Figure It Out Past Times Elisabeth Storrs

Figure It Out Past Times Elisabeth Storrs - Have yous ever thrown a vase? Not inward anger simply on a potter’s wheel? One of my protagonists inward the Tales of Ancient Rome saga does both. In imagining her story, I realised I had a occupation - I could ever sense smashing a plate, simply I had no thought how to fashion ceramics. 

Figure It Out Past Times Elisabeth Storrs

Adokides Painter- Bilingual Amphora 

Once I started researching, I found myself delving deeper into the methods used inward Hellenic Republic in addition to Etruria to reach both mundane in addition to exquisite pottery.  

The earliest agency of producing ceramics was yesteryear working clay yesteryear manus through either coiling strips or pinching a hollow to shape a vessel. The poorer classes would convey made their ain pots inward this way until inexpensive earthenware was majority produced yesteryear using moulds.

The potter’s cycle was believed to convey been introduced inward Mesopotamia inward 6000 BCE in addition to was speedily adopted throughout the ancient world. By the Classical historic catamenia (C5th BCE), the innovation consisted of a turning platform most a metre inward a higher house the flooring connected yesteryear a long axle amongst a heavy flywheel at basis level. This was kept rotating yesteryear kicking the wing cycle amongst the human foot which left both hands complimentary to shape the clay.

Bucchero ware 

The mechanics of throwing a pot was non all I learned. There was chemistry, too.  Etruscans were famous for their thin-walled, glossy dark pottery known every bit ‘bucchero’ which could live decorated amongst elaborate designs applied to the semi-hard clay using stamps. The dark coloring of bucchero was achieved yesteryear ‘reduction’ i.e. establishing a really high temperature inside the kiln so closing the vents to trim back the oxygen rather than the heat. When the atmosphere was charged amongst carbon monoxide, the ruby-red of the clay converted to dark due the presence of Fe oxide. Indeed, the clay of the Etruscan regions of Italy was rich inward Fe which helped this process.

The Etruscans were famous for high character bucchero ware in addition to terra cotta sculptures which were exported throughout the Mediterranean. They were also enormously fond of Attic vases. Some Etruscan grave sites were riddled amongst thousands of vessels depicting mythological tales inward beautiful tracery upon either a dark or ruby-red background. Many were imported from Hellenic Republic or created yesteryear Etruscan craftsmen who were heavily influenced yesteryear Greek immigrant artisans.

There were 2 Attic vase techniques: the dark figure Corinthian method originating inward the C7th BCE followed yesteryear the to a greater extent than sophisticated ruby-red figure Athenian style. 

Black figure kylix - Amasias Painter 

Potters who created dark figure vases painted characters inward dark silhouette on the surface using a liquid known every bit ‘slip’. Fine lines were incised into the surface to render contour in addition to detail. White pigment was applied to stand upwardly for women’s skin. Both white in addition to ruby-red were used to highlight details such clothing, pilus or weapons. The pots were so subjected to a complicated three-phase firing procedure which involved varying the temperatures inside the kiln at dissimilar stages to effectively apply the oxidisation process. This generated the ruby-red coloring of the underlying surface, in addition to the glossy dark of the figures who were ever shown inward profile.

Over fourth dimension the Etruscans moved away from the Corinthian fashion to purpose the ‘pseudo ruby-red figure’ technique that involved icon the clay dark earlier adding ruby-red silhouettes in addition to scratching lines to accomplish definition. They also produced their ain distinctive pottery fashion amongst figures painted ruby-red on white.

Red figure stamnos - Menelaos Painter 

In contrast, ‘true’ ruby-red figure vases were produced yesteryear applying a technique commencement used inward Athens about 530 BCE. Here, the figures were created inward the master copy red-orange of the clay using a fine brush. This allowed for greater special because lines could live drawn rather than incised. As a result, the painted scenes were to a greater extent than detailed in addition to realistic. It also allowed artists the chance to operate amongst greater perspective yesteryear depicting front, dorsum in addition to three-quarter views, thus producing a iii dimensional effect. 

Black in addition to ruby-red figure icon gave rising to a seat out of identifiable potters in addition to artists. Some are known yesteryear their actual names due to the fact they engraved their signatures on the bottom of the pots e.g. Exekias. Others stay anonymous simply their styles are clearly identifiable resulting inward historians attributing them amongst soubriquets e.g. the 'Andokides Painter'.

