Nestlé employees at Solon test the latest products to come off the Lean Cuisine production line.

Website:

www.museudooriente.pt/

www.museudooriente.pt/?lang=en

PORTUGUESE PRESENCE IN ASIA

english

The unifying concept underpinning this wide reaching exhibition was the

construction of an Oriental utopia by the Portuguese, from the 15th century right through to contemporary times based on trade, proselytism and the interchange of cultures. Given the boundaries to the collection theme allusive to the Portuguese presence in Asia, an enormous effort was therefore put into conceptualising and staging a narrative that would serve to maximise its unquestionable values and offset any shortcomings.

The visitor is welcomed into the central area on level 1 dedicated to Macau, a territory formerly under Portuguese administration and where the Fundação Oriente was founded in 1988. The large exhibition area is dominated by the four magnificent Chinese folding screens belonging to the collection. The oldest displays a Portuguese nau sailing the China Sea and flanked by another, essentially decorative in nature, bearing the coat of arms of the Gonçalves Zarco family and another inscribed with “do Coromandel”, with interesting Christian iconography echoing the school of painting founded by the Jesuits in Japan and that later spread to Macau. The fourth highly rare screen, displaying representations of the cities of Canton and Macau, is located next to the section dedicated to the iconography of the Cidade do Nome de Deus de Macau, with exhibits particularly focusing on the 17th and 18th centuries complemented by pieces from the 19th.

A granite statue, a crude depiction of a Dutchman, recalls the failed attempt to conquer Macau by Holland in 1622. This exhibition section also features a number of paintings and engravings from the period known as “China Trade” (18-19th centuries), both by Western and by Chinese artists.

A small set of designs and a charming painted miniature recall the extensive twenty seven year stay in Macau of the famous painter Georges Chinnery (1774-1852). This exponent of romantic Oriental landscapes left a sizeable legacy of urban, natural and human landscapes across the territory just as its final period of splendour as a key trading post between China and the West came to a close. On visits to Praia Grande or the sampans next to the A-Má Temple, the artist captured surprising instants of daily life dominated by the presence of the Chinese population going about their affairs against a backdrop influenced by a nostalgic European presence.

The role of Macau in international trade is extensively documented in the opposite section with highlights including the collection of porcelain bearing coats of arms laid out with the plates, dishes, terrines or jugs forming a dragon. Furthermore, there is a significant selection of examples of “China Trade” gouaches portraying the production and trade in tea and porcelain as well as Chinese fans so highly appreciated in the West.

Moving onto the eastern sector of level 1, leading onto the staircase, we encounter the following sections:

• And among remote people was founded/ A new kingdom held in great exaltation. Portuguese presence in Asia, in which, “guided” by the words of Camões in his epic Os Lusíadas in addition to those of Fernão Mendes Pinto in Peregrinação and based on a carefully selected range of objects (furniture, textiles, gold jewellery, painting and ivory pieces), complemented by maps and scale models, the establishment and expansion of the Portuguese Empire in the Orient is set out. Centred around Goa, this section features cities and strongholds, the social and cultural interchange resulting from the dialogue and confrontation between cultures and religions. Within this scope, of particular importance are an 18th century treatise written by a Goan on Hindu gentiles along with a set of watercolours making up an album portraying the traditional characters, professions and military authorities in India,

• The Far East, which testifies to the Portuguese discovery of the culture of the Middle Empire and the lucrative trade in luxury products that came about while also incorporating the role of the missionaries that would accompany the traders and soldiers and who first founded the Christian Church in China, as well as those martyred for their faith. The profitable interchange with Japan throughout the 16th and 17th centuries is brilliantly encapsulated by two folding screens and the Namban lacquered pieces, among the most significant pieces in the entire collection,

• The mother of pearl route: from the Holy Land to Oriental Asia, a collection made up of devotional pieces and “remembrances”, of small and medium size, destined either for export or the local Christian community with crucifixes and fixed crosses to the fore in a collection built up over decades by the sculptor Domingos Soares Branco and acquired by the Fundação Oriente.

With this section over, the visitor again returns to the central area of the Macau section and enters the western wing given over to the following:

• East Timor, peoples and cultures, a very rich collection that documents, through pieces related either to the daily reality and the genealogic traditions or to the sacred, the unity and diversity of the cultures presented in addition to the close ties these peoples held and still hold with Portugal. The seed remover and the bench are located in the daily world of working instruments while the bracelets, necklaces, insignias of power or circumcision knives project us into the worlds of ceremony and ritual and developed through the various types of mask present. The various types of cloth woven by Timorese women illustrate the genealogical traditions within community while the decorative doors and panels of homes or votive statues takes us into the microcosm of Timorese homes with their succession of storeys — from ground level, home to animals and lesser spirits, up to the quarters of the living before rising to the area given over to the worship of ancestors.

• Collecting the Art of East Asia contains a collection of terracotta and other antique Chinese, Japanese and Korean pieces acquired by the Fundação Oriente complemented by loans from Machado de Castro National Museum in Coimbra, enriched by the bequests of the poet Camilo Pessanha and the politician and writer Manuel Teixeira Gomes.

Given the extent of the Chinese ceramics collection, covering the most diverse period and techniques, the exhibition documents the typological evolution of funereal terracotta works, with examples dating back to the Neolithic period and running through to the Ming dynasty, as well as ceramics and porcelain both for practical daily purposes and pieces made for export.

The display further contains a small but significant set of bronzes in the majority deriving from the Camilo Pessanha Collection, some of them highly rare either due to their age or their artistic quality. A set of images, of various origins, and paintings in the Pessanha Collection provide a point of reference to the most erudite of Buddhist and Taoist artistic expression.

Courtesy of the painting and costumes in the Pessanha Collection, it is possible to evoke the office and artistic tastes of a 19th century Chinese man of letters with all his “cherished items”, libation recipients, screens and folding screens, objects of devotion and the roles and albums of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy in addition to their respective means of execution.

From the notable collection of Chinese snuff flasks built up by Manuel Teixeira Gomes, the second largest in Europe, there is a representative selection of existing different types. The same level is reached with the Japanese collection of the same type: inrô (small and portable personal containers), netzuke (to close the inrô and mask shaped mostly with depictions of the leading characters from Nô Theatre) and tsuba (sword hand guards), covering a broad chronological period and which in the case of Japan are complemented by three monumental sets of armour and other ceramics, bronzes, painting and furniture.

Concluding this section, there is a display of Korean pieces: a lacquered wooden box set with mother of pearl incrustations and an interesting set of watercolours from the late 19th century by the Korean artist Kim Jun-geun, known by his artistic name of Kisan, depicting the clothing, costumes and festivals of Korea and produced for European and American markets.

português

O conceito gerador deste grande módulo expositivo foi a construção de uma utopia oriental pelos Portugueses, desde o século XV até aos nossos dias, baseada no comércio, na missionação e no encontro de culturas. Dados os referidos condicionalismos da colecção alusiva à presença portuguesa na Ásia, houve que fazer um enorme esforço de conceptualização e de encenação narrativa para de algum modo potenciar os seus indiscutíveis valores e minorar as suas fraquezas.

O visitante é acolhido no espaço central do piso 1, que é dedicado a Macau, território outrora sob administração portuguesa onde foi fundada a Fundação Oriente, em 1988. Este amplo espaço é dominado pela exposição de quatro magníficos biombos chineses da colecção: o mais antigo representa uma nau portuguesa nos mares da China e encontra-se ladeado por outros dois, um de carácter essencialmente decorativo, decorado com as armas da família Gonçalves Zarco, e um outro, dito “do Coromandel”, com interessante iconografia cristã, eco da escola de pintura criada no Japão pelos Jesuítas, que mais tarde se estenderia a Macau. O quarto biombo, raríssimo exemplar decorado com as representações das cidades de Cantão e de Macau, encontra-se junto à secção dedicada à iconografia da Cidade do Nome de Deus de Macau, com exemplares que remontam aos séculos XVII e XVIII e se estendem pelo século XIX.

Uma estátua em granito, representando toscamente um holandês, evoca a tentativa frustrada de conquista de Macau pelos Holandeses, em 1622. Neste módulo expositivo destacam-se ainda várias pinturas e gravuras do chamado período “China Trade” (séculos XVIII-XIX), tanto de autores ocidentais como de autores chineses.

Um pequeno conjunto de desenhos e uma encantadora pinturinha lembram a prolongada presença de vinte e sete anos em Macau do famoso pintor britânico Georges Chinnery (1774-1852), expoente do paisagismo romântico no Oriente, que deixou um notável registo das paisagens urbana, natural e humana do território no derradeiro período do seu esplendor como entreposto entre a China e o Ocidente. Nas vistas da Praia Grande ou das sampanas junto ao Templo de A-Má surpreendem-se instantâneos do quotidiano que envolvem dominantemente a presença da população chinesa nas suas tarefas, em cenários marcados por uma nostálgica presença europeia.

O papel de Macau no comércio internacional está extensivamente documentado na secção oposta, salientando-se a colecção de porcelana brasonada, formando, na disposição de pratos, travessas, terrinas ou jarras, um dragão. Contudo, não deixam de ser significativas as séries de gouaches “China Trade” que representam o fabrico e o comércio do chá e da porcelana, assim como os leques chineses, muito apreciados no Ocidente.

Passando ao sector nascente do piso 1, fronteiro ao acesso por escada, sucedem-se os seguintes módulos:

• E entre gente remota edificaram/Novo reino que tanto sublimaram. Presença portuguesa na Ásia, em que, “guiados” pelas palavras de Camões n’ Os Lusíadas mas também pelas de Fernão Mendes Pinto na Peregrinação, se procura documentar, a partir de uma criteriosa selecção de objectos (mobiliário, têxteis, ourivesaria, pintura e marfins), complementada por mapas e maquetas, o estabelecimento e a construção do Império Português do Oriente, centrado em Goa, com as suas cidades e praças-fortes, as suas sociedade e cultura miscigenadas, em que se deu o diálogo e o confronto entre culturas e religiões. Neste particular destacam-se um exemplar setecentista de um tratado escrito por um goês sobre o gentilismo hindu, assim como as aguarelas de um álbum que representa tipos populares, profissões e autoridades militares da Índia;

• Ásia Extrema, em que se evidencia a descoberta, pelos Portugueses, da cultura do Império do Meio e do lucrativo comércio de produtos de luxo que com ele poderiam realizar, não esquecendo o papel dos missionários que acompanhavam os comerciantes e os soldados e deram início à Igreja Católica na China, inclusive os que sofreram o martírio pela Fé. O frutuoso encontro com o Japão nos séculos XVI e XVII é brilhantemente ilustrado por dois biombos e por lacas namban que estão entre as mais relevantes peças de toda a colecção;

Findo este sector, o visitante atravessa, de novo, o espaço central dedicado a Macau e entra no sector poente, em que se desenvolvem outros dois módulos:

• Timor-Leste, povos e culturas, colecção muito rica que documenta, através de peças relacionadas quer com as vivências quotidianas e as tradições linhagísticas quer com o sagrado, a unidade e a diversidade das culturas em presença, assim como os estreitos laços que esses povos souberam manter com Portugal. O descaroçador e o banco situam-nos no mundo quotidiano dos instrumentos de trabalho, enquanto as pulseiras, os colares, as insígnias de poder ou as facas de circuncisão nos projectam no universo cerimonial e ritual, tal como acontece com as diversas máscaras presentes. Os vários tipos de panos tecidos pelas mulheres timorenses ilustram os patrimónios linhagísticos das comunidades, enquanto as portas e os painéis decorativos das casas ou a estatuária votiva nos projectam no microcosmo da casa timorense com a sua sucessão de andares — do nível térreo, morada dos animais e dos espíritos inferiores, passando pela residência dos vivos, até ao lugar de culto dos antepassados.

