Saturday, December 19, 2009

MY BRITISH MUSEUM

LONDON - DECEMBER 2008

The British Museum is one of my favourite museums in the world. It's huge, its site is fantastic and that's where all the information that accompanies the pictures below was found and borrowed.

It's hard to choose a limited number of pictures to post from the hundreds of pictures I have. But the idea is just to raise your curiosity (for those who have never been there) or stimulate the appetite for a return (for those who are repeated guests...). The result, anyhow, is always rather poor compared with the sumptuousness of the place!!


"OLDEST ITEM DISPLAYED - A stone chopping tool from the Lower Palaeolithic, found in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Made nearly two million years ago, stone tools such as this are the first known technological invention. Using another hard stone as a hammer, the maker has knocked flakes off both sides of a basalt (volcanic lava) pebble so that they intersect to form a sharp edge. This could be used to chop branches from trees, cut meat from large animals or smash bones for marrow fat - an essential part of the early human diet. The flakes could also have been used as small knives for light duty tasks. Chopping tools and flakes from the earliest African sites were referred to as Oldowan by the archaeologist Louis Leakey. He found this example on his first expedition to Olduvai in 1931, when he was sponsored by the British Museum"


"KING AMENHOTEP III (1390-1352 BC) commissioned a large number of statues of himself, mostly for his mortuary temple on the west bank of the Nile. This head (from around 1350 BC) was found in the Temple of Mut, south-east of Karnak. Royal statues in Egypt were sometimes usurped by later rulers. The normal procedure was simply to re-carve their name over the old one, but in some cases the physical features were also altered. Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) seems to have altered a number of statues of Amenhotep III, namely changing the characteristic thick lips of the older statuary to thinner ones. The statue wears the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt"


"RAMESSES II - One of the largest pieces of Egyptian sculpture in the British Museum, weighing 7.25 tons, this fragment of his statue (dating from about 1250 BC) was cut from a single block of two-coloured granite. He is shown wearing the nemes head-dress surmounted by a cobra diadem. It was retrieved from the mortuary temple of Ramesses at Thebes (the 'Ramesseum') by Giovanni Belzoni in 1816"


"THE ROSETTA STONE - The Rosetta Stone, dating from 196 BC, was discovered in 1799 in Egypt. It is one of the most important objects in the British Museum as it holds the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs. The front of the Rosetta stone is smooth and crammed with text, inscribed in three different scripts. The top consists of fourteen lines of hieroglyphs. The middle is made up of thirty-two lines of demotic, the everyday language used in ancient Egypt. At the bottom are over fifty lines of tightly compressed Greek writing. The inscriptions are three translations of the same decree, passed by a council of priests that affirms the royal cult of the thirteen-year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation. In the early years of the nineteenth century, scholars were able to use the Greek inscription on this stone as the key to deciphering the others"


"LION - Guardian figure from the entrance to the Temple of Ishtar, Nimrud, Northern Iraq, adjoining the palace of King Ashurnasirpal II (who reigned between 883 and 859 BC). This gigantic standing lion, roaring angrily, formed one of a pair. The placing of figures of lions beside the doors of temples or the gates of cities was an ancient custom in Mesopotamia. Actual lions were common in the region and survived there until the nineteenth century. The lion is covered with a dedication in cuneiform, consisting of a prayer by Ashurnasirpal to a version of Ishtar called Sharrat-niphi, followed by a record of some of his achievements"


"WINGED BULL, KHORSABAD - This colossal human-headed winged bull magical figure, discovered by the French archaeologist Paul-Emile Botta between 1842 and 1844, is one of the heaviest objects in the Museum. It once guarded an entrance to the citadel of the Assyrian King Sargon II (721-705 BC) in Northern Iraq. The fifth leg is an artistic convention to enable the figure to be seen either from the side, walking, or from the front, standing. Between the legs of the winged bull there is a long cuneiform inscription listing Sargon's titles, ancestry and achievements"