Exekias was a potter in addition to painter who lived inward Athens betwixt roughly 545-530 BCE. He is considered i of the greatest Attic vase painters, specialising inward dark figure ceramics. He was innovative, experimenting amongst novel shapes in addition to icon techniques. Fourteen signed industrial plant yesteryear Exekias live amongst many others identified due to his stylistic method. The signatures vary from ‘Exekias made me’ to ‘Exekias made in addition to painted me’ which has given rising to a theory he alone acknowledged decorating those pieces of which he was especially proud. 

'Exekias made me' 

One of Exekias’ most famous industrial plant is the so-called ‘Dionysus Cup’, which I saw inward the Munich Antikensammlung inward 2016. It depicts the tale of the pirates who attacked the wine-god on a body of body of water journeying to Athens. Dionysus caused vines to entwine the mast, causing his frightened assailants to dive overboard, whereupon they were transformed into dolphins. Instead of portraying the deity at the peak of the conflict amongst his kidnappers, Exekias shows Dionysus reclining at a feast amongst the dolphins cavorting about him. The scene exudes a sense of peacefulness in addition to poetry. Exekias has given the ‘wine coloured’ body of body of water a vivid coral ruby-red shade yesteryear using a special clay sideslip that turned vivid ruby-red when fired. This was the commencement fourth dimension the technique was introduced. In Attic times, his composition was revolutionary. Today the loving cup is i of the most famous Greek vases. 

The Dionysus Cup- Exekias 

The Andokides Painter is believed to live a pupil of Exekias. He is also considered to live the ‘inventor’ of the ruby-red figure method. His fashion has been attributed to diverse pieces fifty-fifty though most remained unsigned. Academics convey dubbed him the ‘Andokides Painter’ based on the signature ‘Andokides’ that appeared on xvi pieces inside the collection. One of the most famous vases signed yesteryear Andokides is the Herakles bilingual amphora found inward the Etruscan urban nub of Vulci. Bilingual vases are of import bear witness of the transition betwixt ruby-red in addition to dark figure techniques. They describe the same dependent area inward the 2 dissimilar styles on contrary sides of i vessel. There is ground every bit to whether both sides of the Herakles Amphora were painted yesteryear the i painter or whether the dark figured side was rendered yesteryear the Lysippides Painter, some other pupil of Panduan Cara Bermain Ceme Exekias.

No affair what Attic technique is used, I never neglect to live delighted yesteryear the scenes in addition to characters depicted upon the surfaces of plates, cups, jugs in addition to vases: a mythological narrative most gods, mortals in addition to monsters locked forever inside kiln hardened clay.

A Twain Of Creepy Cards Past Times Catherine Hokin

A Twain Of Creepy Cards Past Times Catherine Hokin - 1950s card, non a photograph of my house.Christmas cards: to ship or non to send, that is the question. I want I could claim my inability to buy/write/post them stems from a concern for the planet but the to a greater extent than honest argue is forgetfulness when it comes to writing downward addresses I don't regularly view together with a dearest of all things electronic when it comes to communication. Also I never know how to display the terminal few nosotros instruct - I can't acquit them on strings or cluttering upward shelves - it's the exclusively aspect of Christmas that turns me into the Grinch. I'm downward to sending a handful straightaway and, inward that at least, it seems I'm on trend. Large companies similar Hallmark create got seen the amount of Christmas cards purchased each twelvemonth decrease past times a tertiary since 2007 together with the drib isn't only inward the UK: inquiry from the American Greeting Card Association propose that Europeans together with Canadians straightaway ship an average of eleven cards per household per twelvemonth compared to the staggering 300 posted out past times pre-baby boomer families, piece Americans (despite the best stationary shops on the planet) exclusively ship 8.

A Twain Of Creepy Cards Past Times Catherine Hokin

 Prang Christmas menu with Santa's hotline 

The tradition of sending cards goes dorsum to the mid nineteenth century. Producing the outset commercial Christmas menu is an honor claimed past times Sir Henry Cole inward 1843 but it was a German linguistic communication immigrant to the USA who started the greetings menu manufacture equally nosotros straightaway know it. In 1856 Louis Prang opened a small-scale lithographic concern close Boston, past times 1866, he had perfected the color lithographic procedure together with past times the 1870s he was publishing a attain of deluxe Christmas cards. These were mainly sold inward England where the introduction of the halfpenny postage stamp had made sending cards affordable across a broad attain of gild but the habit equally good gained the world inward America with Prang's cards taking such a big part of the marketplace position (he was printing v 1000000 cards a twelvemonth past times 1881) that he became known equally the manful someone raise of the American Christmas card. This seasonal success floor together with thus takes on to a greater extent than of an It's H5N1 Wonderful Life feel: Prang's cards were lavish together with expensive to produce, frequently with xxx colours on i impress addition glitter (and occasionally tassels) together with he was eventually forced out of concern inward 1890 equally inexpensive copies flooded the market. His cards are straightaway highly collectible - although non quite equally valuable equally the outset Cole menu which sold at auction inward 2001 for $35,800. That's i I would create got made a fleck of infinite for.