• O coleccionismo de arte do Extremo Oriente, constituído pela colecção de terracotas e de outras antiguidades chinesas, japonesas e coreanas que foi adquirida pela Fundação Oriente, a que se acrescentaram os acervos em depósito provenientes do Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, em Coimbra, em que se destacam os legados do poeta Camilo Pessanha e do político e escritor Manuel Teixeira Gomes.

Atendendo ao elevado número de exemplares de cerâmica chinesa dos mais diversos períodos e técnicas, é possível documentar a evolução tipológica das terracotas funerárias, com exemplares que remontam ao Neolítico e se estendem até à dinastia Ming, assim como da cerâmica e da porcelana de uso quotidiano, nela incluindo alguma de exportação.

Expõe-se também um pequeno mas significativo conjunto de bronzes provenientes, na sua maioria, da Colecção Camilo Pessanha, alguns deles de grande raridade pela sua antiguidade e pela qualidade artística. Um grupo de imagens de vária proveniência e algumas pinturas da Colecção Pessanha permitem referenciar a expressão artística mais erudita do budismo e do taoísmo.

Graças à pintura e ao traje da Colecção Pessanha, evoca-se o ambiente do gabinete e o gosto artístico de um letrado chinês de oitocentos, com as “preciosidades”, as taças de libação, os ecrãs e os biombos, os objectos devocionais ou os rolos e álbuns de pintura tradicional chinesa e de caligrafia, bem como os respectivos apetrechos de execução.

Da notável colecção de frascos de rapé de fabrico chinês de Manuel Teixeira Gomes, a segunda maior da Europa, apresenta-se uma significativa selecção das diferentes tipologias que a constituem. O mesmo se passa com as peças japonesas da mesma proveniência: os inrô (pequenos contentores portáteis pessoais), as netzuke (fechos dos inrô em forma de máscara, com personagens, na sua maioria, do Teatro Nô) e as tsuba (guarda-mãos de espada), peças de cronologia alargada, a que se acrescentam, ainda no âmbito do Japão, as três monumentais armaduras e outros objectos de cerâmica, bronze, pintura e mobiliário.

Concluindo este módulo, expõem-se também peças coreanas: uma caixa em madeira lacada com incrustações de madrepérola e uma curiosa série de aguarelas de finais de oitocentos da autoria do pintor coreano Kim Jun-geun, conhecido pelo nome artístico de Kisan, sobre trajos, costumes e festas da Coreia, realizadas para o mercado europeu e americano.

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english

The Museum of the Orient (Portuguese: Museu do Oriente) in Lisbon, Portugal celebrates the history of Portuguese exploration with a collection of Asian artifacts. The museum opened in May, 2008, and is located in a refurbished industrial building on the Alcântara waterfront. The collection includes Indonesian textiles, Japanese screens, antique snuff bottles, crucifixes made in Asia for Western export, and the Kwok On Collection of masks, costumes, and accessories.

português

O Museu do Oriente está instalado no edifício Pedro Álvares Cabral, antigos armazéns da Comissão Reguladora do Comércio do Bacalhau em Alcântara, Lisboa.

O museu reúne colecções que têm o Oriente como temática principal, nas vertentes histórica, religiosa, antropológica e artística.

A exposição permanente engloba 1400 peças alusivas à presença portuguesa na Ásia e 650 peças pertencentes à colecção Kwok On.

O museu é da responsabilidade da Fundação Oriente e foi inaugurado no dia 8 de Maio de 2008.

A actual directora é Maria Manuela d'Oliveira Martins.

Foi classificado como Monumento de interesse público (MIP) pelo IGESPAR em 15 de junho de 2010.

The Bishop's Palace located on Broadway and 14th Street in the East End Historic District of Galveston, Texas is one of the most significant pieces of architecture in America. The home was built between 1886 to 1892 by lawyer and politician, Colonel Walter Gresham and was designed by Nicholas j. Clayton, Galveston's premier architect. The Bishop's Palace was listed by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 100 most important buildings in America. The Library of Congress has classified the home as one of the fourteen most representative Victorian structures in the nation. The home was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Galveston in 1923. In 1963 the home was opened to public tours, proceeds from the tours help fund the Newman Center that serves Catholic students at the University of Texas Medical Branch. At the time of its construction in 1893, it was estimated to have cost around $250,000, today the estimated value of the home is in excess of $5.5 million, but to the people of Galveston, it's priceless!

To the surprise of nobody who's ever talked to me, I have eclectic tastes when it comes to collectibles. Yeah, I'll get the things that are generally universally liked, but ultimately shock value and general tastelessness (by puritan US standards) are what kind of guide my collecting path.

About a year ago, there was a company with a dream - Big Firebird Toy - and that dream was to make a transforming Arcee figure that was more Senran Kagura than G1 Autobot. Her name would be Nicee, and would share enough characteristics with her licensed namesake so you could help Hot Rod live out his high school fantasies including a familiar alt mode and a very G1 Arcee head.

People complained, of course, but in this day and age, what else is new? At least this wasn't Flametoys where they were selling licensed figures... this was the Wild Wild West of Third Party Transformer figures. I'll admit the window dressing was might attractive, but the Engineer in me also wanted to know.. just how would they pull off such an ambitious design?

At any rate, preorders were placed and all was well for a while.

First it was COVID causing mayhem and delaying production of everything across the board. Then, rumour has it that Hasbro started actually cracking down on Chinese bootlegs of their figures, and so Big Firebird Toy dropped the Arcee head, and just stuck with their own original content. That all passed, and I finally received my copy of the figure.

So just how did they do? Lets look at the Big Firebird Toy EX-01: Nicee figure.

I ordered mine from TF-Direct, who were the lowest price point at the time. Prices have since jumped up from the $95 USD I paid, which included EMS shipping, but a cursory glance at eBay shows you should still be OK. The figure came in it's own brown shipper, with an art box contained within which houses all the fun stuff.

A quick glance at the art box should very quick establish that no... this is not a kids figure. It's not quite Skytube hentai PVC material, but it is at least Teen territory. Also nice is the Pink foiled letters.

I also have to giggle at the security seal and the quality assurance foil sticker because, well... China.

Nicee is packed in robot mode, and comes in a single layered tray with her accessories. By the time things are said and done, the box is gigantic, effectively 12" x 12" x 4", like something out of the old Toys R Us MP boxes. Accessories include an extra Aheago head, a breast plate with soft rubbery breasts, a laser pistol, an energy arrow, a sword, part of her chasis, the handle for her bow, and six additional hands. Naturally, she has a set of instructions, as well as a nifty art card.

Nicee is a gorgeous figure, and I'm not just talking curves. I had two major concerns - crappy paint work, and crappy build. I've done the best I can on my photos, but one of things I couldn't make out on other photos I've seen is the fact that Nicee has a nice pearl finish on all her painted parts. Try as I might, I could not find any areas of overspray or bleeding, with the only bad paint being a fibre or something being embedded into the forehead of my Aheago head. Even the pink on the wheels are pearl finish. Now, I would ADD some colours to a few areas, such as the blade of the sword and maybe to the face to make the lips turn out better, but that's another discussion - what paint work you do get is pretty damn good and is generally resistant to most forms of contact.

I'm not saying you should break out the sand paper, but you can at least be assured you don't have to worry about actually handling the figure without gloves.

Build quality is a bit tougher to explore, but to put aside any immediate worries, overall things are very good. Nicee has rubber tires, which is becoming more and more of a rare thing. There are some die cast metal parts, though these in high stress structural components. The plastics they used feel like the same stuff you'd get on a Takara Tomy MP figure, but perhaps a bit thinner, maybe due to the sheer number of curved parts on this figure.

The finish on these parts is, without a doubt, phenomenal. very few rough surfaces or mould lines found. My mind is blown at how well the pieces fit together, and that truly the finished product matched the CG renders almost perfectly. QC with regards to accuracy of tabs and slots is almost perfect, but isn't quite up to Takara Tomy standards, so it can be a bit of pain to get things aligned correctly but it can be done, at least, and the parts come together with tolerances that wouldn't be out of place on an MP figure.

Joints in general tend to be a bit on the stiff side, especially the neck and head joints, which can make posing Nicee a bit of a headache..

Finally I feel the hands should have used the more popular method of connection, that is having the ball on the wrist joint itself and the socket on the hand, as opposed to the opposite. This would make things connect more securely, as well as improve range of motion here.

Nicee herself is 19 cm tall, which puts here out of MP scale, as she's supposed to be slightly smaller than Hot Rod. On the plus side, she's that much more visually impressive and has that much more shelf presence.

Articulation is impressive, and is in line with what I'd expect from an MP figure. You get full ankles (two separate points of movement), double jointed knees, thigh twist, hips with pull down for greater range of motion, waist, mid torso, shoulders with lateral movement (so arms can come closer together), bicep swivel, single jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Provided you can get the joints to cooperate, you can put the figure into many, many poses, though for next time Big Firebird Toy, double jointed elbows, please.

For all the effort put into the design of this figure, I feel that Big Firebird Toy put their C Team on weapons duty. The sword is a bit bland, but more importantly, there's one hand dedicated to holding both the Sword and the Bow, and neither of them are really held that well. The laser pistol is perhaps the only weapon where they did some homework as there's almost no way that gun will ever get loose from that hand, and I wish that they had given her a second pistol, in addition to more useful hands.

Another thing that might cool your enthusiasm for Nicee is that she is somewhat of a Partsformer, like most of the current mainline Transformers. In order to achieve a certain body shape, designers just made unwanted parts removable and convertible into accessories for the main figure.

In Nicee's case, that piece of the car body turns into a shield that is pegged in a way that you either can move the forearm it's attached to, or you hold it like a gun because there's no proper handle. Then there's the bow.... oh that bow.

It's made up of the front of the vehicle mode, which usually hangs on to her behind her neck, giving Nicee those wing looking things. Conversion to a bow involves plugging in a plastic piece that gives it a handle, then squeezing it into the hand that is meant for the sword. It's very, very awkward to say the least, and the fact there's no real dedicated hand for holding the arrow is also a major pain.

