Travel during the world wide unpleasantness – continued
“I would rather own a little and see the world than own the world and see a little of it.” ~ Alexander Sattler
London may be only an hour and a half away by train but, when you haven’t been further than forty miles for months, it feels like a major outing.
Outside Paddington Station.The restorative ‘no mow’ movement hits Kensington Gardens.The Serpentine with intrusive Lifeguards barracks bu8ding in the background. Central London heron on the Serpentine.Bird statue and real swan at the Serpentine. The Princess Diana memorial fountain – which I am sure she would be very happy to see used as a paddling pool.
To the Epic Iran exhibition at the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum for anyone not familiar with it).
Although the museum was not able to bring items from Iran, they have assembled a collection of art and artefacts from 2500 BCE (BC) to the 21st C. Some of the items were from their own collections, some from the British Museum or British Library and a good number from the Sarikhani Collection, a private museum in Oxfordshire (https://www.artfund.org/whats-on/more-to-see-and-do/listicles/the-story-behind-the-sarikhani-collection).
Gold bracelet from approximately 2500 BCEPlaster cast of the walls of Persepolis taken by the British Museum in the 19C, coloured to show what they would have looked like originally. The Cyrus Seal. 6thC BCE. In Akkadian cuneiform, it outlines Cyrus the Great’s achievements in uniting the country, ensuring water and food for the population and generally being a great king. These glass bowls, made in Persia, were so prized, they have been found all over the neighbouring countries and as far away as China. Mediaeval Persian helmet.Shi’ite banner, used with additional plumes and fabric at festivals. Enamelled book cover. And finally, coffee (and cake) in the tearoom. Apparently the V&A was the first museum in the world to have one!
3 thoughts on “Travel during the world wide unpleasantness – continued”
I envy yourtrip – it’s a long time since I visited an exhibition. Thankyou for sharing these photos. There is one thing that I’m curious about. I thought that Islamic art didn’t approve of depictions of the human form, like the book cover…
I think it varied depending on interpretation. There was at least one 19C portrait of a king in the exhibition. That book cover looks in the tradition of Mughal art – which came originally from Persia! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_painting
The Retirement Travels 
I envy yourtrip – it’s a long time since I visited an exhibition. Thankyou for sharing these photos. There is one thing that I’m curious about. I thought that Islamic art didn’t approve of depictions of the human form, like the book cover…
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I think it varied depending on interpretation. There was at least one 19C portrait of a king in the exhibition. That book cover looks in the tradition of Mughal art – which came originally from Persia! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_painting
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Great artefacts! Looks a fab exhibition xx
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