 As with many of our electrical flow Christmas traditions, sending cards was something the Victorians leaped on with all the fervour of Tiny Tim spying a roasted goose. According to BBC research, the novel greetings menu manufacture produced over eleven 1000000 cards inward 1880 lonely together with competitions were regularly held to assistance feed the need for novel designs. In 1879, menu publishers to the majestic household unit of measurement Raphael Tuck (who produced equally many equally 3000 designs a season) held an exhibition at the Egyptian Hall inward London, with 500 guineas inward prizes. It attracted nearly 900 entrants together with was thus pop that a minute competition, judged amongst others past times Sir John Millais, followed inward 1882 with this fourth dimension £5000 beingness awarded inward prizes. It was Raphael Tuck who introduced novelty cards amongst the to a greater extent than traditional Christmas scenes, including cards that could live on turned into ships together with horses together with soldiers. And together with thus things got actually strange...

 Santa's reindeer having an off day 

Children riding bats anyone? Beetles dancing with frogs, mice riding lobsters? Children beingness menaced past times snowmen fifty-fifty Stephen King couldn't dream up? The iconography of Christmas - trees, puddings, the jolly one-time Santa - is at that spot inward nineteenth century cards but at that spot are equally good a host of other influences, from the Germanic Krampus together with 'monsters of nightmareland' equally Gleeson White (editor of The Studio) called unopen to of the images inward 1894, to natural history (a Victorian obsession) together with what unopen to historians create got catalogued equally social messages: dead robins inward the snowfall equally reminders of the starving poor. Whatever the reasoning was behind the macabre designs has been lost inward the passage of fourth dimension together with it may live on that these cards were the oddities non the commonplace - the fact of their collection giving them perchance to a greater extent than importance straightaway than they had at the time. Today the virtually pop menu sold features 3 cutesy cherubic angels, including i with eyes that would sit down improve on a spaniel. Since Hallmark outset produced it inward 1977, this icon has sold 34 1000000 copies.

A Poet's Christmas Yesteryear Judith Allnatt

A Poet's Christmas Yesteryear Judith Allnatt - At the elevation of his fame, John Clare, the nineteenth century peasant poet enjoyed receiving Christmas gifts that he could never convey dreamed of every bit a Northamptonshire pot-boy, lime-burner or ploughman. Silk neckerchiefs, eau-de-cologne together with gold-tooled books arrived every bit presents from publishers together with patrons: unaccustomed luxuries for a human being to a greater extent than used to working inwards the fields to feed a large family, crammed into a tiny labourer’s cottage. The contrast betwixt by poverty together with relative wealth was nowhere every bit sharply demonstrated every bit through the replacement of his battered former fiddle amongst a faultless, polished Cremona violin.

A Poet's Christmas Yesteryear Judith Allnatt

Clare stood astride 2 worlds. In London, for a time, he was feted inwards literary circles, wined together with dined. But returning to his native village, promised patronage was oft like shooting fish in a barrel or forgotten together with he had to supply to manual move inwards social club to proceed nutrient on the table. His literary fame became a burden at home. He felt increasingly isolated from his boyfriend villagers whom he feared saw him every bit filled amongst ‘airs together with graces’. Sometimes he was called habitation from the fields to encounter a visitor: a genteel fan inwards search of a literary chat who gave never a idea to the fact that leaving his postal service would toll him his whole afternoon’s wages. 

The strain of trying to alive inwards these 2 really unlike worlds, whilst plumbing fixtures into neither, began to say together with may convey contributed to his growing mental frailty. In afterward life , he became prone to delusions, sometimes believing he was Byron, Admiral Nelson or, alarmingly, the boxer Jack Randall. He also came to believe that he had 2 wives” his existent married adult woman Patty together with his childhood sweetheart, Mary Joyce. This strange dilemma for Patty was the inspiration for my new ‘The Poet’s Wife’ , inwards which Patty tried to care John’s demons together with instruct dorsum the human being she married.