Oh right, in the event you don't fancy a bow, you can convert most of the parts into a skirt for... reasons, which unfortunately leaves you with a completely useless panel as well as reduced articulation.

Finally, coming full circle we have transformations, though before I go on I should probably mention that you swap out the breast plates by popping up the shoulders and head and replacing the part.

Conversion into vehicle mode isn't really that complicated once you decipher the instruction manuals mentions of degrees and misspelt words. To their credit, there is a link to a transformation video, which I didn't watch, but I'll presume is more helpful than the instructions. The overall methodology is kind of like TM2 Blackarachnia where you stretch out the body, wrap the legs around the body and cover the entire thing in a shell. IIRC the Generations version had this method and maybe even the other 3P Arcee I have, the Occular Max Zinnia.

I guess I should also mention there was controversy about how the vehicle mode had the visual making of a Vagina or something. I dunno.. I don't looking for the meaning of life in my cups of coffee, and I don't go looking for Vaginas in my vehicle modes.

So in conclusion, the base figure itself is very good, and I'm impressed with the excellent paint work and overall production values of the figure. Weapons really is where the ball was dropped, and even then things could have been saved if the variety of hands was greater and if the bow/shield had actual proper handles so they could do their job. But all-in-all, this is much better than any novelty figure has the right to be.

So if you're an open minded transforming robot fan, I'd highly recommend you give Nicee a try.

A farmer delivers milk to a Nestlé collection centre close to our factory in Shuangcheng, China.

Blogged here

St Helen is probably my favourite Kent church. At least from the outside. Alternating bands of flints and local stone give it a Christmas Cake effect, but in bright sunshine it looks stunning.

Inside, its no less impressive. Part of the wall paintings survive, as do geometric patterns on some of the supporting columns.

And it is huge, with a fine wooden roof, a replacement after a fire, but still works well, and the fabric of the church seems good.

Everywhere there are fabulous things to find; Aumbries, memorials, and so much more.

And I reeived a warm welcome from the warden who was waiting for visitors. Last time I was here, there was a display of how the estuary airport-cum-Boris Johnson vanity project seemed a real possibility. Now he is back insulting foreigners, and the airport is dead. But a new Thames crossing is being mooted, and it might run across Grain, which would be a shame to have the peace and quiet shattered.

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An absolute knockout of a church. From the first glimpse of the exterior, with its zebra-like stripes of flint and stone, you know that here is a church of great interest. In plan it consists of an aisled nave, transepts, chancel and west tower - all built on a prodigious scale. Although the church was heavily restored on two occasions in the nineteenth century there is still a great deal of interest and a visit here should not be rushed. The pillars of the nave have distinctive 'V' paintings contemporary with their fourteenth-century construction. The pulpit is of 1636 and shows some excellent carved arcading. Attached to it is a contemporary hourglass stand. The north transept has wall paintings depicting the martyrdom of St Edmund, but these were over-touched-up by Professor Tristram in 1932. Further paintings exist in the south transept and probably show the martyrdom of St Margaret. The base of the rood screen is fifteenth century while the rather insubstantial traceried top is an early twentieth-century addition. There is an elaborate tie-beam high in the roof with little quatrefoil piercings in the spandrels, but this could not have supported the rood as the remains of the rood loft staircase may be seen in its usual position. Outside the north chancel wall can be found a piscina and holy water stoup - all that remains of a medieval chantry chapel or anchorite's cell which has been demolished. The blocked-up doorway that originally gave access to it may be seen both inside and out. On the inside south wall of the chancel is one of the finest sedilia in Kent which together with its double piscina dates from the early years of the fourteenth century.

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Cliffe

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THE Church at Cliffe is dedicated to St. Helen and bears the distinction of being the only church in Kent dedicated to that Saint. It stands in a prominent position at the edge of the Hoo peninsula overlooking the extensive marshes which at this point stretch some two miles to the Thames.

The village seems at one time to have been of greater importance than it is to-day. Lambarde describes it as a large town in his day in spite of a disastrous fire which had destroyed many of the houses about 1520, a fire from the effects of which it appears never to have recovered.

The Manor of Cliffe belonged from very early times to the Prior and Convent of Christ Church, Canterbury, who were also the owners of the advowson, and thus became concerned with the upkeep of the church. At the Dissolution the Manor passed to George Brooke, Lord Cobham, though the Archbishop of Canterbury is still the patron of the living. Among the Rectors of Cliffe were several men of distinction, some of whom probably never visited the parish. From an early date there seems to have been a perpetual vicarage attached to the church, but when it became merged in the Rectory is uncertain.

Of the first church at Cliffe there is no definite record. It is sometimes said to have been founded by Offa, king of Mercia, in the latter part of the eighth century, though the only evidence for this appears to be the presumed identification of the place with the Cloveshoo of the Saxon Chronicle, where various synods of the Saxon Church were held in the eighth and ninth centuries. Without attempting to suggest a solution of this very debatable point, it can only be said that the evidence in favour of Cliffe appears to rest on at least as good authority as that of the rival claimants—Abingdon in Berkshire, and Clifton Hoo in Bedfordshire. There is moreover good reason to think that Cliffe was less inaccessible than might be supposed in mediaeval times. There still remain traces of a causeway across Higham Marsh, which must at one time have led to a ferry, thus affording an easy means of approach from Essex and the Midlands.

The earliest undisputed documentary reference to a church at Cliffe is in the Domesday Survey. It was evidently a building of more than usual importance for it is expressly stated that two ministers were in charge. Of this building, however, not a vestige remains, though there can be little doubt that from it the present plan has, on more or less recognised lines, been developed.

The plan as it exists to-day is complete, and consists of a nave with wide aisles, north and south transepts, chancel, western tower and south porch. The church is one of the largest in Kent, and is a striking example of a parish church whose size and splendour could have borne but little relation to the actual needs of the locality. It was the product of an age whose zeal for church building was limited only by the funds available. The total internal length from east to west is 182 feet, while the width across the transept is 82 feet. The exterior has been the subject of somewhat extensive restoration, which has robbed it of much of its ancient appearance. The south aisle differs from that on the north in having an embattled parapet, similar to that of the porch. The walls of the tower and transepts are faced with flint rubble with little attempt at regular coursing. The later work of the nave and chancel, though extensively refaced, is composed of alternate courses of dressed flints and stone ; the latter, a soft ragstone from the lower green sand formation which, quarried probably from the outcrop a few miles to the south, has weathered badly in many places. A variety of other materials is noticeable, some of which appear to have been reused from the earlier church. A block of Caen stone in the east wall of the chancel, and several pieces in the north wall, have obviously been reused, while a single piece of calcareous tufa can be seen in the north wall of the transept; Reigate stone is also fairly abundant.

It is not till one enters the church, that its size is fully realised. The absence of pews over a large part of the nave, with the fact that the nave arcade is carried past the crossing without a break, and the absence of a chancel arch, all combine to emphasise its spaciousness. The impression

gathered from a superficial survey of the interior is that of a thirteenth century church with considerable additions in the fourteenth century, but a more careful inspection shows at least one trace of an earlier building. The arch from the north aisle into the transept, which has been partially cut away when the thirteenth century nave arcade was constructed, is certainly of late twelfth century date and must therefore have survived from an earlier church. Before, however, considering the development of the ground plan, it is necessary to refer briefly to the chief features of architectural interest which call for notice.

The porch is of a fairly common type, with an upper room, approached by a stair turret from the south aisle. It measures internally 11 feet 5 inches from east to west by 16 feet from north to south, and is apparently of late fifteenth century date. On the right of the inner doorway are the remains of a holy water stoup. The room above has been considerably modernised, and there is nothing to indicate its original use. Occasionally an altar is found in the porch chamber, which, however, in this case would seem more likely to have been used for storing the church goods.

The north and south aisles of the nave are 19 feet 10 inches and 18 feet wide respectively, and are thus considerably wider than the nave itself. They contain a fine series of Decorated windows, those at the end of either aisle being particularly interesting examples of three lights. The church as a whole is very rich in windows of this period, which form in themselves an interesting study in design. The south aisle has a stone bench running along its south and west walls.

The tower is entered from the nave by a plain thirteenth century arch, and measures approximately 15 feet 6 inches from east to west by 17 feet 6 inches from north to south (interior measurements). The lower stage, which is shut off from the church by a screen, and is now used as a vestry, is lit by three narrow lancets, one in each of the disengaged walls. The roof is a simple quadripartite vault, without any boss at the intersection of the ribs, which are carried on shafts supported on corbels set in the four angles. The lower part of the tower is apparently thirteenth century work, and somewhat earlier than the transepts. The flat, clasping buttresses appear to be original, though now entirely re-faced, and might in themselves suggest a transitional date for the base of the tower. The upper part has been rebuilt at a much later date, and contains a Perpendicular window. Like most towers of the period, it is probable that there was originally no structural stairway leading to the upper stages, access to which had to be obtained by means of a ladder, though the existing doorway to the modern stair turret appears to be of fairly early date.

The transepts deserve special consideration on account of the very interesting work which they contain. Their date cannot be later than about 1260 and there are some grounds for thinking that the south transept may be slightly the earlier of the two. The east wall of the south transept is

divided into two bays by blind arches, supported on slender banded shafts, with a narrow lancet window in the centre of each arch. A somewhat similar arrangement exists on the east wall of the north transept, though in this case the central shaft is not carried to the ground, but rests midway on a moulded bracket, below which is a piscina with a trefoil head of the same date. The treatment of the west wall of the north transept is very similar to that of the east, but the arches are much narrower, and the arrangement has been somewhat interfered with by a later widening of the nave aisle. In the south transept the arcading on the west wall is somewhat plainer, and the banded shafts have been dispensed with. Although similar in general design, certain details point to the south transept being slightly the earlier. The string course below the windows, which is continued round the shafts of the mural arcading, is a plain scroll moulding, while in the north transept a fillet is substituted, and the central bands on the shafts of the arcading are of a more elaborate character. The triple lancet windows at the ends of either transept are modern, and replaced two large fifteenth-century windows, which are shown in several early views.

The north transept was formerly shut off from the rest of the church by a screen, and used for holding the Rector's Court. In mediaeval times, and down to 1845, the Rector of Cliffe had a peculiar jurisdiction within his parish. He was exempt from all ecclesiastical authority other than personal visitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The wills of parishioners were proved in the local court, and the official seal of the Peculiar is still preserved in the Rochester Museum.

The chancel, which appears to have been rebuilt entirely in the middle of the fourteenth century, is complete, save for the insertion of a modern east window, which replaced an extraordinarily ugly eighteenth-century aperture of brick. The remaining windows are all fine examples of Decorated work, the tracery of which shows a distinctly Flamboyant tendency. The eastern pair affords interesting examples of Kentish tracery. All have good hood-mouldings with

grotesques at the ends. Beneath the windows is a stringcourse, which terminates at the altar rails with a grotesque head on either side. That on the north has been renewed, but the southern one represents the battered head of a monk.

