwards Western Thebes. There may have got originally been 730 statues (one seated in addition to 1 standing for each hateful solar daytime of the year). They mightiness have got been share of a ritual intended to pacify the fiery goddess. Nearly 600 of these statues have got right away been accounted for; The British Museum has fragments of over 20, the largest collection exterior Egypt, where a considerable publish of the master copy grouping tin withal live on seen inwards situ.
Here the caput of the goddess is surmounted yesteryear a Sun disc in addition to she clasps the symbol of life (the ankh) inwards 1 of her hands.
Sarcophagus of Nectanebo II
From Alexandria, Egypt, 30th Dynasty, around 343 BC.
Re-used equally a bath
Nectanebo II (reigned 360-343 BC) was the in conclusion native manful individual monarch of Egypt. His reign was ended yesteryear the 2nd Farsi line of piece of job of Egypt, in addition to it is said that he fled to Ethiopia. This sarcophagus was likely prepared before he left Arab Republic of Egypt in addition to never used. It was found inwards the Attarin Mosque at Alexandria, which was formerly a church building of St Athanasius. At some fourth dimension it was clearly used equally a H2O container, bath, or a tank for ablutions, equally shown yesteryear the twelve draining holes drilled around the base of operations (not covered inwards this pic).
The ornamentation on the sarcophagus consists of a publish of sections of the funerary text known equally the Amduat, or 'Book of what is inwards the Underworld', which shows the Sun god passing through the underworld during the night.
This sarcophagus was collected yesteryear the Napoleonic Expedition to Egypt, in addition to came to the British Museum inwards 1802 equally a termination of the Treaty of Alexandria.
Red granite column
From the Temple of Heryshef, Herakleopolis, Egypt
Originally twelfth Dynasty, most 1985-1795 BC
This is 1 of a publish of granite columns from a Middle Kingdom (2040-1750 BC) temple at Herakleopolis. The columns were non inscribed when the temple was built in addition to Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) later incorporated them into his temple to Heryshef (Greek Arsaphes). The manful individual monarch added the major vertical inscription in addition to the scene of himself presenting offerings to the god. His boy in addition to successor, Merenptah (1213-1203 BC), added his ain names inwards the spaces beneath the offering scenes. The reuse of before monuments is a mutual characteristic of the Ramesside era (Nineteenth in addition to Twentieth Dynasties).
Parthenon Marbles/ Elgin Marbles
The Parthenon Marbles, also known equally the Elgin Marbles is a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions in addition to architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon in addition to other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens.
Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin obtained a controversial permit from the Ottoman authorities to take pieces from the Parthenon spell serving equally the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 to 1803. From 1801 to 1812, Elgin's agents removed most one-half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon, equally good equally architectural members in addition to sculpture from the Propylaea in addition to Erechtheum. The Marbles were transported yesteryear bounding main to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition of the collection was supported yesteryear some, spell some critics compared Elgin's actions to vandalism or looting.
Following a populace fighting inwards Parliament in addition to the subsequent exoneration of Elgin's actions, the marbles were purchased yesteryear the British authorities inwards 1816 in addition to placed on display inwards the British Museum, where they stand upward right away on view. The fighting continues equally to whether the Marbles should stay inwards the British Museum or live on returned to Athens.
The Parthenon inwards Athens has a long in addition to complex history. Built nearly 2,500 years agone equally a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, it was for a K years the church building of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, thence a mosque, in addition to finally an archaeological ruin. The edifice was altered in addition to the sculptures much damaged over the course of didactics of the centuries. The starting fourth dimension major loss occurred around AD 500 when the Parthenon was converted into a church. When the urban nub was nether siege yesteryear the Venetians inwards 1687, the Parthenon itself was used equally a gunpowder store. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 huge explosion blew the roof off in addition to destroyed a large share of the remaining sculptures. The edifice has been a ruin e'er since. Archaeologists worldwide are agreed that the surviving sculptures could never live on re-attached to the structure.
Colossal statue of a winged human-headed bull from the Palace of Ashurnasirpal:
Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Republic of Iraq Neo-Assyrian, most 883-859 BC
This is 1 of a pair of guardian figures laid upward inwards the palace of Ashurnasirpal. Its partner is right away inwards the Metropolitan Museum, New York. (we've been at that spot equally good in addition to the weblog postal service volition live on coming upward shortly)
Stone sculptures of mythological figures were placed equally guardians at gateways to palaces in addition to temples inwards ancient Mesopotamia. These figures were known to the Assyrians equally lamassu. The figure has v legs, when viewed from the front end it stands firm, spell when viewed from the side it appears to live on striding frontwards to combat evil.
