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International Museum Day 2017
The worldwide community of museums celebrate International Museum Day on and around 18 May 2017 around the theme Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums.
This theme focuses on the role of museums that, by working to benefit society, become hubs for promoting peaceful relationships between people. The acceptance of a contested history is the first step in envisioning a shared future under the banner of reconciliation.
Saying the unspeakable in museums looks at how to understand the incomprehensible aspects of the contested histories inherent to the human race. It also encourages museums to play an active role in peacefully addressing traumatic histories through mediation and multiple points of view.
More here.
“The Parthenon sculptures raises the bar for all of us… and it includes everybody all over the world… and is for all of us, all over the world.”
Playwright, author and British Museum trustee, Bonnie Greer celebrates the enduring beauty and humanity of the Parthenon Sculptures
The Parthenon was built as a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It was the centrepiece of an ambitious building programme on the Acropolis of Athens. The temple’s great size and lavish use of white marble was intended to show off the city’s power and wealth at the height of its empire.
For our earlier features on the Parthenon sculptures type Elgin Marbles into the search box above.
The headless sculpture, in the British Museum, of the river god Ilissos from the Parthenon frieze
BBC News, Entertainment & Arts reports today on the British Museum’s loan to Russia of the headless sculpture of the river god Ilissos from the Parthenon frieze –
The British Museum has loaned one of the Elgin Marbles for the first time. A headless depiction of the river god Ilissos has been sent to Russia to go on display in St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum until mid-January. It is one of a number of relics acquired by Lord Elgin in Athens in the early 19th Century, now known collectively as the Elgin Marbles.
Ownership of the artefacts, once part of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, is disputed by Greece. It maintains that Lord Elgin removed them illegally while the country was under Turkish occupation as part of the Ottoman Empire. The items have remained in the British Museum ever since.
The museum’s director, Neil MacGregor, said: “The British Museum is a museum of the world, for the world and nothing demonstrates this more than the loan of a Parthenon sculpture to the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg to celebrate its 250th anniversary.”
“The greatest things in the world should be… shared and enjoyed by as many people in as many countries as possible”
Neil MacGregor
Director, British Museum.
More here. See also our earlier features on the sculptures by typing Elgin Marbles into the search box above.
Middle Jomon Period rope pottery 5,000-4,000bce
Image credit: Chris 73 Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Sainsbury Institute is delighted to present the Second Ishibashi Foundation Lecture Series in Tokyo this October, sponsored by the Ishibashi Foundation and co-organised by Tokyo National Museum. Senior scholars from Europe will share their research with the Japanese audience and illustrate the current status of Japanese archaeology and cultural heritage studies in Europe and also how Japanese art and antiquities are studied and displayed in European museums. Lectures will be given in English and simultaneously translated into Japanese. This Lecture Series aim to offer new perspectives in the studies of Japanese arts and cultures and contribute to the promotion of scholarly and artistic exchange between Europe and Japan.
The Stonehenge Urn. Excavated by William Cunnington in 1802
Programme.
Lecture 1 | 1.30-2.10pm
British-Japanese Archaeological Exchanges from the 19th Century to Today
Simon Kaner
Head, Centre for Archaeology and Heritage, Sainsbury Institute
Lecture 2 | 2.10-2.50pm
Molecular Archaeology: Investigating Diet, Food and Cuisine from Stonehenge to the Jōmon?
Oliver Craig
BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York
Panel Discussion ‘Euro-Japanese archaeological exchanges’ | 3.00-4.00pm
Moderator: Shirai Katsuya, Chief Curator of Archaeology, Curatorial Research Department, Tokyo National Museum
Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan Auditorium, 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, 25 October 2014 from 1.30 – 4pm. Details here.
China’s Culture Deputy Minister Li Xiaojie (right) and Cyprus’ Communications Minister Tasos Mitsopoulos
The Global Times reports on 30 October 2013 that China and Cyprus have signed a protection of cultural property agreement –
Cyprus and China signed here Tuesday a bilateral agreement for the prevention of the theft, the clandestine excavation and illicit import and export of cultural property between the two countries. Chinese Deputy Culture Minister Li Xiaojie and Cypriot Communications and Works Minister Tasos Mitsopoulos signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. The agreement tells the ways of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in relation to the prevention of the theft, clandestine excavation and illicit import and export of cultural property, like the exchange of information, relevant legislation and good practices.
Mitsopoulos said after the signing ceremony this is a very important moment for Cyprus. He noted that Cyprus has suffered serious damage from illicit transport and the smuggling of its antiquities.
More here.
Welcome again to Part 3 of our feature – Putting you in touch. Why have we started this? Well, we’re constantly astonished by the variety and very high standards that you, our Followers, maintain in your own blogs, campaigns and endeavours. You may be a large institution, or an individual working alone, but the dedication you show to your core interests is truly inspiring.
You are scattered across the globe, from Alaska to New Zealand, and your interests range from the general history of your region through to art, archaeology, poetry, photography, conservation and many other interests in-between. One thing however that you have in common is that you follow The Heritage Trust – thank you – and because of that we thought we’d like to do something in return by putting you in touch with each other.