The chief interest in the chancel, however, is its fittings. In the south wall is a series of three very beautiful fourteenth century sedilia, with a piscina of uniform character, recessed in the wall and ascending eastward. They are divided by slender buttressed shafts, supporting elaborately carved ogee canopies, and surmounted by crockets and finials. Beneath the canopies are trefoiled arches, and behind these the roof is carved in imitation of sexpartite vaulting.

Opposite in the north wall is a fine late-fourteenth century tomb of early Perpendicular character, which is often referred to as an Easter sepulchre, for which purpose it may well have been used. The wide cinquefoil arch is surmounted by an elaborate embattled cornice, supported on narrow

buttressed shafts, and terminating with a carved head at either end ; circles with internal cuspings fill the spandrils of the arch.

Immediately west of this tomb is a blocked doorway which led to an adjoining building, now demolished. The exterior wall at this point is of a different character from the rest of the chancel walls, and apparently of earlier date. It is composed of a variety of material, including pieces of Caen stone, which probably came from the earlier church, and suggests that this section of wall and the chapel, of which it formed part, survived the re-building of the chancel in the fourteenth century. The two adjoining buttresses have been constructed out of sections of the eastern and western walls of the chapel, and serve to indicate its approximate size. The position of its low roof is clearly shown by the stone corbels which remain at a height of 7 feet 8 inches from the ground. The floor must have been somewhat lower than the present ground level, as the small piscina in the exterior of the chancel wall is now only two feet from the ground. In the base of the westernmost of the two buttresses is a niche, now scarcely eighteen inches from the ground, which may originally have been used as a holy water stoup, since it was close to the entrance to the chapel. This small building probably served the joint purpose of a Sacristy and Chapel. That it contained an altar there can be no doubt from the piscina already noted.

It may possibly be referred to in the will of Richard Elys, who in 1468 left 12 pence to the light of the Blessed Mary in the chapel and 4 pence to the light of the Blessed Mary near the pulpit, though one of the transepts may of course have been here intended. Such evidence as there is on the other hand seems to point to the chapel having been pulled down at the time of the rebuilding of the chancel or soon afterwards. The blocked doorway in the chancel wall was originally carried down to the present ground level on the exterior, so that there must have been some steps in the thickness of the wall leading down into the chapel. The date of this doorway, which was probably contemporary with the building to which, it led, is uncertain. It is certainly earlier than the adjoining late-fourteenth-century tomb, as parts have been cut away when the latter was inserted, and the use of somewhat small stones points to an earlier rather than a later date. Its details on the other hand include the wave moulding which is usually taken to be characteristic of the Decorated period, or one might otherwise be inclined to think that it formed part of the thirteenth century chancel. The filling on the exterior is certainly not modern, and the fact that a plinth has been inserted when the doorway was blocked up, to match that round the rest of the chancel evidently with the intention, which was never carried out, of continuing it along the section of earlier walling where the chapel stood, seems to suggest that this work was undertaken about the same time as the rebuilding of the chancel.

We are now in a position to consider the probable development of the ground plan, which, though somewhat conjectural for the earlier period, has left some interesting and unmistakable traces of its later history. In the entire absence of remains of the early Norman church, one is forced to rely for the identification of its position on analogy with other buildings of similar type. The first church of which we have any record in all probability consisted of a simple nave and square- ended chancel. The three easternmost bays of the existing nave arcade would preserve the line of

the north and south walls of the church, while the chancel would occupy the interior of the present crossing. There is nothing to show the position of the west wall, but it would have been approximately in a line with the present north and south doors. Towards the close of the twelfth century north and south aisles, about half the width of the present ones, were probably added by piercing the original walls with arches, and about the same time a small chapel or aisle appears to have been built to the north of the original chancel, and the existing arch constructed so as to give access into it. This arch, which cannot be later than about 1200, is obviously much earlier than the present transept and must therefore have communicated with an earlier building on its site. Some evidence in support of this came to light during the restoration of the north transept in 1864. The foundations of an early wall four feet thick were found beneath the present floor running parallel and close to its eastern wall. At a distance of 15 feet from the chancel wall it appears to have been met by another wall at right angles to it. Unfortunately no further record was made of this discovery, but it establishes beyond doubt the existence of a building in this position, to which the arch in question opened. It is possible that this was the chancel arch of a late twelfth century church, and that the foundations were those of the former chancel, though such a theory would be more difficult to reconcile with the later development of the plan. Moreover on the assumption that there already existed a building on the north of the original chancel when the thirteenth-century builders decided to remodel the church, it is possible to account for the hitherto unexplained fact that the north transept is wider than the south by some three feet. The normal development of the thirteenth century produced a cruciform church. A new and longer chancel, and north and south transepts, were built around the small twelfth century chancel, while the nave and aisles were lengthened by the removal of the west wall some 20 feet further west, and a tower erected to the west of this. These extensive works could not of course have been simultaneous.

The tower appears to be somewhat earlier than the transepts, so that presumably the lengthening of the west end was undertaken first, and at the same time an Early English arcade, extending an additional bay westward, was inserted in place of the twelfth century arches. Contrary to what was frequently the case in churches of this type, there was clearly never any intention to erect a central tower over the crossing, since the abutments are far too weak to have supported the weight. This weakness would account for the presence of the strainer arch of oak, which must

have been inserted sometime in the fifteenth century.

With the completion of this work the early builders grew more ambitious. Almost immediately the work on the new chancel and transepts must have begun. A temporary hoarding was probably erected, shutting off the nave and the altar, transferred there until the new works were finished. The chancel and the south transept were probably first erected, as the sites were free of buildings ; the width of the latter being determined by the size of the former chancel and the chapel on the north. When the work was completed attention was directed towards the north transept, which, according to the usual practice, would have been rebuilt round the earlier building, the foundations of which were discovered in 1864, thus accounting for its slight extra width. Probably towards the end of the century the small chapel, the remains of which have already been mentioned, was built on the north of the new chancel.

Considerable alterations were undertaken in the fourteenth century, the principal of which were the rebuilding of the thirteenth century chancel, and the widening of the nave aisles. The latter was a very frequent form of improvement at this period, and was usually occasioned by the desire

for extra space to set up additional altars so as to meet the enormous increase in the popularity of Chantry bequests. At Cliffe the effect of this widening is clearly shown on the already completed design of the transepts. In the north transept one of the lancets was cut away, and a short pointed arch springing from shafts, which do not reach the ground, inserted in its place. The apex of the original lancet still remains in the wall above. In the south transept a similar alteration in plan is treated somewhat differently. A segmental arch, here reaching to the ground, and opening into the extended aisle, was inserted within the earlier bund arch in the west wall of the transept. This also necessitated the removal of an original lancet, the head of which can be seen occupying the space between the original arch and the later insertion. The windows in the nave all appear to be of this date. Probably contemporary with this extension of the aisles, was the heightening of the nave to allow for the clerestory with its row of single splayed lancets. The junction of this work with the old can be clearly seen immediately above the arcading. The thirteenth century roof of the nave was about on a level with those of the aisles, as the small window in the east face of the tower, which now looks into the church, must originally have looked out over the roof. The line of the fourteenth roof, which was erected at the time that the clerestory was added, can be seen on the wall of the tower, passing across the window opening. Below this the position of the third roof, erected 1732, can also be seen. This roof, which was almost flat, was replaced by the present one about forty years ago.

The rebuilding of the chancel would appear to have been undertaken at the same time as extension of the aisles, to judge from the similarity of the external stonework. This would again have necessitated the use of the nave for services, and it is probable that either at this time, or during the earlier work on the interior of the transepts, the round headed arch, which can be seen on the exterior of the north wall of the north transept, was constructed for the convenience of the masons while the ordinary entrances were not available. That this arch or doorway, which has sometimes been said to be of Norman origin, was really of a much later date, and of a purely temporary character, seems to be shown by a close inspection of its construction. The position is not in the centre of the wall while the arch itself is made up of a variety of material including large flints, pieces of Beigate stone and a single block of calcareous tufa, the latter doubtless coming from the early church. Further, the fact that the filling of the arch' seems to be of much the same character as the adjoining walls points to it only having been used for a comparatively short time. Everything in fact indicates that it was a purely temporary arrangement used during the construction of the transepts, or the later chancel, and filled up as soon as the work was completed. A somewhat similar, though smaller, arch in the exterior of the south wall of the tower was probably of a similar nature, though its purpose is conjectural, and it may have had some connection with original stairs to the upper floors. By the end of the fourteenth century the church was practically complete. The porch was added early in the following century, and the large Perpendicular windows, which formerly existed at the ends of the transepts, inserted. At the same time the upper part of the west tower was rebuilt. Certain work also seems to have been in progress about this time in the chancel, for in the will of the Rector in 1413 a sum of money was left towards that object. Exactly what resulted from the bequest one cannot say.

The subsequent additions were chiefly in the nature of modern insertions. The eighteenth century saw many acts of destruction which are duly entered in the parish registers. In 1730, during the Rectorship of George Green, the old high-gabled roofs were taken down, the lead recast, and an

almost flat roof substituted. Two years later the east window was demolished and a hideous brick opening substituted, and at the same time the old timber roof of the chancel, which, since it bore his arms, had probably been erected during the time of Archbishop Arundel, who occupied the See from 1396 to 1414, was pulled down, and both the nave and chancel ceiled. During this period also the two enormous brick buttresses, which are shown in some early views, were erected on the north and south sides of the tower. The church was in this condition when Sir Stephen Glynne visited it in 1857. Subsequent restorations have been extensive, though for the most part necessary. The brick buttresses to the Tower were removed shortly after Sir Stephen Glynne's visit, and the present circular stair turret erected in the place of the southern one. The chancel was restored in 1875, when traces of the original reredos were discovered, and the jambs of the original east window, which were of Reigate stone and about 15 feet apart, were found in situ. The present window was erected in place of the eighteenth century one in 1884, and at the same time the flat lead roofs of the nave and chancel were removed, and the present high-pitched tiled roofs substituted. Finally a small building, without any communication with the church, has been erected in recent years to the east of the north transept. During these successive restorations much of the external walls has been refaced from time to time, and the whole of the upper part of the east wall of the chancel which was pulled down in 1732, was rebuilt when the present window was inserted.

It is somewhat difficult now to picture the appearance of the interior of the church in mediaeval times. A brilliant colour scheme evidently played an important part in the general effect. Many of the piers of the nave arcades, which are apparently constructed of hard chalk, still show traces of a bold chevron pattern in red and yellow, and, together with the extensive wall paintings, slight traces of which still remain in the transepts, and the brilliance of the mediaeval glass, must have combined to give a very rich effect to the interior. Of the ancient glass very little remains. Dr.

