Raphael’s self-portrait | Uffizi GalleriesSelbstbildnis des Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci, um 1512 Biblioteca Reale, TurinPortrait by Daniele da Volterra, c. 1545
Raffaello Sanzio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo are legendary figures of the Renaissance, each contributing uniquely to the era’s art and thought. Raffaello is celebrated for his balanced compositions and perspective, especially in The School of Athens, embodying ideals of knowledge and beauty. Leonardo da Vinci, a true polymath, excelled in painting, science, and anatomy, with works such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper showcasing his innovative methods and deep understanding of human emotion. Michelangelo, renowned for his sculptures and paintings, created masterpieces such as the Statue of David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which reflect his keen insight into human anatomy and emotion. These artists collectively represented the Renaissance spirit, merging art, science, and philosophy, and their enduring legacies continue to inspire us.
But what is the most interestingly depicted in art history during the Renaissance? Two masterworks tell their own story: Raffaello’s ‘School of Athens’ and Michelangelo’s ‘Sistine Chapel ceiling.’
Indeed, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper should not be overlooked, as it is a Renaissance masterpiece that captures the moment after Jesus reveals that one of his apostles will betray him. Raffaello’s The School of Athens also employs one-point perspective, similar to da Vinci’s method: the composition is centred on a single vanishing point with all lines converging on Jesus, highlighting him as the focal point. However, it’s a different story!
I previously covered that topic, mainly from a philosophical angle rather than focusing on developing the art self. Now, let’s explore this masterpiece creatively and artistically.
Raffaello’s masterpiece, The School of Athens, exemplifies the Renaissance by highlighting its core principles of knowledge, philosophy, and beauty. This famous fresco depicts a gathering of history’s greatest thinkers, including Plato and Aristotle, each representing distinct philosophical perspectives. Plato, resembling Leonardo da Vinci, represents idealism and the importance of ideas, while Aristotle stands for empirical observation. Figures like Socrates, Ptolemy, and Euclid enrich the discussion. Raffaello’s masterful use of perspective draws viewers into a vibrant intellectual hub of the Renaissance. The influence of Michelangelo is evident, demonstrating outstanding artistic talent. The School of Athens celebrates individual genius and the collaborative spirit of the Renaissance, a time when art, science, and humanism thrived.
Raffaello’s ‘School of Athens’ and Michelangelo’s ‘Sistine Chapel ceiling’ are iconic Renaissance masterpieces. ‘School of Athens’ portrays philosophers amidst impressive architecture, symbolising art, philosophy, and science.
Michelangelo’s ceiling is renowned for dramatic scenes like ‘Creation of Adam’, showcasing his skill and religious themes.
Both works are culturally and historically significant, reflecting Renaissance intellectual and artistic progress.
Here’s a video titled “How to read ‘The School of Athens’ – a triumph of Renaissance art” from Aeon, a recommended site. In Great Art Explained, UK curator and video essayist James Payne explores Raphael’s The School of Athens (1509-11), a Renaissance icon. He highlights its location in the Pope’s private Vatican library, symbolising philosophy alongside theology, poetry, and law. Payne describes how Raphael’s composition merges Classical and Christian ideas, showing their interconnectedness in the quest for truth.
I hope you enjoy it and wish everyone a wonderful weekend. 🤗💖
I am back for a while from my holiday trip, although I am not fully recovered from a cold I caught a week ago, which I am still fighting to get rid of (it seems my immune system has been damaged after that problem earlier this year!). I didn’t plan to make a post today, but when I came across an article about the relationship between Poe and Melville, which I didn’t know about, I thought I would share it with you. Indeed, I should mention that I once published an article on Allan Poe; here it is!
As a new New Yorker, I once travelled across three boroughs to Woodlawn Cemetery to visit Herman Melville’s grave. I didn’t worship him as a hero but as a friend. Through the words of Professor Angela O’Donnell, who says that reading great writers is like having a conversation with them and fosters intimacy, I promised to visit often. Still, I was distracted by city life and never went back. However, a friend of another 19th-century American author never missed a visit. The Baltimore Sun reports that, for decades, an anonymous “Poe Toaster” left three roses and a bottle of cognac at Edgar Allan Poe’s grave every January 19th. His mystery remains unsolved, as does Poe’s own death.
