Good morning.
Let's see. I bade my dog and family farewell and got on a plane to the UK. Slept a little on the plane, and also read Sherman Alexie's forthcoming ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, which was excellent in every way, poignant and really funny and heartwarming and honest and wise and smart. Seeing it's a YA book and that it contains alcoholism, an inappropriate erection and mentions of masturbation I have no doubt that in a year or so it'll both be winning awards and being banned.
Got to Gatwick, took the train to London. Checked in to hotel. Had a much-needed bath. Into town for a meeting with Hilary Bevan-Jones about THE ROAD TO EN-DOR and the mysterious Lyonesse, and from there to MARV films where I saw Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, and Stardust Exec Producer Kris Thykier, along with a new long trailer for Stardust, and a dozen 30 second TV spots, a couple of which I really liked, some were okay, and some were just wrong.
From there to see John and Judith Clute (and Farah Mendelsohn) in Camden. John was writing his review of the Yiddish Policemen's Union while I was there, and would occasionally put his head around from the kitchen and ask about Eruvs.
From there I ate dinner with J. Michael Straczynski (who is doing a signing today at Forbidden Planet). It was great catching up on all of the wonderful things Joe is doing. Back to the hotel and fell asleep like a dead thing.
Now off to Northampton.
So many wonderful things for the eye here, but that watercolor mouse...
I think I could see that little hare shape in felt......
A very lovely selection; thank you!
Wow, a place chock full of treasures. Those needlework 'love tokens' are exquisite. I wonder if the recipient really appreciated the amount of effort that went into them......
Love the little mouse on the turnip and the hare tureen.
Can understand why you don't like getting too near the glass partitions Gretel. The angle of the 3rd photo had me feeling quite giddy........... and I was sitting down!
Claire :)
Lovely, I love the little exhibits there.
Gosh, what a palace of treasures!! :)
What a treat, thank you for sharing this wonderful collection of treasures. I think the little frog has to be a favourite.
I love the needle work flowers, they're gorgeous!
Lucky you, getting to visit the Ashmolean. I do like that needlework frog -- his legs are just perfect!
I loved your last post on the Ashmolean and I love this one, too! I really love the glass galleries: it's modern but done in a way that looks very organic to the collection, from afar anyway.
Thank you so much for picking out a few treasures for us to look at. I have small children and live in an area that's not heavy in museums so I haven't been to a museum with adequate time to look around in, oh, forever.
Perhaps we can share the lacquered hare....
Oh Gretel, what a beautiful photo laden post..... I keep meaning to get to the Ashmolean again, since I made my first visit just a couple of weeks before it closed for refurbishment/extending. It looks stunning!
what a wonderful place it looks Gretel - so much visual treasure! It is one of the things I sorely miss, not living in Edinburgh anymore with it's wealth of museums and galleries. I am not even sure that Nottingham has anything even remotely close. I am really enjoying your journey through drawing ...
Gretel, it is so kind of you to share your visit to the Ashmolean animals with us.
There are so many ways that artists from various times and places have been inspired by beautiful animals. When I visit our giant Metropolitan Museum, I often like to wander around the galleries that exhibit items with no named creator. I just marvel that hundreds of years ago certain folks were able to create magnificent pieces from all sorts of materials, in all sorts of sizes, and that I am able to see them.
Like you, I often find myself trying to imagine how these wonders were brought forth.
That clear and open staircase would freak me out a bit too, I admit it!
xo
What a visual feast - and of course I like the needlework favours best!!
Oh Gretel, what a treasurehouse indeed - I'm in love with the hare tureeen.
I've never been to the Ashmolean Museum although I know it holds many treasures. Those needlework favours are just beautiful, I must make time for another visit to Oxford and spend a few hours looking round the Museum.
What a feast of little treasures - thank you for sharing them.