Grayling mentions some fourteenth century borders in the chancel windows, which seem to have disappeared. In the central window of the north aisle is a small piece of ancient glass representing a ship with fish in the water beneath, which is said to have been found many years ago in a shed in the churchyard. In the top of the adjoining window is a fifteenth century figure of the Virgin and Child. A coat of arms in another window is mentioned by Thorpe, but this also seems to have disappeared. The wall paintings, though now very indistinct, were evidently much clearer until

comparatively recent times. On the east wall of the north transept, in the space between the southernmost of the two lancets and the arch in which it is placed, is one of these paintings, divided into five panels, depicting the Martyrdom of St. Edmund. Very little of it can now be made out, though the whole of this transept showed traces of colour at the time of the restoration of 1864. Some remains of a painting in a similar position in the south transept can still be seen, and are said to represent the Last Judgment.

Several bequests for the provision and upkeep of lights before the various altars add a little to our knowledge of the interior in mediaeval times. Of the various saints to whom lights were dedicated in the church Our Lady was of course the most popular. We have already seen that two altars

were dedicated to her. One of these is again mentioned in 1483, when Robert Qwikerell left 20 pence "to the Parish Church of Cleue and to the ligth of Our Lady besyde the pulpett there" and also a similar amount to the lights of St. Laurence and St. George. Richard Elys in 1469 also

mentions lights of St. Christopher, St. John and St. James, while in 1509 Steven Tudor bequeathed to the high altar of St. Elyn 20 pence, and to the light of St. Elyn 12 pence.

Of the position of these various lights one cannot speak with any certainty. That to St. Christopher would have been near the main entrance to the church, while the light of the patron saint, St. Helen, would have been in the Chancel, probably over the high altar. Remains of a piscina in four other places in the church prove the former existence of altars in these positions. That in the Sacristy has already been mentioned. At least one altar stood in each of the transepts, while a small piscina, apparently constructed of broken window tracery at the east end of the south aisle, testifies to another. An altar probably stood in a corresponding position in the north aisle. This disposition would exactly account for the number of lights mentioned in early wills. Besides the lights burning before the altars, there would also be a light before the great Rood over the entrance to the chancel. Some of the lower panels of the original rood screen survive. Above, and partly supported by, the screen was the rood loft, which was already in existence as early as 1413, when it is mentioned in conjunction with the great rood itself and its attendant figures in the will of Nicholas de Ryssheton, Canon of Sarum and Rector of Cliffe. The small fifteenth century doorway with a fourcentred arch, which gave access to it, can still be seen high up in the north wall just east of the entrance of the chancel, and the original stairs remain in good condition, though the entrance from the church has been blocked up and covered over with plaster.

The furniture in the church has suffered much from “restoration" and other causes. Six of the ancient stalls remain, three on each side of the chancel, though panelling at the backs and all the seats except two are modern. The sides terminate in carved heads, some of which have been

renewed, while the two original miserecords are carved with grotesques. The Communion rails are Jacobean, though somewhat repaired. They are of the fairly common baluster type with a central bulge. The pulpit is a very fine piece of Renaissance carving, and retains the original stand for the hour glass, though the glass itself is modern; on it is the date 1636.

Besides the fragments of the original rood screen there is another screen shutting off the vestry under the tower.

The font, which has been moved from its original position, is 3 feet 4£ inches in height, and apparently of late-fourteenth century date. The perfectly plain octagonal bowl has concave sides, around the lower edge of which is a hollow chamfer. The bowl is supported by an octagonal, buttressed stem on a plain base. On the westernmost pillar of the south arcade can still be seen the bracket and chain by which the font cover was raised, indicating its original position.

The monuments in the church are few, and call for little comment. In the floor at the west end of the north aisle are two flat coffin-shaped stones with early fourteenth century French inscriptions in Lombardic capitals. The one on the north is probably the earlier, judging from the very rough

characters which are now scarcely legible. It commemorated Eleanor de Olive, of whom nothing is known. The other stone shows traces of brass, and is inscribed in memory of Joan, wife of John Earn. These stones are described in the Gentleman's Magazine, and old rubbings of them exist among the collection of the Society of Antiquaries. There are three brasses of seventeenth century date, one of which is thought to have been engraved locally.

Two wills are of interest in connection with early burials in the church. In 1376 Robert de Walton, Rector of Cliffe, desired to be buried in the church of Olyve at the entrance to the quire. Some years later, in 1387, Thomas de Lynton, a subsequent rector, directed that he should be buried in the chancel near the entrance, and between the entrance to the quire and the tomb of Master Robert Walton, late Rector, and he ordered that a handsome marble monument should be placed over his body at the discretion of his executors. It seems not unlikely however that his executors favoured a brass monument. In the chancel is the stone matrix of what must once have been a very fine brass of about this period, representing a priest under a canopy. Another smaller matrix of an ecclesiastic is close to the pulpit.

Of the church plate the most important piece is a very beautiful paten of silver gilt of the early part of the sixteenth century. In the centre, worked in coloured enamels, is a seated figure of God the Father holding before Him a figure of the crucifixion. The extreme rarity of pre-reformation

plate is not generally recognised, and the example at Cliffe is one of the finest English patens in existence. At some period or other the paten at Cliffe served as a chalice cover, and it is even said to have been used as an alms dish, which would account for its numerous signs of wear. The other plate is of seventeenth century and later date, and of no particular interest.

It remains for me to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. F. O. Blliston Erwood for several suggestions and for the photographs which illustrate this paper. The present account is intended to supplement, but not to supplant altogether, an article on Cliffe Church, by the Rev. I. Gr. Lloyd, a former Rector, which appeared in Vol. XI. of Arch. Cant., where reference should be made for further particulars.

www.cliffehistory.co.uk/martin.html

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CLIFFE (St. Helen), a parish, in the union of North Aylesford, hundred of Shamwell, lathe of Aylesford, W. division of Kent, 5 miles (N. by W.) from Rochester; containing 842 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the north by the Thames, and comprises 5660 acres, whereof 180 are woodland, about 2000 arable, and the remainder pasture, including a considerable portion of marshy land. The village, which is supposed to take its name from the cliff or rock on which it stands, was formerly of much greater extent, a great part of it having been destroyed by fire in 1520: it was the scene of several provincial councils. A pleasurefair is held on September 28th. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £50; net income, £1297; patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury: the glebe contains 20 acres. The church is considered one of the finest in the county, being a large handsome cruciform structure in the early English style, with an embattled central tower, and containing several curious monuments and remains of antiquity, together with six stalls that belonged to a dean and five prebendaries, it having been formerly collegiate.

www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp63...

I was dangling my legs in the pool when Linda swam up and blocked me. Something about Linda always made me a little uncomfortable. I wanted her to like me, mostly because none of my classmates lived close enough to hang out after school. Linda lived only two houses down from mine. But this warm spring afternoon, her words made me shiver.

“You’ve got to do what I say,” she commanded, her voice low. “Otherwise, I’ll tell your mom you did it anyway.”

“She won’t believe you,” I protested.

Linda glanced a few feet away at our moms in their pool chairs. We could hear them laughing and chatting. They weren’t listening to us. Linda tossed her wet ponytail over her shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know… maybe she will. And even if she doesn’t, my mom wouldn’t talk to yours anymore either.”

Uh-oh. Linda’s ideas weren’t always fun. And sometimes they were downright mean. “What do you want me to do?” I squeaked.

“You know those new people in the house on the corner?”

“Yeah,” I answered.

“We-ell… they’re such pains,” Linda declared. “All I have to do is put a toe on their precious lawn and they come running out to make sure I didn’t run over their flowers with my skates. I have an idea that will show them.”

Linda pulled me down into the shallow water beside her and whispered her hideous plan.

“Soooo…. you just bring me a bag of your grossest garbage tonight,” she said. “Then, when it’s dark enough, we can pull our stuff down there in my wagon….” Her voice sounded mysterious, like a kid detective. Only she wasn’t solving crimes. She was planning one.

“But…” I tried again. “I don’t like this. What if they see us?”

“Don’t be a baby,” she said flatly. “They won’t.”

Maybe I could do it after dinner when I was supposed to be taking the trash out anyway. But I was feeling sicker by the minute. Why was I doing this? So what, if Linda dumped me. I knew it was wrong. I didn’t even know those people. But it was like Linda had some sort of hold on me that I couldn’t explain.

As Mom and I left, Linda wrapped her dripping arm around my shoulders and laughed loudly like we were best buds. “See you later!” she said.

“Feeling okay, hon?” Mom asked when I could barely eat my dinner.

“I’m just… not… too hungry, I guess,” I said. Now I was lying too! How did I get in this mess?

I pulled the kitchen trash bag to the door. “Be back in a bit,” I called.

Outside, I nearly abandoned the whole idea. But there was Linda, waiting at the end of our driveway. She must’ve known I’d chicken out and she wasn’t going to let me.

“C’mon!” she urged, tugging our cargo down past her house to the corner. The home was dark. “Perfect!” she said in her director’s voice. “Now!”

And suddenly, there we were, tossing all that yucky grossness onto the clean driveway. Lettuce leaves and greasy foil wrappers and wads of smelly tissue landed at my feet. I could hear cans dinging and rolling behind the bushes.

My heart was pounding, and my feet felt glued to the pavement in horror at what we’d just done. Somewhere a light went on in the back of the house. “Run!” Linda cried, yanking the rattling wagon and pulling me down the street. I never ran so fast in my life.

The next morning I truly did feel sick. But somehow I made it through the door, into the car with Dad, and on to school. “Have a great day!” Dad called. I hugged my books to my chest and clunked the door behind me. I didn’t think I’d have a great day ever again.

I flubbed the easiest math problem when Mrs. F. called on me. I couldn’t concentrate on my favorite reading book. I could barely swallow my peanut butter and jelly sandwich at lunch. And by the time I got home, my insides felt as wobbly as Jell-O Jigglers.

“Is something bothering you?” Mom wondered when I turned down Toll House cookies. Her voice was quiet, but I could hear a firmness in it. I knew she wouldn’t let this one slide.

Suddenly, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I think I did something… terrible!” I blurted on a sob. “And I’m… not sure… how… to fix it.”

Mom just listened, pushing my bangs away from my eyes as I choked out the whole disgusting story. I was sure she was going to be so disappointed in me. More than I was in myself… and that was huge.

But she only looked into space for a moment. “I saw the husband out trying to scrape his driveway this morning,” Mom told me then. “His wife is recovering from a fall she had last month and he told me how glad he was she didn’t trip over any of that slop today.”

I looked into her eyes, miserable. She reached over and tucked her finger under my chin. “I think you know what it feels like to be the new kid in school. And how they feel being new on our block….”

“Yes,” I admitted softly. Then, after a moment, it was like I suddenly woke up from a nightmare. Yes! I did know. And I also knew how much I wanted people to like me and to fit in. So much that I let someone talk me into doing something so unlike me that it left me heartbroken. I had hurt someone for no reason. And like Mom always said, “hurting someone else hurts God, too.”

