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Detail of the upper half of the west window depicting the Last Judgement. The Last Judgement is Fairford's most celebrated window for its dramatic composition and graphic depiction of the horrors of hell in the lower half. The window sadly suffered badly during the great storm of 1703 with the upper half depicting Christ in Judgement and the surrounding company of saints and angels the most seriously affected part.
A substantial amount however still remained until it was unfortunately 'restored' in 1860 by Chance Bros of Smethwick, whose approach was to substitute all the surviving glass in the upper half of the window with a carefully created replica. It is clear that the design is a faithful copy of what was there originally, but none of the surviving material was reused, parts of it being secretly kept by the studio and probably sold (some elements have resurfaced much more recently).
St Mary's at Fairford is justly famous, not only as a most beautiful building architecturally but for the survival of its complete set of late medieval stained glass, a unique survival in an English parish church. No other church has resisted the waves of iconoclasm unleashed by the Reformation and the English Civil War like Fairford has, and as a result we can experience a pre-Reformation iconographic scheme in glass in its entirety. At most churches one is lucky to find mere fragments of the original glazing and even one complete window is an exceptional survival, thus a full set of 28 of them here in a more or less intact state makes Fairford church uniquely precious.
The exterior already promises great things, this is a handsome late 15th century building entirely rebuilt in Perpendicular style and dedicated in 1497. The benefactor was lord of the manor John Tame, a wealthy wool merchant whose son Edmund later continued the family's legacy in donating the glass. The central tower is adorned with much carving including strange figures guarding the corners and a rather archaic looking relief of Christ on the western side. The nave is crowned by a fine clerestorey whilst the aisles below form a gallery of large windows that seem to embrace the entire building without structural interruption aside from the south porch and the chancel projecting at the east end. All around are pinnacles, battlements and gargoyles, the effect is very rich and imposing for a village church.
One enters through the fan-vaulted porch and is initially met by subdued lighting within that takes a moment to adjust to but can immediately appreciate the elegant arcades and the rich glowing colours of the windows. The interior is spacious but the view east is interrupted by the tower whose panelled walls and arches frame only a glimpse of the chancel beyond. The glass was inserted between 1500-1517 and shows marked Renaissance influence, being the work of Flemish glaziers (based in Southwark) under the direction of the King's glazier Barnard Flower. The quality is thus of the highest available and suggests the Tame family had connections at court to secure such glaziers.
Entering the nave one is immediately confronted with the largest and most famous window in the church, the west window with its glorious Last Judgement, best known for its lurid depiction of the horrors of Hell with exotic demons dragging the damned to their doom. Sadly the three windows in the west wall suffered serious storm damage in 1703 and the Last Judgement suffered further during an 1860 restoration that copied rather than restored the glass in its upper half. The nave clerestories contain an intriguing scheme further emphasising the battle of Good versus Evil with a gallery of saintly figures on the south side balanced by a 'rogue's gallery' of persecutors of the faith on the darker north side, above which are fabulous demonic figures leering from the traceries.
The aisle windows form further arrays of figures in canopies with the Evangelists and prophets on the north side and the Apostles and Doctors of the Church on the south. The more narrative windows are mainly located in the eastern half of the church, starting in the north chapel with an Old Testament themed window followed by more on the life of Mary and infancy of Christ. The subject matter is usually confined to one light or a pair of them, so multiple scenes can be portrayed within a single window. The scheme continues in the east window of the chancel with its scenes of the Passion of Christ in the lower register culminating in his crucifixion above, while a smaller window to the south shows his entombment and the harrowing of Hell. The cycle continues in the south chapel where the east window shows scenes of Christ's resurrection and transfiguration whilst two further windows relate further incidents culminating in Pentecost. The final window in the sequence however is of course the Last Judgement at the west end.
The glass has been greatly valued and protected over the centuries from the ravages of history, being removed for protection during the Civil War and World War II. The windows underwent a complete conservation between 1988-2010 by the Barley Studio of York which bravely restored legibility to the windows by sensitive releading and recreating missing pieces with new work (previously these had been filled with plain glass which drew the eye and disturbed the balance of light). The most dramatic intervention was the re-ordering of the westernmost windows of the nave aisles which had been partially filled with jumbled fragments following the storm damage of 1703 but have now been returned to something closer to their original state.
