Stunning details of metal working within hinged clasp of Sutton Hoo

        [The illustration for this entry is Fig.14-4,page 428, Hinged clasp from the Sutton Hoo Burial ship]


This example of Scandinavian jewelry is one I would love to hold in my hands and study with my eyes. It's a beautiful design from an obvious master. Transparent garnets, millefiori glass, granulations, and precise geometric shapes combine in a stunning creation. Only 5" in length, it is an archeological discovery that illustrated the wealth of the man in the burial mound at Sutton Hoo. There were even items interred to assist in the afterlife and a Byzantine silver bowl testified to ancient trade routes. The stylized animal forms are incredibly small measurements that have symmetrical aspects in the piece as a whole.
           Research states that this is the only Anglo-Saxon clasp known, which was connected to a piece of armor that covered the front of the torso. I wonder what kind of life this noble man lived. I wonder of his development in ancient cultures, his relationship to religious structures then, and how he survived year by year, season by season. Was it a fulfilling lifestyle? Did it have meaning; was it a life well lived? This clasp is a miraculous discovery and hopefully, future treasure hunters may find even more artifacts that give art history life.  

Celadon bottle from Korea has great form

       I choose this image because of the beauty in it's simplicity and function, as well as the fact it is a nice blend of effort and skill. This plum bottle is around 13" high and the elegance in it's curves was well thought out. Probably another master artist created this piece or supervised it's formation. I'm sure artist guilds existed in this time period, where the skills of ceramics were taught and then handed down generation by generation. This piece is a testimony to those concepts. 
        I wonder how long it took to inlay the black and white slip to the surface of this bottle. And I'm sure they took pride in the excellence of it's craftsmanship. The stylized decorations represent the artistry of it's earthen feel. The bottle does mimic Chinese forms and there is a connection of simplicity between this maebyeong and Chinese handscrolls. A strong representation of the beauty in nature. The realm of the seasons in one whole image of design is illustrated by the composition of geese,bamboo, butterflies and the blossoming plum tree.
         This artifact inspires me to learn how to craft ceramics- I think it would be a wonderful ability. I think it would be a highly meditative state to create works like this one. A union of thought and shape, where the design conveys a quiet masterpiece. 

Islamic art as a zenith of achievment

Islamic art is wonderful.  I am impressed that such artwork and architecture exist, which was born from a human being. The scriptual language is like fluid strands of precise geometry. I thought that the Tile Mosaic Mihrab [figure 8-12] was one of the most beautiful photographs in this chapter. More than 11 feet tall, each tile was meticulously measured and cut. It is composed of beautiful colors and the cursive script that flows around the inner niche was also meticulously measured. This is an example of the awe possible in crafting a meeting place where the divine and earthen meet. A beautiful representation of the love inherent in religions where the call to God awakens the artist's heart to produce perfection in architecture and design. Where divine inspiration produces divine representation. Imagine what it looked like in candlelight or lit from oil lamps. I can almost hear the chanting of devotional prayers as it must have been in that time period. Again, a remarkable example of skill.  

Beauty of Bulls-head Rhyton eternal

[I am having difficulty uploading the image for this entry. The illustration is on page 89 in our textbook, labeled 4-9, Bulls-head Rhyton]
            When I first saw this photograph, I thought the sculpture was made of lapis lazuli because the blue hues were so striking. It is an incredible example of Minoan art that surely was used in very important ceremonies. The mystery is what kind of festivals or rituals it was used for simply because of how masterful the craftsman was in shaping a vessel from a chunk of stone. Was it only one artist or many seperate artisans who came together for this one project? Whoever they were, they were excellent artists. They brought together a whole host of media like steatite stone, wood, gold leaf, white shells, red jasper and painted rock crystal. I personally value skill in artwork and this piece of sculpture is remarkable. I wonder where exactly and how it was found; it is simply a miracle for the piece to have survived the passageway of time. The beauty is eternal. As is the mystery.   

Art History Beginnings

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