Suddenly I was angrier than I was afraid. Mostly at myself — for letting Linda talk me into such a plot. I wanted to march two houses down and tell her my own plan. And if she didn’t care to join me, that was her problem.

Linda did go with me, hanging behind as I rang the bell. I stuttered our apology to the woman in her wheelchair. At first, her black eyes flashed, reminding me of dark skies on a stormy day. I could tell she wasn’t sure if we were really sorry, or if someone was making us confess. But after we finished hosing down her driveway she asked us in for lemonade. She told us about her grandchildren, who were our age and lived in another state. I confided how I loved to read and that Linda was a great swimmer. By the time we left, I had a new friend, and dinner sounded good again.

Even Linda seemed relieved. It was almost like she had needed me to stand up to her. Maybe all her crazy ideas were because she tried too hard to feel… important. Because she wanted me to like her, too. I hadn’t thought of that before.

“Hey! Race you to your house!” I dared.

I was through doing whatever old thing Linda said. But after today, maybe, we could be real friends….

P. D.

May 13, 2015 | The Role of Philanthropy in Shared Value, featuring FSG's Mark Kramer, Walmart Foundation's Kathleen McLaughlin, and Ford Foundation's Darren Walker.

Teacher example. My 2D Art class began doing value studies of backpacks

After coming out of prison last summer, Welcome is now a One Man Can Training Assistant. He explains how the project asks questions and encourages men to rethink how they value women and change their lives.

“How can I say that I’m gender conscious if I’m still being abusive? How can I say I’m gender conscious if I’m still seeing women as objects rather than our equals? So in order to change, I needed to do this introspection and move myself away from gang activity to understand I could be a loving man and a loving provider, if I just worked on that process.”

Background

In March 2013 the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women will meet to discuss how to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls.

This International Women's Day, help demand action by sending a message to global leaders that it's time to put a stop to this worldwide injustice.

UK aid is working in 21 countries to address physical and sexual violence against women and girls and will be supporting 10 million women and girls with improved access to security and justice services by 2015.

Find out more at www.dfid.gov.uk/violence-against-women-and-girls

For more information about the Sonke Gender Justice programme visit genderjustice.org.za/

Picture: Lindsay Mgbor/Department for International Development

Terms of use

This image is posted under a Creative Commons - Attribution Licence, in accordance with the Open Government Licence. You are free to embed, download or otherwise re-use it, as long as you credit the source as Lindsay Mgbor/Department for International Development'.

2008

Red pacer on paper

21cm x 27.9cm

To the glory of God

And in loving memory of

Gifford Sherman READE

Of Holbrook House, Ipswich, England

Born 1846 Died at Auckland 5 Dec. 1929

And of his wife

Margaret Augusta Walker

Born 1843 Died 6 July 1929

Mr Reade gave his family property and large fortune to the Admiralty for the benefit of

the Navy and in memory of its services during the Great War 1914-1918

In thee oh Lord have I put my trust

Plaque on top of grave

“Benefactor to The Royal Hospital School

Holbrook, England”

Area 4 Block A Lot No. 10

A GIFT TO THE NATION.

...new Naval College which is to be erected at Holbrook, Suffolk, as the result of the munificent gift of an Auckland citizen, Mr. Gifford Sherman Reade. He has given his ancestral home of 850 acres and an endowment of a total value of £1,000,000. The Admiralty has let a contract for the buildings, which, on their completion in four years' time, will supersede the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, where 1000 boys are educated.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 159, 8 July 1929, Page 17

OBITUARY.

MRS. G. S. READE,

The death occurred on July 6, at her home, "Summit," 1, Landscape Road, Mount Eden, of Mrs. Margaret Augusta Reade, wife of Mr. Gifford Sherman Reade, and daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. Walker, of Edinburgh, Scotland. Mrs. Reade was 84 years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Reade came to New Zealand thirteen years ago on a holiday trip and decided to settle in Auckland. Their former home was Holbrook House, near Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Mr. Reade spent 35 years of his life in India, where he had extensive estates in Assam and acquired interests in various industries. He retired 25 years ago. In July, 1928, the fact was announced by cable that Mr. Reade had donated his ancestral estate of 850 acres on the southern portion boundary of Suffolk, overlooking the estuary of the River Stour, together with a large sum of money, for the purpose of establishing a naval training school to replace the present one at Queen's Hall, Greenwich. The total value of the gift of Mr. Reade was £1,000,000. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of York, and building is expected to be completed within four years' time. The interment of Mrs. Reade took place at Hillsboro' [sic] Cemetery. [2]

Margaret’s probate is available:

archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=9383051

“On the 5th December 2008, two former pupils of the Royal Hospital School attended a service at the grave of Gifford Sherman Reade in Auckland, New Zealand. The gravestone has recently been renovated under the guidance of the New Zealand Navy and service coincided with the 79th anniversary of his death.

Gifford Sherman Reade was born in 1864 at Holbrook House and he became a very successful tea trader and ship owner. In 1921 he gifted his Holbrook estate to the Admiralty enabling the relocation of the Royal Hospital School from Greenwich to Holbrook. Gifford Sherman Reade died in 1929 before the new school buildings were complete but he made a further bequest of funds in his will in gratitude for the Royal Navy's safeguarding of his merchant fleet during the First World War.

The service of rededication of Reade's gravestone at Hillsborough Cemetery, Auckland was led by a New Zealand naval chaplain and attended by Tom Blackett, son of the Royal Hospital School's Headmaster, Howard Blackett. Fellow former pupil Chris Emmerson also attended with his father Graham, who transferred as an officer serving with the Royal Navy to the New Zealand Navy four years ago.“ [1]

Holbrook Estate

www.grenhosp.org.uk/general/holbrook-estate/

Gifford’s obituary reads similarly, with the addition that “its erection will enable the famous Macpherson collection to be eventually installed at Queen’s House, Greenwich, where the school is at present established”. [3]

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 289, 6 December 1929, Page 5

"I have now given my all to the Navy," was the reply that Mr. Gifford Sherman Reade was in the habit of sending to the numerous begging letters he received, after it was made public that he had donated for the benefit of the British Navy, property and endowments to the value of £1,000,000. This statement was quite true, as Mr. Reade, in July last, divested himself of all but a small income on which to live for the remaining term of his life. Mr. Reade's death took place last evening at his home in Landscape Road East, Mount Eden, at the age of 85 years, his wife having died last July. As is but fitting, the Royal Navy will be represented at the funeral of this giver of wealth to the Empire by the two commanders of the New Zealand Division, and a lieutenant in charge of a firing party of 24 men. Wreaths have also been sent by the officers. Mr. Reade's former home was at Holbrook House, Ipswich, Suffolk, England, and it is this valuable property, including 850 acres of land which had belonged to his ancestors for generations, which he donated to the Navy, together with funds to equip and endow a training school. The British Admiralty let a contract for the buildings, the foundation stone of the school was laid in October last year by the Duke of York, who forwarded to Mr. Reade a special cable concerning the ceremony. It is estimated that it will take four years to complete the buildings, which will be capable of accommodating 1000 boys.

During the war Mr. Reade made munificent gifts to the cause of the Allies, including huge consignments of tea for the men at the front. This endowment is to be administered as a national trust. Mr. Reade amassed his fortune as the owner of several tea growing estates in Assam. He was also interested in other industries, including coal mining. He spent 35 years of his life in India, and came to New Zealand with his wife 1 year ago. Having no family, and liking the climate, he made Auckland his headquarters, but travelled extensively over New Zealand. He was a keen fisherman.

Some 20 years ago Mr. Reade retired from active business, and travelled extensively with his wife before coming to New Zealand to spend the evening of their days. It was the splendid work done by the British Navy during the Great War that caused Mr. Reade to decide upon making his munificent gift to the Empire. His idea was to enable the Admiralty to transfer the boys from Queen's College Naval Training School, at Greenwich, to more suitable quarters. The Admiralty sent Mr. Smallwood, principal of the college, to New Zealand to finalise with Mr. Reade the details of his gift, which included the offer of £100,000 to be allowed to accumulate until the principal sum is sufficiently large to produce a, sum which will entirely support the institution.

Mr. Reade was a very quiet, unassuming-: man, but with the true instinct of an Englishman, he recognised that the safety of the Empire depended upon the Navy, hence his munificence in providing for the training of youths to man the ships in the future.[4]

A portrait of Gifford is here:

www.mwadui.com/RHS/Index_rhs.htm

Gifford’s probate is available:

archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=9383050

WITH NAVAL HONOURS.

MR. G. S. READE'S FUNERAL

ADMIRALTY SENDS WREATH.

A naval funeral was accorded Mr. Gifford Sherman Reade, who was buried at Hillsboro' [sic] Cemetery on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Reade, who had ardently supported the Navy throughout his life, and who had presented his entire estate to the Admiralty for the establishment of a naval school, which he endowed to the extent of more than £1,000,000, was buried with full honours.

A naval detachment, consisting of Commander Robertson, of H.M.s. Veronica. Commander Jeffries and Lieutenant R. S. Jessall. of H.M.s. Dunedin, and 24 men from the combined vessels of the New Zealand station, was present. Regret at their inability to attend was expressed by Commodore Blake and Commander Tobin. of H.M.s. Philomel, who were detained by the naval manoeuvres conducted by the Royal Naval Reserve. Three wreaths, one from the Lord- Commissioners of the Admiralty, one from the commanders, officers and men of the ships of the New Zealand station, and one from the superintendent, officers and boys of the Royal Naval School at Greenwich were sent.

Mr. Reade, whose wife died last July, was not survived by any relatives in New Zealand, nor had he many acquaintances. Two families of his very intimate friends were represented at the funeral. Mrs. G. Haydock, Mr. R. Haydock and Mr. B. Haydock and Mr. and Mrs. D. Gillies. The Rev. E. P. Willis, vicar of St. Andrew's Church, Epsom, conducted the service; he was assisted by the naval chaplain, the Rev. G. T. Robson. Eight men from the New Zealand station acted as pall-bearers. [5]

SOURCES:

[1]

www.royalhospitalschool.org/default.asp?page=560&news...

[2]

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...

[3]

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...

[4]

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS...

[5]

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...

Now that Tesco claim to be matching Sainsbury's prices, you might be forgiven for thinking there's no real difference between the two.

But take the water above. One's from Sainsbury's basics range. It comes from a spring in Yorkshire, filtered through mineral-rich Greenmoor rock.

The other's Tesco's Everyday Value Water. It starts at the mains supply, like the water in your tap.

They cost exactly the same. But the difference between them is clear.

Price comparison made using Tesco.com on 31st October 2013. Sainsbury’s basics water 2L, 1p/100ml; Tesco Everyday Value Still Water 2L, 1p/100ml. Subject to availability. Selected stores only. For more information write to us at Sainsbury’s Customer Services, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N

2HT. You can live well for less than you thought at Sainsbury’s. Based on price perception data August 2013. For more information go to Sainsburys.co.uk/livewellforless

Value @ Bridgetown 3/22/14

“Arvind anna! Arvind anna!”