On October 7, 1849, the literary community remembered Edgar Allan Poe, a master of the macabre whose death remains shrouded in mystery. Although his anniversary has passed, his short, tragic life and death remain deeply saddening. He was found delirious on Baltimore’s streets, and the exact cause of his death remains unclear, speculated to be linked to alcoholism, rabies, or other health issues.
In the days leading up to his death, Poe grappled with personal turmoil and bouts of depression, reflecting the dark themes prevalent in his writing. His life mirrored the tragedies he explored—loss, madness, and mortality.
As we remember Poe, we not only honour his legacy as a pioneering voice in Gothic literature but also reflect on the profound connections between art and the struggles of existence, inviting us to confront the deeper aspects of the human condition he so eloquently captured.
The relationship between Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville is a compelling exploration of two iconic figures in American literature, whose works have shaped literary history. Both authors are monumental, yet their life paths and artistic styles diverged significantly, revealing profound themes of existentialism and the complexities of the human experience.
Edgar Allan Poe, born in 1809 in Boston, faced a tumultuous early life marked by personal tragedies. Orphaned as a child, he experienced the pain of loss that profoundly influenced his writing. His struggles with poverty and alcoholism fueled the dark themes in his work. Masterfully crafted tales such as “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” explore death, madness, and despair, establishing Poe as a master of horror and Gothic literature.
In contrast, Herman Melville, born in 1819 in New York City, enjoyed a more privileged upbringing that was disrupted by his father’s early death. This formative loss set him on a path of adventure at sea, which culminated in his magnum opus, “Moby-Dick.” Melville’s works engage with grand themes of nature and humanity, showcasing a narrative style that embodies the complexities of existence and human ambition.
Despite their differences, Melville and Poe respected each other’s literary talents. Poe’s sharp critiques of Melville’s early works, such as “Typee,” acknowledged Melville’s gift while highlighting differences in their narrative styles. Poe favoured compact storytelling, while Melville embraced sprawling narratives laden with existential questions.
Both writers engaged with themes of death and isolation, particularly evident in Melville’s Captain Ahab, who mirrors the psychological depths of Poe’s characters. Their respective narratives challenge audiences to confront profound aspects of the human condition. Timing also affected their careers; though Poe achieved fame earlier, Melville’s “Moby-Dick” was initially overlooked, though it would eventually be recognised as a key literary work.
Ultimately, the legacies of both authors flourished posthumously, with Poe celebrated for his innovative contributions to literature and Melville emerging as a foundational figure. This interplay between the two writers encourages contemporary readers to explore the connections that define their works.
In conclusion, the relationship between Poe and Melville offers a striking study of contrasting yet complementary voices in American literature. Their distinct views on existential despair and the human experience create a rich tapestry that continues to inspire and intrigue, leaving a lasting impact on generations of writers and readers alike.
“We need a force not to start conflicts but to protect our nation and freedom. Therefore, making military service more attractive could draw more young people”. Said German Bundeskanzler Friedrich März a few days ago. I wonder how and with what we can make being a soldier attractive. A soldier’s role involves killing; how can we make that aspect attractive?
I remember the 1960s and 1970s, during the Cold War and Vietnam War, when crowds gathered to protest against conflicts and advocate for peace. Over time, Western governments began to prioritise peace more and engaged in disarmament talks, seeking peaceful coexistence. Yet today, they focus on strengthening their military to defend peace and freedom!
What’s happening? Isn’t there enough war worldwide? Is Germany yearning for the glorious days of the 1930s? The facts appear this way!
However, this has always occurred whenever politicians become oblivious to the horrific machinery of war. Therefore, it might be meaningful to consider two of Jung’s dreams from before WWI, as excerpted from his autobiography. “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” describes Carl Jung’s dreams from 1913 to 1914. With thanks to Lewis Lafontaine. 🙏
In October [1913], while I was alone on a journey, I was suddenly seized by an overpowering vision: I saw a monstrous flood covering all the northern and low-lying lands between the North Sea and the Alps. When it came to Switzerland, I saw that the mountains grew higher and higher to protect our country. I realised that a frightful catastrophe was in progress. I saw the mighty yellow waves, the floating rubble of civilisation, and the drowned bodies of uncounted thousands. Then the whole sea turned to blood. This vision lasted about one hour. I was perplexed and nauseated, and ashamed of my weakness.