The 'Standard Inscription' is inscribed betwixt the figure's legs. It records the King's titles, ancestry in addition to achievements.
These composite creatures combined the clit of the king of beasts (or inwards this case, the bull), the swiftness of birds, in addition to the word of the human head. The helmet with horns indicates the creature's divinity.
Wall panel from Ashurnasirpal II's palace at Nimrud Assyria (IRAQ).
Winged Assyrian god Nisroch with an eagle's caput in addition to wings. It is also referred to equally lamassu, shedu in addition to "kuribu",
Although Assyrian civilization, centred inwards the fertile Tigris valley of northern Iraq, tin live on traced dorsum to at to the lowest degree the tertiary millennium BC, some of its most spectacular remains appointment to the starting fourth dimension millennium BC when Assyria dominated the Middle East.
The Assyrian manful individual monarch Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC) established Nimrud equally his capital. Many of the principal rooms in addition to courtyards of his palace were decorated with gypsum slabs carved inwards relief with images of the manful individual monarch equally high priest in addition to equally victorious hunter in addition to warrior.
Assyria: Lion hunts 645 – 635 BC
Deer hunt
In ancient Assyria, lion-hunting was the sport of kings, symbolic of the ruling monarch’s duty to protect his people. The sculpted reliefs illustrate the sporting exploits of the in conclusion slap-up Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal (668-631 BC) and were created for his palace at Nineveh (in modern-day northern Iraq). The hunt scenes, total of tension in addition to realism, rank alongside the finest achievements of Assyrian Art.
We run into the manful individual monarch riding Equus caballus drawn chariot, archers...on foot...galloping horse... motion captured with several heads, legs...
lion getting stabbed ... over again motion depicted with following arms, faces...
trees in addition to pastoral scene through which the chariot rides...
wounded lion... it's similar boring motion... each pose captured.
There are gratuitous 1/2 hr guided tour yesteryear experts 3 to 4 times a day...spared a piffling fourth dimension hearing the practiced though nosotros had read upward on all these before mitt at the official site...
Alabaster panel showing the signs of the Last Judgement Medieval, most AD 1420-60,From England
In the Middle Ages it was believed that the Last Judgement would live on preceded yesteryear 15 signs of its coming. This alabaster panel depicts the 10th sign of the Last Judgement, which describes how men volition emerge from caves where they have got retreated, unable to verbalize in addition to out of their senses. Other apocalyptical signs included the rising in addition to falling of the sea, earthquakes, stars falling from the heaven in addition to Heaven in addition to footing burning. The thirteenth sign, where all the living shall die, is illustrated yesteryear some other alabaster held yesteryear The British Museum.
The Rosetta Stone Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 196 BC
The decree is inscribed on the rock 3 times, inwards hieroglyphic (suitable for a priestly decree), demotic (the native script used for daily purposes), in addition to Greek (the linguistic communication of the administration). At the terminate of the quaternary century AD, when hieroglyphs had gone out of use, the cognition of how to read in addition to write them disappeared. In the early on years of the nineteenth century, some 1400 years later, scholars were able to utilisation the Greek inscription on this rock equally the fundamental to decipher hieroglyphics.
Wine jar, made inwards Athens most 540-530 BC.
Athenian dark in addition to cerise figure vases.
Athenian dark in addition to cerise figure vases.
PRE HISTORIC GOLD
Haida totem pole:
The towering Haida totem pole in the Great Court at the centre of the building.
It stands 39 feet high in addition to was carved from a unmarried cedar trunk. Made yesteryear the native American Haida people on Queen Charlotte Island inwards Canada, when acquired for the Museum inwards 1903, it was already around 50 years old.
The pole tells the floor of the lazy son-in-law, in addition to is topped off with a representation of the Haida household chief, asset his club.
The Lazy Son-in-Law Story tells of an old mother in law who chastised her immature son-in-law for being lazy; sleeping inwards late, non taking tending of his tools, non bringing inwards plenty firewood in addition to higher upward all not catching plenty fish or trapping plenty game.