John Clare’s obsession amongst his childhood sweetheart is inwards a agency unsurprising inwards a human being who clung to the past. His personal by was precious to him together with he writes of the liberty of his boyhood collecting birds’ eggs together with pooty shells (snails), together with 1 time wandering together with hence far across the heath that he idea he could come upwards to the border of the world. He also treasured a mutual past: the seasonal rhythms of farming life together with the traditions of a rural community. He records inwards his poem, ‘The Shepherd’s Calendar’, the traditional entertainments of Christmas: the wassail singer, the Mummers’ play together with how ‘harlequin, a express joy to raise/ Wears his hump dorsum together with tinkling bell.’ Just every bit the enclosure of mutual pose down had deprived him of his liberty to roam, he feared that every bit farming became mechanised together with labour migrated to the cities treasured traditions would autumn away.

He writes, amongst keen affection, of a province Christmas, of a vivid hearth together with a sanded floor, of yew, holly together with ‘mizzletoe’ decking candles together with pictures - greenery brought indoors every bit a symbol of eternity. He lingers amongst relish on ‘boiling eldern-berry wine’, pudding wrapped inwards muslin, sage-stuffed sausage drying inwards the chimney nook together with saccharide plums. Once when I was giving a beak on ‘The Poet’s Wife’ I was afterwards treated to a plate of saccharide Bandar Ceme Terpercaya, inwards celebration of a Christmas scene inwards the novel. In rural Northamptonshire it e=seems that merely about of Clare’s love traditions notwithstanding linger. Long may they last.

Jumping Into Pictures Past Times Elizabeth Chadwick

Writing virtually the medieval period, I am e'er fascinated past times the illustrations in addition to depictions. I thoroughly savor studying them to glean the little details of daily life.  To me, it's a fleck similar the master copy Mary Poppins celluloid where Mary in addition to the children jump into ane of Bert's chalk pictures in addition to operate in addition to accept an gamble farther into the painting demo where at that spot are stories inside stories in addition to all fashion of colourful details to please the eye.

Jumping Into Pictures Past Times Elizabeth Chadwick

If reading sources begins to tire me in addition to I tin experience my concentration slipping, thus a browse through sundry manuscript illustrations is oft only the ticket.  Some powerfulness telephone telephone it procrastination, but I prefer to reckon it every bit a inquiry enhancer. I am eternally grateful to alive inward the digital historic catamenia when thus many institutions are making their collections available online.  I accept operate the fortunate recipient of a broad Blue Planet of stuff that I could never accept imagined existence available at the showtime of my writing career.

For my side past times side project, I am moving upward to the thirteenth century from the 12th in addition to I accept been jumping into a vibrant Blue Planet of discovery.

Purse attached to the braies.  Life of St Edward. Trinity College, Cambridge. Mid 12thc

I also collect pictures of hats, thus the chap inward the background is of involvement too! 

Trinity College, Cambridge, has a trove of medieval manuscripts online, including ane known every bit the Romance of Alexander.  Written inward Old French inward circa 1250,  maybe at St Albans, it includes 152 illustrations of Medieval courtly life.  I was fascinated to come across this ane of a bishop disrobing.  He is wearing liberate medieval 'underpants' mostly known every bit braies.  They would accept been made from linen.  It is thus interesting to come across that they are rolled over at the overstep in addition to a belt threaded through to concur them up.  Not exclusively that, but his handbag is firmly attached to his underwear at the sides.  Medieval vesture inward the 1250's did non accept pockets in addition to to larn at the purse, the gown had to endure lifted, every bit displayed on this 13th century Life of St. Edmund.  The side past times side development was to accept slits inward the side of the gown inward lodge to achieve the pocket, in addition to eventually pockets themselves start to endure attached to the outer have on rather than underclothing, but post service Medieval inward context.

Note the cord threaded through the braies in addition to the handbag attached to it.  Romance of

Alexander.  Mid 12thc  

The pocket scene is ane small-scale example. I trawl illustrations in addition to collect all fashion of themes in addition to subjects - underwear existence ane of them.  The higher upward braies accept entered that especial collection board.  I accept around other that studies cloaks in addition to cloak fastenings in addition to inward which it has operate obvious that no medieval adult woman ever pins her cloak high on the shoulder.  It's a masculine thing. Bandar Ceme I accept collections of bedding in addition to pillows (watch out for those laced pillow cases in addition to also for check-patterns).

