| Blog series by mtkate | updated 940 days ago | 6 parts | 16128 reads | 32 comments total |
Part 1: An inspirational horse and rider
Whenever I travel, particularly since I got the bug, I make it a point to visit somewhere that houses things made of wood by known or unknown craftsmen so I can fawn over their wonderful creations. I thought I should start sharing. A few years ago I had the fortune to take a trip to Ireland. We were using Shannon airport as our arrival and departure hub. The very last day of travel, we decided to go and visit Bunratty Castle. I did not want to go at first, because it’s a recrea...
Part 2: A carved castle scene... in an Irish castle
As in my first blog entry, this is a thing of beauty I saw at Bunratty Castle in Ireland – wooden of course. It measured about 4 feet square (or so my memory says) and was housed near a window. My guess again is 17th century. I cannot fathom the amount of work this entailed. There is a closer shot of detail I found interesting below. You can see some wear on the dogs – probably from hands reaching up and petting them (alas!). I hope you enjoyed the scenery. See...
Part 3: Art Nouveau from the Musee de l'Ecole de Nancy
I went to Paris last year and made a point to visit the Musee de l’Ecole Nancy in Nancy, France. If you are fortunate to get to Paris – please DO take the 1.5 (approx) hour high speed train over there. You could even make it a day trip. . Any of you with a penchant for arts and crafts will faint when gazing at the treasures inside this small museum. Unfortunately, no pictures allowed which I respectfully followed but you can buy a very fine book with pictures of most of t...
Part 4: 15th century french coffers from the Musee de Cluny - Paris
Oak coffers that have survived the ages always impress me. In addition – the carvings are inspired. They are all french (though one I believe is from Flanders). .Disclaimer on the photography: You are not allowed to use flash in the museum (though there seem to be many bozos who ignore the rules and do it anyway). The rooms are dark due to the tapestries… so I had to use the highest ISOs I could and count on props and non-shaky hands… and for the tourists not to get in ...
Part 5: Writing room at Abbottsford
If you ever go to Scotland (Edinburgh) you MUST MUST MUST go spend a 1/2 day at Abbottsford – the home of Sir Walter Scott. For the lover of carvings, it’s incredible. These are a few pics of just one room – his writing room or den.. .Sorry for the fuzziness of the next one. This was a carving in a chair. I guess I was so excited I couldn’t stop shaking ;) .This is a carving on the armrest of another chair. It’s a little worn due to wear. .Every cor...
Part 6: A few pieces from the Gdansk City Museum
It’s been awhile since I posted anything so I thought I would start with a few things I saw on my recent vacation. So much of Poland’s riches were destroyed during WWII, but they did manage to preserve a few gems and they have also invested quite a lot to rebuild and refurbish.. When you first walk into the museum you are greeted by this beautifully carved staircase (roped off so no one can climb). . A nice set of chairs and a table from the turn of the 19th century&...