"DYING LION - A stone panel of around 645 BC, from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Northern Iraq, symbolizing the triumph of the Assyrian King over nature.
This panel was part of a series of wall panels that showed a royal hunt. There was a very long tradition of royal lion hunts in Mesopotamia, with similar scenes known from the late fourth millennium BC. The connection between kingship and lions was probably brought to western Europe as a result of the crusades in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AD, when lions begin to decorate royal coats of arms"


"THE NEREID MONUMENT - Taking its name from the Nereids, sea-nymphs whose statues were placed between the columns of this monumental tomb, it was built for Erbinna, ruler of Lycian Xanthos, south-west Turkey. Although he was not Greek, Erbinna chose to be buried in a tomb that resembles a Greek temple of the Ionic order. The monument is much influenced by the Ionic temples of the Acropolis and its decorative sculpture is a mixture of Greek and Lycian style"


"WEST PARTHENON - RIVER GOD ILISSOS - The central feature of the west pediment of the Parthenon was the colossal statues of Athena and Poseidon in contest for Athens and the land of Attica. The reclining figures in the corners of the triangular composition perhaps represent the rivers of Attica. This figure (about 438-432 BC) is thought to personify the river Ilissos, by comparison with figures on the east pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia; the Greek historian Pausanias names them as the local rivers there"


"WEST PARTHENON - IRIS - The west pediment of the Parthenon showed Athena and Poseidon accompanied by divine messengers, Athena by Hermes, Poseidon by Iris. She is shown as if just alighting on the Acropolis. Her drapery is pressed flat against her body and flutters out at the edges. It was held at the waist by a bronze girdle, now missing. Her wings, also missing, were socketed in to her shoulders at the back, where the joins would not have been seen"


"EAST PARTHENON - DIONYSOS - The central section of the east pediment of the Parthenon showed the birth of Athena. This reclining figure almost certainly represents Dionysos, god of wine. He looked out from the pediment towards the corner and the chariot of Helios, god of the sun, rising at daybreak"


"VENUS - This Roman sculpture (about 100-150 AD) was one of a dozen or so found at Campo Iemini, dug up in spring 1794 by Robert Fagan (1761-1816). Fagan was a a prominent member of the younger generation of British dealers and excavators resident in Rome. The beauty of the statue's well-preserved head was particularly celebrated. The Venus is of the Capitoline type, named after the most famous copy in the Capitoline Museum, to which some at the time of its discovery claimed it was superior"

Click to play this Smilebox collage: DO & COCreate your own collage - Powered by Smilebox
"LUNCH BREAK - At Do & Co, the Museum restaurant"

***


"MOAI - Human figure called Hoa Hakananai'a (hidden or stolen friend) made of basalt, 2.42 metres tall. Images relating to the bird man religion are carved in relief on the figure's back and back of head. Dating from 1000-1200 AD, it was found in the Orongo ceremonial centre in Easter Island. Know nothing about the sculpture head..."

Edited: Thanks to Thérèse I found that the head is a sculpture - Mask II - from the Australian artist Ron Mueck!


"SKULLS - NO PHOTOGRAPHY"


"QUETZALCOATL - This mask (15th-16th century AD) is believed to represent Quetzalcoatl («the feathered serpent») or the rain god Tlaloc. Both deities are associated with serpents. The mask is carved from a single piece of Cedrela odorata wood and covered with turquoise mosaic work. The teeth are made of white conch shell. The design incorporates two serpents, one in pale green turquoise and one in blue, which encircle the eyes and are entwined over the nose and around the mouth. The serpent tails finish at the temples with rattles that are moulded in relief and were originally gilded. Turquoise mosaic plumes hang on both sides of the eye sockets"


"DOUBLE SNAKE MOSAIC - This striking object (an icon of Aztec art) was probably worn on ceremonial occasions as a pectoral (an ornament worn on the chest). It is carved in wood (Cedrela odorata) and covered with turquoise mosaic. The wood is hollowed at the back. Serpent imagery occurs throughout the religious iconography of Mesoamerica. The serpent is associated with several Aztec deities including Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent), Xiuhcoatl (Fire Serpent) and Mixcoatl (Cloud Serpent) or Coatlicue (She of the Serpent Skirt), the mother of the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli"