On a January morning in the outskirts of Bangalore, I saw a bunch of 12th standard students run out of their classroom and towards my friend. We were at a school for underprivileged children where Arvind had been a Maths teacher. He had left the school almost two years earlier, but from the cheerful shouts of his students, it was clear that they hadn’t forgotten him.

---

Arvind and I first met as freshmen at the University of Texas at Austin in 2006. It was immediately evident that he was seriously smart. One would say annoyingly smart too if only he wasn’t so generous in sharing his intelligence and time.

When I flunked my first Physics exam in college, I reached out to him, shocked and confused. Just months earlier I had scored well in the same subject in the Tamil Nadu State Board exams. Arvind ignored my grumbling and taught me, through examples, the underlying concepts of the theories and formulae I had memorised. He would help several fellow students this way.

What is the point of your bookish knowledge, he would ask, if you don’t know when and how to apply it?

---

“Hi anna, how are you?” asked Arvind’s former students as they surrounded him on the school playground. “How long are you here for?”

“Just for a day. I wanted to see you all,” Arvind replied with a hint of a smile.

A few minutes earlier, we had been joking around but now that he was in front of his students he had his strict teacher-face on. The kids wanted to give him a big hug, but he went around formally shaking each one’s hand and commenting on how much they had, or hadn’t, grown. The students were so giddy with excitement that he had to threaten to leave campus for them to go back to their classroom.

“They’re so happy to see you man,” I told him.

“Nah, they just want to skip school,” he replied.

---

Our time in Austin was a time of idealism. Music by AR Rahman would play in the background as Arvind and I sat with open textbooks on our laps discussing the world’s problems and how we would one day make a difference. In the protective bubble of college, anything seemed possible. While every good movie I saw changed my views on what I wanted to do, Arvind was unusually clear about his calling.

When we graduated from college, many of us who studied Engineering or Computer Science went straight into corporate jobs. Arvind, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Electrical Engineering and Economics, took a job as a teacher in Houston. It was a choice that felt strange to many around him. But how can you expect to change a system if you don’t fully understand it?

---

“A great person once said that preparation in the last minute leads to the best results,” said a student standing in front of us, hands in pockets. His measured and confident manner suggested a promising future in theater. Or politics. He was the leader of a group that refused to leave Arvind’s side despite his pleas that they go study for their upcoming exams.

“Who said that?” Arvind challenged the rebel.

“We only remember the quotes,” he replied coolly. “Not the people who said them.” Sensing Arvind’s mounting frustration, he added, “How can we study now? If you’re at home and your favourite TV show is on, will you be able to study? You are like our favourite TV show.”

I changed the topic. “What do you want to do after you finish school?”

“I want to do business,” he said. He didn’t elaborate on what kind of business – in my experience, very few people did. It was a way of telling us that he wanted to be his own boss. It was also a way of telling Arvind that he didn’t want to go to college.

“What do you hope for kids like him?” I asked Arvind later.

“I want them to do what they love,” he said. But he was worried that the education they received hadn’t adequately prepared them for that. “There’s very little focus on practical skills in mainstream education. If he wants a micro-loan to start a business, he doesn’t know the first thing about it. He’s learnt all these obscure concepts in Maths, but doesn’t know anything about bookkeeping.”

In Arvind’ time at the school, he had seen the benefits of teaching students practical skills.

“There was this one boy in my class who would only whisper. He didn’t have the confidence to talk,” Arvind said. “He was a special-needs child, and his parents would keep comparing him to his younger brother and shun him. He had no friends either. One day, I found out that he loved gardening and that he helped his grandfather out with it.”

When Arvind introduced an after-school extra-curricular program, he made sure that there was a gardening club.

“I put him in charge of it. He knew much more about gardening than anyone else and he became an authority figure. Soon, it improved his confidence. He started participating in class. I began to hear his voice.”

---

In Houston, Arvind was a first-time teacher in a school system he had not studied in – he did his schooling in Chennai and Singapore – and he was shocked by many students’ lack of respect for him. Some walked out of his class, others openly cussed at him. He didn’t know how to get them to care about fractions or algebra when they were distracted, even overwhelmed by issues at home. The pointless meetings he had to attend with supervisors also frustrated him, and he struggled to escape the inner politicking. All he wanted to do was teach, not spend more than half his time on paperwork and handling his superiors.

The experience threatened to break him. He needed a change of scene. So, he quit his job in Houston and moved to a school in Bangalore to teach Maths. By the end of his first year there, he had risen to Academic Administrator, second in rank only to the Principal. He wasn’t sure if his success had something to do with being part of a school culture he knew well, but his students were finally receptive to him. The best way to get them to care, he figured, was to convince them that he genuinely cared.

Two years in, he had to make an important decision: continue to teach, or take up an offer of admission from the Harvard Business School that he had already deferred once. He didn’t know if Harvard would better equip him to achieve his goals in education. On the other hand, his relative low teacher’s salary weighed on him. In the end, he decided that before he could commit fully to chasing his dream, he needed to secure his finances. A Harvard MBA would help with that.

“There are teachers who are earning Rs. 6000 per month (~$100). Who will come to teach? This has to change. There needs to be a lot more respect for the role a teacher plays,” Arvind told me. “There also needs to be a shift in what the curriculum focuses on. There needs to be more focus on character skills and entrepreneurial skills. The education system prepares students for nothing.”

“Do you think you can bring about these changes?”

“With anything in education, change is very, very, very long-term. My goal is not to bring about that change. It won’t be possible in my lifetime, but I hope to sow the seeds for change to happen.”

---

Months after our trip to Bangalore I asked Arvind, who was back in Boston finishing up grad school and working on an education start-up, what his teaching experience had meant to him.

“Working as a teacher really changed my perspective,” he said. “I earned a lot in terms of personal growth, and I started to feel comfortable in my own skin. We sometimes measure a job by the money we make. You can’t measure this by money. I can’t put a financial value on how good I felt with the impact I was able to make.”

That day in Bangalore, Arvind didn’t leave the campus till his former students did. Even if he wanted to, they wouldn’t have let him. Right after the final bell rang, they invited him to their classroom where they threw him a surprise party. He had been straight faced all day but even he had to admit that the experience made him emotional.

“I wish I could continue to guide these kids until they are more settled in life,” he said. “I still feel like they are my kids. I do wish I could continue, but that’s life. For now, I hope that I did enough in those two years to help them make the right choices.”

---

People in Karnataka (Part 1 of 16)

Some of the values artists value. Croudsourced values, part of *For the Love of it*, Artquest, London 2013

Value @ Bridgetown 3/22/14

Value @ Bridgetown 3/22/14

Santiago's Shop #1 & #2 is a distinguished family owned business that was established in 1992 by Santiago Cruz and Roberta Garcia. We're happy to announce that we've finally decided to go with the technological times. Therefore, we've created this website for our customers to gain an insight of the large array of unique items that we carry in our stores. We offer an eclectic range of merchandise from industrial to architectural salvage, to modern and a lot of weird and unusual things. We provide our clients with superior value and service that lead them to acquiring anything but ordinary items. Our business is built upon our constant hard work, honesty, and the desire for our customers to experience excellency at its finest. We gain access to our merchandise through the connections that we hold in the LA area (Bel Air, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Encino, Pasadena, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, etc.) Our items come from the best homes and some even come from celebrities' homes. We work with the best dealers on La Brea, La Cienega, Melrose, etc. Our store has been featured on several shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! and Antonio's Treatment on HGTV. We've also had a lot of celebrities visit our stores. This is only the beginning for us and our goal is to fulfill the customers' needs and to evolve into a bigger and better business. We invite you to visit us and experience exceptional service! There are new arrivals to the store everyday. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments.

We have an eclectic range of items! From antiques, architectual salvage, to modern furniture and.... weird stuff!!!

You will never come across an antique store quite like ours!

Santiago Mid Century Antiques

5641 & 5645 Lankershim Blvd North Hollywood CA

Santiago Cruz (818) 445-8410

Roberta Garcia (818) 445-8409

santiagomidcenturyantiques@gmail.com

santiagomidcenturyantiques.com

George Nelson

Herman Miller

Frank Lloyd Wright

Barovier e Toso

Dyrlund

Paul McCobb

Paul Evans

Paul Frankl

Edmund Spence

George Nakashima

Milo Baughman

Harry Bertoia

Charles Eames

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles & Ray Eames

Jere

Kravet Furniture

Van Dyke

Hugo Troeds

Edward Wormley

Bjarnum

Bra Bohag

Credenza

Industrial

Architectural

Architectural Salvage

Architectural Pottery

modern

Danish

Antique

Mid Century Modern

Mid Century Antique

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Fifties

Sixties

Seventies

Eighties

Nineties

Architecture

Furniture

high end

art

history

homes

vintage

wall sconces

chandelier

Murano Glass

lighting

Neblina

Lucite

20th Century

21st Century

Twentieth Century

Twenty-first Century

Holmby Hills

bookcase

candlestick

sculpture

desk

chair

dresser

Coffee Table

Teak

marble

Rosewood

marble mantle

Estate Sale

Speaker

Leather Chair

Leather Sofa

Modernism

retro

Italian

French

Spanish

Patio Furniture

bronze

bronze sculpture

memorabilia

movie poster

French furniture

Italian furniture

Spanish furniture

Art & Craft

Art and Craft

Spanish California

Panel

Panel screen

room divider

abstract

abstract art

sofa

couch

sectional sofa

Persian rug

runner

table lamp

table light

hanging lamp

hanging light

fixture

light fixture

bar stool

stool

Mahogany

Walnut

Brass

Wrought Iron

Art Deco

French Art Deco

Art Nouveau

Victorian

French Louis XV

Louis XV

French Louis the Fifteenth

Louis the Fifteenth

English Furniture

Gothic

Revival Antique

Revival Gothic

Outdoor Furniture

HGTV

E!

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Antonio's Treatment

rocking chair

Armoire

Curio Cabinet

Rustic

Camera

Vintage Camera

armchair

dining table

dining room table

console table

end tables

hardware

sink

vanity

vanity sink

forged iron

office chair

Le Corbusier chair

Barcelona

Miles van de Rohe

Mid Century American

Neoclassic

Neo classic

Neoclassical

Lounge Chair

Ottoman

Lounge chair and ottoman

Rococo

Rococo Revival

Queen Anne

Chippendale Chair

Federal furniture

Mission Style Furniture

Empire Style

Mosaic glass

Handcarved

hand-carved

Moroccan

Moroccan Marquetry

Root

root table

Stone

stone sculpture

limestone limestone sculpture

end irons

irons

forged

Walnut Chair

Maria Theresa Style

Maria Theresa Style Chandelier

High style

Chesterfield

Tapestry

Rose Bowl Flea Market

PCC Flea Market

Pacific City College Flea Market

Long Beach Flea Market

candleholders

candelabra

drawer

chest

Old Medical supplies

Dentist Cabinet

Chinese

value

Page 31 of the Summer 1964 Lana Lobell catalog.