It is important here not to neglect the church's other features since the glass dominates its reputation so much. The chancel also retains its original late medieval woodwork with a fine set of delicate screens dividing it from the chapels either side along with a lovely set of stalls with carved misericords. The tomb of the founder John Tame and his wife can be seen on the north side of the sanctuary with their brasses atop a tomb chest. Throughout the church a fine series of carved angel corbels supports the old oak roofs.
Fairford church is a national treasure and shouldn't be missed by anyone with a love of stained glass and medieval art. It is normally kept open for visitors and deserves more of them.
The name of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer’s first mission to the International Space Station, Cosmic Kiss, is a declaration of love for space. It communicates the special connection the Station provides between Earth’s inhabitants and the cosmos. It also conveys the value of partnership in exploring farther to the Moon and Mars, alongside the need to respect, protect and preserve the nature of our home planet as we seek a sustainable future on Earth.
The Cosmic Kiss patch takes inspiration from the Nebra sky disc (“Himmelsscheibe von Nebra”) – the oldest known realistic illustration of the night sky – as well as the Pioneer plaques and Voyager Golden Records that were sent into the unknown carrying messages from Earth.
These artefacts show a fascination with space that spans the ages. Since the beginning of time, humans have looked skyward for knowledge about the origins of life, the Universe and our place in the cosmos. The Cosmic Kiss mission builds on the curiosity of all those who came before us, as exploration advances our understanding of Earth, our Solar System and life itself.
Like the Nebra sky disc, the patch features several cosmic elements including Earth, the Moon and the Pleiades star cluster. It also depicts Mars, one of ESA’s three key destinations for exploration over the next 10 years, as a small red dot beckoning in the distance.
Earth is shown borderless and backlit, with only a delicate line of atmosphere visible. This phenomenon is often described by space travellers, who marvel at the wonder of all human life and events taking place in one thin and precious layer.
The most prominent feature is a simplified, almost heart-like International Space Station. This is connected through a human heartbeat that stretches from Earth to the Moon. This heartbeat symbolises the human presence and passion that propels exploration forward and connects us to the Universe, as well as the vital life science experiments the Space Station enables.
As a unique oasis in space, the International Space Station is a hub of science, research and operations like no other. The continuous human presence that it supports beyond our Earth leads to greater knowledge, technological advances and a better understanding of fundamental and applied sciences. The Space Station is a lifeline for Earth’s future and paves the way for our next steps into space as we go forward to the Moon and Mars. It is the Cosmic Kiss that unites us and brings light to the unknown.
The Cosmic Kiss mission patch features black, red, gold and white. Each colour has been selected for its significance:
Black – represents the Universe and its mysteries that we seek to understand.
Red – stands for love and passion. It represents our human presence today and the martian soils that await us as we explore farther into the Solar System.
Gold – is the colour of the stars that share their warmth and light to enable life.
White – is the heartbeat that flashes in the atmosphere. It stands for technology and scientific progress, bringing light into the dark.
Credit: ESA
Canon 7D
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الشولة السوداء
وتسمى أيضا أم السعيد وأم سويد وأبوسلام،
غالبا ما يطلق ثرثراته الغنائية الخافتة في فترة الضحى التي يفضل أن يقضيها على أغصان الأشجار، وبعد الظهيرة ينتقل إلى الأرض ويقضي فيها وقته باحثا عن طعامه.رغم أعداد هذا الطائر القليلة إلا له موطن واسع الامتداد من جنوب الصحراء الأفريقية من السنغال حتى السودان كما أنه يستوطن في منطقة شرق البحر الأحمر أي السواحل الغربية للمملكة العربية السعوية واليمن وهو من الطيور المعششة في منطقة حائل الزراعية وسط الجزيرة العربية وله زيارات نادرة للكويت المعروف أن للطائر طبيعة جوالة إذ أنه لا يستقر لفترات طويلة في مكان واحد إلا وقت التزاوج.يبدأ موسم التزاوج مع بداية شهر يناير وهذه هي الفرصة الوحيد للمراقب لكي يرى الزوجان مع بعضهما حيث يقوم الذكر بالاستعراض في فترة الصباح (بعيد الساعة الثامنة صباحا) برفع ذيله و الاهتزاز أمام الأنثى ثم يطير إلى أحد الأغصان القريبة ليبدأ في الغناء العذب وهنا تطير الإثنى معه إلى نفس الحرش ليختفيان داخله، وبعد فترة ليست قصيرة تضع الأنثى حضنة قد تصل إلى ثمانية بيضات، لاتلبث في خلال 12 يوما أن تفقس وسرعان ما يكبر الصغار ليبدأ ظهور أول اليافعين في منتصف شهر فبراير، للطيراليافع حجم مقارب لحجم أبويه ولكنه أنحف قليلا وله لون بني غامق ضارب للسواد وليس أسودا تاما مثل أبويه.