"KUDARA KANNON is a statue of Kannon and made of gilded camphor wood. It is 210 centimetres in height and shouldering the halo. The statue is unique in Japanese art, and regarded as one of the most important works in the ancient Japan. The word Kudara is the Japanese for the Baekje Kingdom. A text from 1698 describes the statue as being rediscovered, but its origin is still unknown. Its name was given in the Meiji period, because its style resembled traditional Korean statues"


"AYZEM-MY - Figure of Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD, Aizen is one of the five Myō-ō «Kings of Light», personified spells and protectors of the esoteric Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, whose principal deity, Dainichi Nyōrai, is the Buddha from whom boundless light emanates. Aizen is usually portrayed wearing a lion-skin hat or wearing a shishi head-dress and he sits on a lotus throne. He has six arms, each holding one of his attributes: bow, arrow, vajras (thunderbolts), some missing from this figure"


"JAPANESE ARMOUR SET - This composite suit of Japanese armour brings together items from different periods (Momoyama period, late 16th century - cuirass and sleeves; Edo period, 17th century - helmet; 18th-19th century - remainder). The helmet is in the tradition of earlier pieces which were often given a hideous face-mask with bristling whiskers to strike terror into the enemy. With the arrival of firearms in the sixteenth century new bullet-proof cuirasses were developed in Japan, copied from European models. The example here is signed by Unkai Mitsunao"


"TATE MODERN 2058"

50 comments:

Trotter said...

Hi Everybody! This is a quiet post… ;)
There are several museums in the world that I visit more often than others: the British Museum in London, the MoMA in New York and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, just to name a few… However, this is just a very short personal selection of what you may see there!! Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

diane b said...

Thanks for the tour I have been there many many years ago and I can't even remember what I saw, so thanks for reminding me. It is quite mind bogling the age of some of the artifacts.

alicesg said...

Wow the museum is fantastic. I love visiting museum and if I ever get the chance to visit London, I definitely make a trip to the museum. Love the human head, it looked so real. Have a nice day and Merry Christmas to you and your family. I will going for a short christmas break but not out of Singapore. :)

Nisha said...

Thanks for this lovely tour de museum. Never been there but felt like I was there.

Regina said...

Love the museum. Wonderful tour. Thank you!

Regards.

SusuPetal said...

I've never been in this museum, but I sure would like to. Very, very much!

kyh said...

Lovely artifacts! I especially love the Aztec dragon-snake. looks so mythical!

Thérèse said...

A great museum for sure!
I just finished "The Battle Over the Stolen
Treasures of the Ancient World"
by Sharon Waxman, very interesting.
The Mask in front of Moai is from a fascinating Australian artist living in London: Ron Mueck.

Dick said...

I was there 35 years ago, I remember some of the things I see in your wonderful pictures, nice post.

lv2scpbk said...

Great information and alot of history. I wouldn't want to see that human figure head late at night. I'd probably scream.

Cutie said...

Those looks so familiar. I remember seeing them. The place is just so huge. I remembered that I didn't manage to see everything. Hey, what about the mummies? You didn't take pictures of those? I find those are freaky. hehe...

Sahildeki Ev said...

Wonderful artifacts, but I still want to see those where they belong to..

Unseen India Tours said...

Beautiful,lovely and fantastic shots !! I Would love to see this museum with my own eyes some day !! Great post ever...

Ron said...

Interesting post. We didn't make it here, would like to see it next time.

I like the picture of the skulls, awesome:)

Merry Christmas to you and your family:)

Venksh said...

Hello Gil,
Wow each n every pic describe the magnificent work... its amazing to look at it...

Kven,
http://kollywoodmoviereview.blogspot.com/

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Thanks Gil! I adore museums and I found each object you photographed to be exquisite. The accompanying text was wonderful to read.

Your lunch looked fantastic!

Next time you visit NYC you should try to see The Brooklyn Museum --it has an extensive Egyptian artifact collection. I also saw many of Mueck's unusual works in a special exhobit a few years ago at the Brooklyn Museum.

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

Hello Gil,
the British Museum is one of the greatest artifact museums in the world. it is my favourite as well, although the last time i was there was in 1988!! I want to go back. It has so many of the world's archaeological treasures and historical relics! Awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Jules said...