Growing tired of her nagging, the immature son-in-law ventured to a nearby lake. Here, he cutting downwards the tallest of Red Cedar trees in addition to constructed a large trap in addition to caught the infamous four-legged, finned Wasgo. After dragging the Seawolf ashore, he skinned it, in addition to burned its carcass inwards a slap-up fire. Adorning the Seawolf peel he swam out to sea. He began to grab large prey, halibut, seals in addition to sea-lions, and placing them all equally gifts on the steps of the old mother-in-law's house.
Unaware of her son-in-law's doings, the old adult woman threw a political party inwards her ain honor. Guests arrived in addition to celebrations were underway when Wasgo came forth from the bounding main bearing bounding main gifts. Mother-in-law fainted in addition to died on the spot, but the missy received bounding main gifts every morning, summertime in addition to winter, for the residue of her life.
The Mold gilded cape
Europe 10,000-800 BC
Workmen quarrying for rock inwards an ancient burial mound inwards 1833 found this stunning gilded object around the fragmentary remains of a skeleton. Strips of bronze in addition to quantities of amber beads were also recovered, but solely 1 of the beads e'er reached the British Museum.
The cape would have got been unsuitable for everyday wearable because it would have got severely restricted upper arm movement. Instead it would have got served ceremonial roles, in addition to may have got denoted religious authority.
The cape is 1 of the finest examples of prehistoric sheet-gold working in addition to is quite unique inwards shape in addition to design. It was labouriously beaten out of a unmarried ingot of gold, thence embellished with intense ornamentation of ribs in addition to bosses to mimic multiple strings of beads amid folds of cloth.
Saw the walrus ivory Lewis chessmen
The Royal Gold Cup
Paris, France, most AD 1370-80
This loving cup is made of solid gold in addition to lavishly decorated with translucent enamels. The scenes shown on it relate to the life in addition to miracles of St Agnes.
Agnes was imprisoned inwards a brothel equally penalty for refusing to espouse Procopius,in the fourth dimension of the Emperor Constantine (reigned AD 306-337). She later restored Procopius to life when he was strangled yesteryear a demon. Although he was repentant, Agnes was non spared her fate, in addition to was condemned to burn. However, the flames had no termination on her, in addition to she had to live on killed with a spear. The cover of the cup is devoted to this department of the story, with each scene explained yesteryear a Latin inscription.
The foot of the loving cup is decorated with the symbols of the Evangelists; the interior of the bowl in addition to comprehend contain enamels of St Agnes receiving instruction, in addition to God inwards Majesty.
The loving cup was given formally to Charles VI of French Republic (reigned 1380-1422) on the occasion of his see to Tourraine inwards 1391.
We thence made our agency to the after life section… the 5500 twelvemonth old mummy of Ginger (apologies, no offence for mentioning that name) was a startling sight—- how it had been dried, dehydrated in addition to preserved yesteryear the hot Sun when buried inwards the sand.
Finally made our agency to the clocks room.
This is gilded in addition to studded with rubies...
Silver in addition to gold...
Loved the elaborate specimens—especially the medieval galleon with such intricate workmanship—- want they tin brand the galleon work—it’ll live on a please to require heed the band come upward out in addition to play in addition to the cannons sack at each hour!!
Heard some clocks chime at strange intervals… seeing many of the clocks tick but the fourth dimension shown on the dial beingness random, nosotros queried the docents… they said equally most of the clocks chime, they have got purposely laid the times on them to live on random thence that the chimes are deferred!! What a sane explanation—- imagine what a riot it’ll live on if all the clocks maintain right fourth dimension in addition to chime inwards unison!! We regretfully left the room when docents began clearing the museum… 1 hateful solar daytime we’ll honey to provide in addition to sit down inwards this room for a brace of hours merely to require heed all the specimens chime…
This is gilded in addition to studded with rubies...
Silver in addition to gold...
Loved the elaborate specimens—especially the medieval galleon with such intricate workmanship—- want they tin brand the galleon work—it’ll live on a please to require heed the band come upward out in addition to play in addition to the cannons sack at each hour!!
That was the terminate of hateful solar daytime 2… the hateful solar daytime starting with disappointment but ending on the right note…
Report on our hateful solar daytime 3 at Hampton Court Palace is here:
http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=london-trip-report-day-3-hampton-court
Report on our hateful solar daytime 3 at Hampton Court Palace is here:
http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=london-trip-report-day-3-hampton-court
London Trip Report, Solar Daytime 2: W Minster Abbey, St James Park, British Museum
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