مصدر المعلومات : مدونة طيور حديقتي
Collection: Willard Dickerman Straight and Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations, Cornell University Library
Title: General Kuroki and his staff at Seoul
Date: ca. 1904
Place: Asia: South Korea; Seoul
Type: Photographs
Description: A large group of ciivilian and military dignitaries has gathered at the pavilion 'Chuhapru', a part of the Royal 'Changdokkung' (Palace) in Seoul. 'Chuhapru', built during king Yongjo's (1724-1776) final years (the time of the American Revolutionary War), is a two storied pavilion. The lower floor was used as a royal library while the top floor provided a place for entertainments and feast. The occasion is unknown, although - judging from the presence of western, Japanese and Korean dignitaries - it must have been a significant event. Unfortunately, the photograph is not annotated.
Identifier: 1260.57.49.01
Persistent URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1813.001/5xkv
There are no known U.S. copyright restrictions on this image. The digital file is owned by the Cornell University Library which is making it freely available with the request that, when possible, the Library be credited as its source.
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@ Dambulla Wiharaya
Monk was showing his money to the beggar and beggar the one who decided which note he wants...however i have noticed that beggar asked 100/- note and this foreign monk gave it to him without any doubt....
yea..this monk is really great to be a human...
www.intersectionconsulting.comThis is a visual designed for a client. Calliope is a leadership and learning company based in Victoria, BC. The challenge was to create a visual that represented their core values and mission to inspire leadership greatness. www.calliopelearning.com/about/company-overview.php
Shiny silver- something I value very highly... especially when it clings to my curves as well as this!
I've had this snug fitting strapless gown for so long I've forgotten where I bought it! But that doesn't really matter because it still looks Fabulous, especially in this ensemble!
This is a reshoot of me wearing my excitingly snug and tight fitting silver wet look lycra spandex strapless gown. For this set I've matched it up with silver elbow length opera gloves, fishnet hose and a newly arrived pair of shiny silver platform stocking boots with 6" heels.
I do hope you like my ensemble and the way it hugs my curves as much as I do!
To see more pix of my legs in sexy dresses and other sexy, tight and revealing fitting outfits click this link:
www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/
To see more pix of me in sexy boots click here: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157622816479823/
DSC_5567-25
" Rubió de Sòls, is a new family wine project Also is the name of an ancient historical town called Rubió de Baix or Sols, located in the town of Foradada, in the valley of Rúbies Montsec . It is a natural protected area with species of fauna and highly valued flora, surrounded by well preserved historical and cultural monuments of Catalonia, such as the Montsonís Castle and the Monastery of Salgar.
The farm has planted five hectares of vineyards, divided into five lots, with two different microclimes. Planting is mainly characterized by the majority culture Xarel • LO. It has become a clonal selection of different "xarelos de Catalunya", with the idea of bringing more diversity in the wines. The soils are deep and wide range of minerals and agronomic characteristics of the site are ideal to produce a balanced and highest level of quality grapes.
Precision viticulture work with traditional driving strain in glass and with a wooden stick for each plant. The distribution of the grapes is three-dimensionally, a system that requires manual harvesting. He is a certified organic winery. Registered in the CCPA, following biodynamic principles, particularly to provide organic fertilizers and labor for land. Respect for nature is his priority. The property has a continental climate, high thermal contrast between day and night, and highlights the specific microclimate of the location, defined by the direct influence of the River Segre.
The current facilities of the winery are prepared to produce a quality wine. There is a complete cooling system for the development and mantenimento of wines. A part of the section of production and aging, have a technical laboratory and tasting room. Its production is exclusive and limited to vineyards planted with the main objective to develop a "estate wine" added value comes only with time and the development of fine wines and typical farm"
Unofficial translation
Time goes by and everything is evolving and changing. the humanities of people feeling is priceless.
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