Hi again - thanks for your message. Good to catch up with your prolific blog and visit again some of the places I have been to.
Every good wish to you and yours for the festive season.
Cheers
Jules

Light and Voices said...

I am amazed that photography is allowed in the British Museum. How did you obtain permission for usage? Nice job on the images as usual.
Joyce

yyam said...

I love those skulls! Thanks for sharing...I must visit it again soon! Museums are really fascinating!

Unknown said...

This is an amazing post Gil. I have been really lax in posting but hibernating at home with 3 hungry non-stop eating kids :)
I have been there once, cant remember much..memory failing..must be my young age hehe. Happy Christmas to you and love ones Gil, and am so glad to be friends in blog land. Your blog have given so much infor and knowledge, they should publish a book on it :)

Rajesh said...

Marvelous collection of artifacts. The sculptures are unique and each of them are masterpieces. Great snaps.

Gattina said...

I have been there several times because you always discover something new. It's amazing you could take pictures, when I was there I didn't even have a camera, but today when I visit a museum mostly it's not allowed to photographe.

Gattina said...

I have been there several times because you always discover something new. It's amazing you could take pictures, when I was there I didn't even have a camera, but today when I visit a museum mostly it's not allowed to photographe.

Cergie said...

Je suis allée au musée d'Orsay très récemment et ai profitté de la gratuité car il était en grève. Comme il est en travaux certaiens oeuvres notamment de Millet, Gaughin, Monet, Van Gogh sont en bas. J'aime bien les expos temporaires c'est ce qui m'attire puique on se dit qu'elles ne dureront pas, c'est ainsi que le MoMA de NYork j'ai vu certaines de ses oeuvres à Berlin.
Tu dis que tu as emprunté les explications mais ces oeuvres ont été empruntées à leur pays d'origine ; d'autre part les 1ers archéologues étaient occidentaux...
Je suis particulièrement contente de voir cette pierre de Rosette, trait d'union entre les peuples modernes et antiques...

Cergie said...

Londres... Quelle belle ville, pas loin de Paris à présent ; mais que c'est difficile et onéreux de s'y loger ! Tu as profité d'un hôtel bien confortable et agréable. Le petit déjeuner à l'anglaise et le thé devaient y être délicieux...
:)

hpy said...

Such a lot of splendours. A vist today would be nice also to keep us warm!

leo said...

Gil, you have no idea how much I've enjoyed this. I remembered the place being so huge and there was some renovation going on when I was there 4 years ago alas didnt get to see everything. You were right this does inspire one to re-visit. I also like your pic wt Churchill in previous post ^_^ Looking good. Merry Xmas and Happy Holiday.

april said...

Oh yes, there are some museums where you could spend years and never see everything. thsi is one of them. My favourite museum is le musée d'Orsay, too and Louvre (more for the archtiecture). and there are a lot that I've never visited ...

Emery Roth said...

No need to persuade me to return to London and the British Museum. Wonderful post, packed with great shots and information. I used to teach about a lot of this stuff. Alas, any thoughts on the controversy over what should be returned to the lands many of these objects were taken from?

Anonymous said...

As always, a treat to visit you Gil. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

rochambeau said...

All breathtaking, but especially interesting is the "THE ROSETTA STONE". Did you sneak photos or is it permitted at this museum?


Merry Christmas to you both and may the new year finding you trotting off on more exotic adventures.

xox
Constance

Voegtli said...

Hello Gil,

First of all, thank you for all your comments. I haven't been rendering the honor very much the last few weeks, hand surgery oblige. But now I am at a stage where I can hit the keyboard full power again :-)

I have though been looking at your posts and been enchanted by your wonderful "world".

With my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Peter

Voegtli said...

Hello Gil,

First of all, thank you for all your comments. I haven't been rendering the honor very much the last few weeks, hand surgery oblige. But now I am at a stage where I can hit the keyboard full power again :-)

I have though been looking at your posts and been enchanted by your wonderful "world".

With my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Peter

Anonymous said...

fantastic works. i hope someday all those monuments will return to their hometowns

Tinsie said...

Great tour of a fantastic museum!

Lori said...