Dilip Sarker’s art is no more of value to our society or our culture. In his heyday he was a much sought after artisan, very skilful & adept at crafting and creating ethnic jewellery made out of various kind of metals…delicately sophisticated. However, gaudy shiny jewellery from neighbouring India is making way popularised by Bollywood lifestyles & movies, which us ladies have been going ga-ga since the past few years. Dilip’s work is almost a lost art right now & we haven’t been able to think about alternative livelihood for such artisans. That is indeed a shame for my country Bangladesh Dilip is frustrated and wants to tear off his certificates and accolades which are on paper only! Here there are two images…a portrait of Dilip with the Fuji XT 3 and one of his work with my iPhone, which he is proud of but through the years this work of art has gathered dust & is rusty. I could see through my lens how proud he is of his work. And he should be. Respect ✊

Continuing to create a sample board of value and key-stoning for my online workshop - to be filmed next month.

The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), also spelled gerfalcon, is a bird of prey, the largest of the falcon species. The abbreviation gyr is also seen in the literature. It breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra, and the islands of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly a resident there also, but some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter.

Individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being coloured from all-white to dark brown. These colour variations are called morphs. Like other falcons it shows sexual dimorphism, with the female much larger than the male. For centuries the gyrfalcon has been a precious hunting bird, highly valued among the Vikings. Typical prey includes the ptarmigan and water-fowl which it may take in flight. It has also been observed feeding on fish and mammals.

The gyrfalcon is a very large falcon, being about the same size as the largest buteos (buzzard hawks). Males are 48 to 61 cm (19 to 24 in) long, weigh 805 to 1,350 g (1.775 to 2.976 lb) and have a wingspan from 110 to 130 cm (43 to 51 in). Females are bulkier and larger, at 51 to 65 cm (20 to 26 in) long, 124 to 160 cm (49 to 63 in) wingspan, and of 1,180 to 2,100 g (2.60 to 4.63 lb) weight.

Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 34.5 to 41 cm (13.6 to 16.1 in), the tail is 19.5 to 29 cm (7.7 to 11.4 in), the culmen is 2 to 2.8 cm (0.79 to 1.10 in) and the tarsus is 4.9 to 7.5 cm (1.9 to 3.0 in). The gyrfalcon is larger than the peregrine falcon, which it is known to hunt, and differs from the buzzard in general structure, being unmistakably a falcon with pointed wings, and broader-winged and longer-tailed than the peregrine.

The gyrfalcon is a very polymorphic species, so its plumage varies greatly. The archetypal morphs are called "white", "silver", "brown", and "black", though they can be coloured on a spectrum that begins with all-white and ends with very dark. The brown form of the gyrfalcon is distinguished from the peregrine by the cream streaking on the nape and crown and by the absence of a well-defined malar stripe and cap. The black morph has its underside strongly spotted black, rather than finely barred as in the peregrine. White form gyrfalcons are unmistakable, as they are the only predominantly white falcons. Silver gyrfalcons resemble a light grey lanner falcon of larger size. There is no difference in colouring between males and females; and juveniles are darker and browner than the corresponding adults.

The black color seems to be sex-linked and to occur mostly in females; it proved difficult for breeders to get males darker than the dark side of slate grey. A color variety that arose in captive breeding is "black chick".

This image was taken from the Fred Olsen "Black Watch" as it sailed down the east coast of Iceland in between Akureyri and Reykjavik

Love my new clips and Italian water pots!!!

Some unloved cans of Tesco's budget bitter, stranded in Victoria station. There's a lot of emotions there (mainly along the lines of, seriously, Tesco do a value bitter? And also, that alcohol percentage, who is their target market for this?)

Podium at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC.

Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.

Brand: Matchbox

Series: 1996 Toy Fair

Livery: TOY FAIR '96, GET IN THE FAST LANE

Scale: 1/59

Base: Black metal - ©1994

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Vatican Museums

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani; Latin: Musea Vaticana) are Christian and art museums located within the city boundaries of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display,[3] and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.[4]

Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century.[5] The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello decorated by Raphael, are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. In 2017, they were visited by 6 million people, which combined makes it the 4th most visited art museum in the world.[6][7]

There are 54 galleries, or sale, in total,[citation needed] with the Sistine Chapel, notably, being the very last sala within the Museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world.

In 2017, the Museum's official website and social media presence was completely redone, in accord with current standards and appearances for modern websites.[8]

History

The Vatican Museums trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased in the 16th century: Laocoön and His Sons was discovered on 14 January 1506, in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti, who were working at the Vatican, to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner. The pope put the sculpture, which depicts the Trojan priest Laocoön and his two sons being attacked by giant serpents, on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery.

Benedict XIV founded the Museum Christianum, and some of the Vatican collections formed the Lateran Museum, which Pius IX founded by decree in 1854.[9]

The Museums celebrated their 500th anniversary in October 2006 by permanently opening the excavations of a Vatican Hill necropolis to the public.[10]

On 1 January 2017, Barbara Jatta became the Director of the Vatican Museums, replacing Antonio Paolucci who had been director since 2007.

Pinacoteca Vaticana

The art gallery was housed in the Borgia Apartment until Pope Pius XI ordered construction of a proper building. The new building, designed by Luca Beltrami, was inaugurated on 27 October 1932.[13] The museum has paintings including:

•Giotto's Stefaneschi Triptych

•Olivuccio di Ciccarello, Opere di Misericordia

•Raphael's Madonna of Foligno, Oddi Altarpiece and Transfiguration

•Leonardo da Vinci's St. Jerome in the Wilderness

•Caravaggio's Entombment

•Perugino's Madonna and Child with Saints and San Francesco al Prato Resurrection

•Filippo Lippi's Marsuppini Coronation

•Jan Matejko's Sobieski at Vienna

Collection of Modern Religious Art

The Collection of Modern Religious Art was added in 1973 and houses paintings and sculptures from artists like Carlo Carrà, Giorgio de Chirico, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso.[14]

Sculpture museums

The group of museums includes several sculpture museums surrounding the Cortile del Belvedere. These are the Gregoriano Profano Museum, with classical sculpture, and others as below:

Museo Pio-Clementino

A Roman naval bireme depicted in a relief from the Temple of Fortuna Primigenia in Praeneste (Palestrina),[15] constructed c. 120 BC;[16] exhibited in the Pius-Clementine Museum (Museo Pio-Clementino) of the Vatican.

The museum takes its name from two popes; Clement XIV, who established the museum, and Pius VI, the pope who brought the museum to completion. Clement XIV came up with the idea of creating a new museum in Innocent VIII's Belvedere Palace and started the refurbishment work.[17]

Pope Clement XIV founded the Pio-Clementino museum in 1771, and originally it contained the Renaissance and antique works. The museum and collection were enlarged by Clement's successor Pius VI. Today, the museum houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture. Some notable galleries are:

•Greek Cross Gallery: (Sala a Croce Greca): with the porphyri sarcophagi of Constance and Saint Helen, daughter and mother of Constantine the Great.

•Sala Rotonda: shaped like a miniature Pantheon, the room has impressive ancient mosaics on the floors, and ancient statues lining the perimeter, including a gilded bronze statue of Hercules.

•Gallery of the Statues (Galleria delle Statue): as its name implies, holds various important statues, including Sleeping Ariadne and the bust of Menander. It also contains the Barberini Candelabra.

•Gallery of the Busts (Galleria dei Busti): Many ancient busts are displayed.

•Cabinet of the Masks (Gabinetto delle Maschere): The name comes from the mosaic on the floor of the gallery, found in Villa Adriana, which shows ancient theater masks. Statues are displayed along the walls, including the Three Graces.

•Sala delle Muse: Houses the statue group of Apollo and the nine muses, uncovered in a Roman villa near Tivoli in 1774, as well as statues by important ancient Greek or Roman sculptors. The centerpiece is the Belvedere Torso, revered by Michelangelo and other Renaissance men.[18]

•Sala degli Animali: So named because of the many ancient statues of animals.

Museo Chiaramonti

This museum was founded in the early 19th century by Pope Pius VII, whose surname before his election as pope was Chiaramonti. The museum consists of a large arched gallery in which are exhibited several statues, sarcophagi and friezes. The New Wing, Braccio Nuovo, built by Raffaele Stern, houses statues including the Augustus of Prima Porta, the Doryphoros, and The River Nile. The Galeria Lapidaria forms part of the Museo Chiaramonti, and contains over 3,000 stone tablets and inscriptions. It is accessible only with special permission, usually for the purpose of academic study.

Museo Gregoriano Etrusco[edit]

Founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1836, this museum has eight galleries and houses important Etruscan pieces, coming from archaeological excavations.[19] The pieces include: vases, sarcophagus, bronzes and the Guglielmi Collection.

Museo Gregoriano Egiziano

This museum houses a large collection of artifacts from Ancient Egypt.[20] Such material includes papyruses, the Grassi Collection, animal mummies, and reproductions of the Book of the Dead.[21]

History

The Museo Gregoriano Egiziano was inaugurated on 2 February 1839 to commemorate the anniversary of Gregory XVI's accession to the papacy. The creation of the Museo Gregoriano Egiziano was particularly close to the pope's heart as he believed the understanding of ancient Egyptian civilisation was vital in terms of its scientific importance as well as its value in understanding the Old Testament. This feeling was expressed in a paper by the museum's first curator, the physiologist and Barnabite, Father Luigi Maria Ungarelli.[17]

Vatican Historical Museum

The Vatican Historical Museum (Italian: Museo storico vaticano) was founded in 1973 at the behest of Pope Paul VI,[22] and was initially hosted in environments under the Square Garden. In 1987, it moved to the main floor of the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran where it opened in March 1991.

The Vatican Historical Museum has a unique collection of portraits of the Popes from the 16th century to date, the memorable items of the Papal Military Corps of the 16–17th centuries and old religious paraphernalia related to rituals of the papacy. Also on display on the lower floor are the papamobili (Popemobiles); carriages and motorcars of Popes and Cardinals, including the first cars used by Popes.[23]

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The heritage value of the Mont Blanc Anchor Site lies in its commemoration of the Halifax Explosion of 1917 when the “Mont-Blanc,” an ammunitions vessel, collided with the Norwegian relief ship “Imo.” Over 2,000 people died, and an additional 5,000 were injured as a direct result of the explosion classifying the event as the largest manmade explosion prior to Hiroshima. The explosion projected the 1140 pound anchor shaft of the “Mont Blanc” approximately two and one half miles from the point of the explosion, a fact which attests to the power of the explosion. (Source: Halifax.ca)

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