Once you lot larn your optic inward on

chequered pillow cases, they

are all over the place!  

 I collect depictions of dogs in addition to horses, cups in addition to tabular array cloths, flooring coverings, beds, hats, belts, hose, shoes, cooking pots, you lot cite it. I pluck the images from the illustrations, I report their facets, in addition to role them both to farther my noesis in addition to to receive a Blue Planet inside my ain chalk picture.

Signs Of The Times

Signs Of The Times - I'm lucky plenty to alive near Compton Verney inwards Warwickshire. I am a fellow member at that topographic point together with watch often. The Art Gallery's 6 permanent collections include i of the world's finest collections of Chinese bronzes exterior China, a cross department of plant from the ‘Golden Age’ of Neapolitan fine art from 1600 to 1800, an outstanding collection of Northern European fine art together with the largest collection of Folk Art inwards the United Kingdom of Great Britain together with Northern Ireland It likewise puts on swell exhibitions, unopen to of which I've blogged nearly for the History Girls. Recently, I was coming together friend, boyfriend author together with sometime History Girl guest, Linda Newbery there. We were going to regard their acquaint exhibition, Whistler inwards Nature, but I arrived early, then I went upstairs to the Folk Art Gallery. 

Signs Of The Times

Compton Verney 

Folk Art covers many things, from 'primitive' icon to sculpture, metallic working together with woods carving. What interested me on this watch were the signs that hung exterior shops together with draw organization to advertise their goods together with services inwards a pre-literate age. People who could non read could regard what was on offering yesteryear looking at the signs together with earlier street numbers were common, at the sign of... was a mutual means of giving directions. The signs, frequently beautifully carved or painted, accept gradually acquired recognition as fine art forms inwards themselves but what struck me, on this together with other visits, is how they are yet acquaint inwards out streets.

Compton Verney Folk Art Gallery 

Street inwards Leamington Spa  

The sign of the locksmith, the lock together with fundamental on display inwards the gallery, is replicated yesteryear a large Yale fundamental on the pavement exterior a locksmith's store inwards the town where I live. 

Compton Verney 

Oxford Market 

H5N1 giant shoe, the sign for a cobbler's, is echoed yesteryear an as large kick suspended exterior a cobbler's together with shoe repair store inwards Oxford Market. 

Signs, because they quest no language, are international. Model pigs, squealer or boars' heads, are universally recognised signs for a butcher's shop, inwards Ireland, England or Italy.

They are likewise sometimes inn signs, as inwards this instance from Compton Verney.

Inn sign, Compton Verney 

Pub together with inn signs are mayhap the most mutual remaining examples of folk fine art yet to live seen on our streets. Some traditional signs are yet there, swinging exterior the establishments they name, others, similar this beautiful swan on display at Compton Verney, are preserved inwards folk fine art collections, spell yet others accept been lost together with discarded. 

Pub names alter together with amongst them their signs. The replacements are still, inwards their way, examples of folk art, reflecting novel tastes together with styles. My local pub has been transformed from the traditional Coventry Arms to the The Fat Pug.  Like it or not, times alter together with amongst them, the signs.

At to the lowest degree unopen to do. Others survive, changed mayhap but yet recognisable. The same symbol used to signify the same service, fifty-fifty though the purpose it symbolises is an anachronism. The universal sign for an Apothecary was the pestle together with mortar, used to grind the ingredients used to brand medicines, as inwards this instance from Compton Verney. Simplified, stripped to it barest outlines, the same sign is currently the logo for Lloyd's Chemist shops.

H5N1 similar together with universally recognised survivor from a pre-literate historic menses is the striped pole of the barber's shop, the crimson together with white stripes dating dorsum to a fourth dimension when barbers were hairdresser surgeons, performing surgical procedure together with dentistry. This purpose of the barber's merchandise is at i time no longer practised but the brilliant blood together with bandage paradigm is yet at that topographic point on every High Street. 

While thinking nearly this blog, I was struck yesteryear how signs together with symbols are coming dorsum into our lives through the emojis that are helpfully suggested to us to supersede words when nosotros are sending texts or messaging people on social media. Are nosotros slipping dorsum into a pre-literate age?  I trust not, but as this is my terminal weblog bandar ceme of 2018, I'd similar to want all our readers...