What amazing treasures! I could spend days there. Since I've never been (yet!) I'll have to experience it through your great photos.

Nikon said...

Very stunning, Gil - great quality photos.
Thanks so much for all of your messages - I'm sorry to have been out of touch.
Happy holidays to you and the family!

Pietro Brosio said...

Hi Gil! Thanks for this wonderful tour of the British Museum! Splendid images indeed! There are so many thrilling things to see there!
My best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010!

Anonymous said...

I wish to you and your family Merry Christmas and a Happy and peaceful New Year

Olivier said...

Magnifique ce musée, et puis surprenant ce melange moderne/ancien surtout avec cette tete d'homme ;)).
Bonne fete de NOEL

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

What a post GMG! I was amazed by this virtual visit to the museum. The most I liked is the 2 million years old invention.

Bhangarh

Neelima Vallangi said...

wow! that was some tour of the museum.. Thanks for that! :)
Throughly enjoyed the sculptures and the stories. I loved the Aztec snake too.. it looks so awesome and it must be having some amazing stories associated with it.

Trotter said...

Hi Folks! 2009 is coming to an end and all posts on 2008 travels are already out. One year delay to keep the standards... ;). Actually, not a difficult task taking into account that I’m travelling less and less, which makes the year too long for such short travelling... Anyhow, the delay isn’t caused by the travelling, but mainly by being busy working... Terrible destiny of people who don’t know anything else to do! ;))
Meanwhile, though almost nobody looks at them (surely even less than those who comment here), I updated the Blogtrotter Revivals. It was a shame that 2009 went through without a single post there... The 90s went back to Rome and Vatican for some spectacular views from the top of St. Peter Basilica. Nobody cares, but it’s there... ;)). Enjoy and have a great Christmas day, those who celebrate!!

Diane,
The British Museum takes ages to be seen; if you’re not a repeated guest, it will be hard to remember what you have seen or not… But the Elgin marbles, with all the controversy that surrounds them, with the Greek Government asking for their return to Greece, and the impressive Assyrian pieces are absolutely unforgettable…

Alice SG,
You will visit London (and in an Airbus 380 by Singapore Airlines, a fabulous airline with fabulous aircrafts... ;))! And then you’ll surely see the British Museum, a must for first time visitors to London... Mueck’s Mask is more than realistic, is hyperrealistic...
Enjoy your Christmas break, in Singapore or elsewhere... ;)

Nisha,
Great advantage of the blogosphere: drives you to the other end of the world without leaving your sofa... ;)). I’m truly glad that you enjoyed the post and the visit!!

Regina,
Great to see you back in the blogosphere posting and commenting after such a long vacation that left all of us green of envy... ;)). You’re much welcome to the free tour of the British Museum...

Susu,
Come on dear, it’s a direct flight and it probably takes even less than the flight from Lisbon... And it’s a first step for you to start moving South to the great sunny land (even if it is raining today here... ;)).

Kyh,
The ancient Aztecs would consider the snake as a powerful creature. And the mythical one we may see at the British Museum is an extraordinary artifact as you put it!!

Thérèse,
The museum is fabulous! Of course, most of its greatness derives from the fact that its collections include pieces from all over the world. Whether stolen or rescued is a great controversy… One day we’ll probably see the end of it with a decent compromise that will suit all parties; but first there is the need for the settlement of the Middle East differences...
Thanks for the tip on Ron Mueck; I had already heard about him but didn’t take note of the Mask II when at the Museum and then was a bit lazy to make a research before posting... ;)

Dick,
We’re definitely getting old; my first time there was in August 1974, thirty five years ago also... ;). I’m sure you remember the Greek marbles from the Parthenon and the Assyrians at least; those are unforgettable... ;))

Barb,
The information was borrowed from the site of the British Museum; the history is a long time hobby... ;). I can surely understand your reaction towards the Mueck’s Mask II; but there are other hyperrealistic sculptures even more impressive than that one... ;)

Cutie,
You’re a truly lucky girl, travelling and cooking... ;).
Of course, you didn’t manage to see everything in the Museum; nobody does... ;). The mummies at the British? No, thanks. I’ll save it for the Louvre... Each one with its own speciality or like we say in Portuguese: «cada macaco no seu galho» («each monkey on its tree branch»)... ;))!