Here’s a list of thirty two more of our followers, starting with Keri Douglas of 9 muses news, who joined us four months ago. We’re working back to our very first follower and hope we don’t miss anyone along the way! (then we’ll put you in touch with our latest followers as they join us).
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keridouglas http://9musesnews.com |
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Paffy85 http://wonderfuloldthings.wordpress.com/ |
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diadrasisngo http://diadrasisngo.wordpress.com |
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Glenn Folkes http://www.glennfolkes.com |
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prophetbrahmarishi http://prophetbrahmarishi.wordpress.com |
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Opinionated Man http://aopinionatedman.com |
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charlesenright http://NT-archeo-charlieenright.wordpress.com |
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Meg Southern http://megsouthern.wordpress.com |
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ghn http://newportnews.wordpress.com |
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jamesrevelsthecomposer http://audiosexxx.wordpress.com |
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ajsefton.com http://ajsefton.com |
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HISTOURIES UK http://www.Histouries.co.uk |
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Welcome again to our new feature – Putting you in touch (Part 1 here ).
Why have we started this? Well, we’re constantly astonished by the variety and very high standards that you, our Followers, maintain in your own blogs, campaigns and endeavours. You may be a large institution, or an individual working alone, but the dedication you show to your core interests is truly inspiring.
You are scattered across the globe, from Alaska to New Zealand, and your interests range from the general history of your region through to art, archaeology, poetry, photography, conservation and many other interests in-between. One thing however that you have in common is that you follow The Heritage Trust – thank you – and because of that we thought we’d like to do something in return by putting you in touch with each other.
Here’s a list of twenty more of our followers, starting with Dr Nick Snashall who is National Trust archaeologist for Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, and who joined us yesterday.
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generaliregi http://generaliregi.wordpress.com |
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uplandpete1 http://uplandpete.wordpress.com |
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dandyknife http://stolonkisses.wordpress.com |
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Jen http://www.jauntingjenny.com |
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historicalwritings http://historicalwritings.wordpress.com |
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anilbalan http://anilbalan.wordpress.com |
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archaeologyonlinejournal http://archaeologyonlinejournal.wordpress.com |
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cargopoolingitalia http://cargopoolingitalia.wordpress.com |
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Cynthia Baker-Simple Pleasures http://SimplePleasures~~Photography&More |
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BookHubInc http://bookhubinc.wordpress.com |
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urbanwallart http://urbanwallart.wordpress.com |
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Andy http://cityjackdaw.wordpress.com |
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Dr H http://prehistories.wordpress.com/ |
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Gabriel Lucatero http://syl101.com |
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Chris Martin http://chrismartinwrites.wordpress.com |
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Shawn L. Bird http://shawnbird.wordpress.com |
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johncoyote http://johncoyote.wordpress.com |
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Cristian Mihai http://cristianmihai.net |
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Welcome to our new feature – Putting you in touch.
Why have we started this? Well, we’re constantly astonished by the variety and very high standards that you, our Followers, maintain in your own blogs, campaigns and endeavours. You may be a large institution, or an individual working alone, but the dedication you show to your core interests is truly inspiring.
You are scattered across the globe, from Alaska to New Zealand, and your interests range from the general history of your region through to art, archaeology, poetry, photography, conservation and many other interests in-between. One thing however that you have in common is that you follow The Heritage Trust – thank you – and because of that we thought we’d like to do something in return by putting you in touch with each other.
So, starting with Paige Doerner from Rochester, New York who joined us just a few hours ago, here is a list of the first twenty of our most recent Followers. Over coming months we’ll publish more links and feel sure that among them you’ll find many other bloggers with similar interests to your own.
A guest feature by Littlestone.
The Ryōan-ji (竜安寺) Rock Garden, Kyoto Japan
©
Littlestone
“What’s so special about the garden at Ryoanji?” I asked him, naming the famous rock and sand garden in Kyoto’s most brochured and pamphleted Zen temple. “The spaces between the rocks,” he replied, with his mouth full of toothpaste.””*
The above made me wonder if there are any similarities between the rock gardens of the Far East and the megalithic structures of Western Europe? At first sight there doesn’t seem to be – the timeframe between the two, and their use, seem to set them far apart. The oldest Far Eastern rock gardens are probably no more than 1,000 years old and they are, basically, just that – gardens. Megalithic structures are, well, ‘structures’ of one sort or another. So are there any similarities between the two? Obviously there’s a shared interest in rocks – their shape and texture, maybe the place where they came from. The way the rocks are placed is important to both ‘traditions’, though the reasons for placing them in a certain way seem to have little in common.
Avebury in 1722. From William Stukeley’s Abury – A Temple of the British Druids
We don’t really know why megaliths were arranged in a certain way but it seems likely that one reason had something to do with an interest in astronomy; another reason perhaps was to do with ceremony – a place were people gathered at certain times. As far as we know the rock gardens of the Far East have nothing to do with astronomical observations, nor were they places where large numbers of people gathered; they were used for quiet contemplation by individuals, or a place where a small group of individuals might gather for the same reason.
Perhaps the one thing megalithic structures and rock gardens do have in common (today) is a place where people can meditate (in the widest sense of the word) and as such they may not be that far apart in the function they now serve.
* Alan Booth. Looking for the Lost: Journeys Through a Vanishing Japan. ISBN 1568361483.