Trotter said...

Part Two:

Aysegul,
The problem might be to ascertain where they belong to. The place where they were created (and where they were in some cases getting ruined) or the place where they were stolen (rescued) to? An interesting discussion is going on for the next years...

Bharat,
Thanks for your nice words! You’re always too kind! Now, let’s make a deal: you show me Rajasthan and then I’ll show you the British Museum; much easier task for me... ;))

Ron,
OK, just let Jensen grow a little bit more and then show him the British; there is a lot for young people to learn there... ;). Those skulls are incredible; don’t know who created it and only noticed the «No photography» sign when looking the pictures to post... ;))

Kven,
Every item is part of the great construction of human culture... And the guys at the British actually spotted some of the best pieces to make their collection!! A great tour...

Pat,
All credits on the text go this time to the Museum site; a very informative and complete site!! The lunch at Do & Co (I knew it from Vienna, just in front of the Stephen’s Cathedral) was nice, but the most interesting was the cowboy pair... Amazing!! ;))
I visited the Brooklyn Museum some years ago and was quite impressed; but as far as mummies are concerned, I always return to the Louvre; probably because of Champollion... Anyhow, I’ll return there next time I’ll get to New York. Promise!! ;)

Jen,
1988? Oh dear, I was young by that time... young meaning less than forty... ;). But it’s true that it has many of the most important world relics and artefacts... Whether they are holding them legitimately or not is another issue, but not to be discussed on Christmas Day... ;))

Jules,
Wow! So great to see you back in the blogosphere!! We all were missing you, your posts and your comments... ;-(. Blogtrotter is keeping its pace on posting; exactly the contrary to what is happening to me as far as travelling (at least far away travelling...) is concerned... But one day I’ll return to Australia and maybe have a chance to discover you in Papua-New Guinea... ;)

Joyce,
Just took the pictures; nobody said it was forbidden; and it surely must be allowed as there was a specific note just in front of the skulls window «No photography», which I only noticed when checking pictures to post... ;)

Yvonne,
If I were you, I would start packing... ;).
Museums are fascinating, but I would say that some are more fascinating than others; and the British is included in the first category... ;)

M.Kate,
Hibernating with three hungry kids seem to be close to a nightmare... Furthermore if you don’t want them to eat all the fast junk food they usually want to... ;))
Memory failing? We must beware of our English and German friends: Messrs. Parkinson and Alzheimer aren’t good friends... ;)
Thanks for your kind words; always!! You’re too kind to make my blog better than it really is...

Rajesh,
Unfortunately it’s not mine; I mean the collection of artefacts... And some people dispute whether at least all of them are also of the British museum... ;)
But I can easily agree with you that most of items shown at the Museum and pictures at the post are true masterpieces!!

Gattina,
That’s exactly the point: one has to return several times, because every time one returns there is something new to discover… I wonder whether the tradition of not allowing pictures is a continental one or not… Actually, I saw no objections to photograph neither at the British nor at the MoMA, just to name two important museums… ;))

Lucie,
Ah les grèves aux musées; typiquement parisiennes… et copiées en Italie et au Portugal… ;) Mais les plus gênantes pour moi étaient les fameuses grèves des transports en commun au mois de janvier; je me rappelle de traverser Paris à pied pour venir du Château de la Muette jusqu’à la rue de Rivoli, quelques fois sous la neige ou la pluie… Magnifique!! ;)).

Trotter said...

Part Three:

Lucie (continuation),
Et tu rentres aussi dans la discussion sur le retour des œuvres aux pays d’origine… «Empruntées» ou «sauvées», il y en a toujours deux perspectives… Mais ce n’est pas une discussion pour le jour de Noël… ;)).
Ah la Rosette et Champollion, ça me donne toujours envie d’aller à l’Égypte ; j’aurais une chance de partir le 26 décembre pour une semaine (je l’ai su le 22…) mais il n’y a plus de places disponibles… ;-(
Maintenant avec la livre à € 1,10, les prix ne sont plus si affreux qu’auparavant; mais c’est vrai que Londres a toujours une tendance pour se faire payer plus cher qu’elle ne le mérite… ;). Par contre, le grand avantage d’un appartement avec service c’est que tu peux avoir ton petit déjeuner en bas, tu peux le commander de l’intérieur ou de l’extérieur ou tu peux le préparer toi-même à la maison… ;)

Hélène,
Some museums are hotter than others; so there is a great need to pay attention to which one you chose: the National Archaeological Museum in Athens in August with the temperature on the 40ºs centigrade isn’t a good choice... Usually they close in the afternoon to avoid you being cooked inside... ;)

Leo,
You won’t see everything, even if there are no works there... one has to repeat the visit several times and even so it’s impossible to cover everything... Too big to fall ;)

Ingrid,
That’s exactly the point; in their site you may search over 1.5 million items in the collection; one point five million items... ;). The Louvre has some specials, like the Vatican or the Uffizi... but the d’Orsay Museum is special on its entirety; great choice... ;))

Ted,
You know the terms of the controversy – stolen v. rescued – with many legal, cultural and political implications; it’s a hard topic to discuss on a Christmas Day, but hopefully, some years from now, there will be a solution that will be fair enough and would be acceptable for all the parties involved... Christmas spirit on it... ;)

Lynn,
My treat to have you commenting here!! Hope things are running well; the traditional dried codfish (bacalhau) and the stuffed turkey have already been eaten here ... ;))

Constance,
Nobody told me not to photograph; the only advice not to do it was in the skulls window, but I only noticed it when uploading the pictures to post... ;))
Thanks for the wishes; I would love to get to some more exotic places, but things are getting to hard to make it possible... ;-(
xoxo

Pete,
My pleasure! Great to read that your surgery went well and that your recovery was full and fast!! This «world» of mine has become a bit too narrow, just around the corner; I’m much more impressed with your Sri Lankan experience than with my British one... ;))

Mabel,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment here at Blogtrotter! Closer to my student time’s travels there is the <a href="http://blogtrotta80s.blogspot.com/>Revival 70s</a>... Enjoy!!

Vaggelis,
I have some sympathy with the views of those who support the «return to their hometowns» of the monuments in the museums; but it’s probably interesting to consider also that, at least in some cases, if they have stayed where they were when they were taken out, there would probably be nothing (or only ruins) of them to be seen today...

Tinsie,
You said it; you know it!! And I agree...

Lori,
You could spend months or years, if you wanted to see most of it... ;)). But I’m sure you’ll spend at least a day there on your next trip to London... ;). Meanwhile it’s my treat to show you my personal choice of items displayed; restricted it may be, however...

Paul,
I’m glad to see you back on track on the blogosphere!! My pleasure to visit Hemingway in Paris...

Pietro,
My treat to provide you with the tour through the British Museum... I had to restrain myself to a short number of items, since the collection is huge; but, anyhow, I think I made n interesting post with two of my favourites there: the Assyrians and the Greeks!!

Trotter said...

Part Four: this time it was needed. Blogger is miscounting the 4096 characters... ;)

Olivier,
Les hyperréalistes m’impressionnent toujours beaucoup; mais la Masque II de Ron Mueck est vraiment impressionnante...

Bhavesh,
Simple item, but a great tool two million years ago… ;)

Neelima,
My pleasure!! The Aztec snake is a small item, but carries a full world of history and of stories! ;)

Trotter said...

Now, just one note on the last photo of the Tate Modern: the text there was supposed to be read... ;)
I repeat for you:
«It has been raining for years now, not a day, not an hour without rain. This continual watering has had a strange effect on urban sculptures. They have started to grow like giant tropical plants, and become even more monumental. To stop this growth it has been decided to store them inside, among the hundreds of bunk beds which, night and day, receive refugees from the rain... Turbine Hall/2058/London»
... !?

Emily Whale said...

The british museum london is a museum that displays the human history as well as culture. The museum has nearly 7 million objects in its collection. The items have their origin from almost all of the continents. The objects are brought here from various cities of the world.

GMG said...

Emily,
Thanks for the visit and comment

Scott,
I prefer Bosch...