Thunder is no longer the voice of a god, nor is lightning his avenging missile. No river contains a spirit, no tree makes a man’s life, no snake is the embodiment of wisdom, and no mountain still harbours a great demon. Neither do things speak to him nor can he speak to things, like stones, springs, plants and animals.” ~ Carl Jung, CW 18, Para 585
Two weeks passed; then the vision recurred, under the same conditions, even more vividly than before, and the blood was more emphasised. An inner voice spoke. “Look at it well; it is wholly real, and it will be so. You cannot doubt it.” That winter, someone asked me what I thought were the political prospects of the world in the near future. I replied that I had no thoughts on the matter, but that I saw rivers of blood. I asked myself whether these visions pointed to a revolution, but I could not really imagine anything of the sort. And so I concluded that they had to do with me myself, and decided that a psychosis menaced me. The idea of war did not occur to me at all. Soon afterwards, in the spring and early summer of 1914, I had a thrice-repeated dream that in the middle of summer an Arctic cold wave descended and froze the land to ice. I saw, for example, the entire region of Lorraine and its canals frozen, and the whole area totally deserted by human beings. All living green things were killed by frost. This dream came in April and May, and for the last time in June 1914. In the third dream, frightful cold had again descended from out of the cosmos. This dream, however, had an unexpected end. There stood a leaf-bearing tree, but without fruit (my tree of life, I thought), whose leaves had been transformed by the effects of the frost into sweet grapes full of healing juices. I plucked the grapes and gave them to a large, waiting crowd…
On August 1, World War I broke out!
Now, let’s continue with the next section, following (1, 2), about Dr Jung’s dreams and examining how a forecaster can predict potential human self-destructive plans. As mentioned in Part Two, Jung described hearing a strange woman’s voice in his mind and tried to analyse it.
He believed the voice was “the soul in the primitive sense,” known as the anima, and stated that he employed his analysis to write letters to his anima, experiencing it as both a ghost and a woman. He remembered this voice as that of a Dutch patient from 1912 to 1918, who convinced a colleague that he was a misunderstood artist. The woman had thought the unconscious was art, but Jung had maintained it was a natural phenomenon. The woman was likely Maria Moltzer, and the psychiatrist was Jung’s friend Franz Riklin, who shifted from analysis to painting, studying Augusto Giacometti in 1913. Riklin’s art was semi-figurative and abstract, with a notable 1915/6 work, Verkündigung, in Zürich, donated by Moltzer in 1945. Giacometti found Riklin’s psychological insights exciting, calling him a modern magician.
The November entries in Black Book 2 depict Jung’s return to his soul. He recalled dreams that led him to his scientific career and recent dreams bringing him back to his soul. In 1925, he noted his first writing phase ended in November: ” Not knowing what would come next, I thought perhaps more introspection was needed… I devised such a boring method by fantasising that I was digging a hole, and by accepting this fantasy as perfectly real. ” This experiment occurred on December 12, 1913 (See Liber Primus, chapter 5, p. 147).
To be continued …………
Thank you for reading! I don’t want to spoil your mood, but sometimes thinking more deeply can help us and prepare us for the worst. While I am on my way to spend the holidays, please note that responses to comments, if any, may be delayed.🙏💖
Illustration art at the top: Dali-Inspired Dreamscape
Foreword: I spent most of the day, from early morning to the afternoon, at a birthday party hosted by my wife’s colleague. Since I will be visiting a friend next week and won’t be at home, I thought I’d share my “two” posts today. Here is the second one!
I believe I posted my last travel report quite some time ago; therefore, I have decided to pause sharing deep, tragic, and pensive ones and instead share something amusing! Although this trip could have been more enjoyable if summer had truly arrived, unfortunately, the temperature refused to rise above twenty degrees, and the wind stubbornly refused to change its direction from north to south.
Actually, we, or rather my lovely wife (!), aim to plan vacations in sunny, warm destinations—what we miss most during the year in Germany. This year, because of my health issues, she organised a trip to Holland so we could return home quickly if needed. As you likely know, good weather in northern Europe can be quite unpredictable. It often depends on luck, but unfortunately, we didn’t have any this time!
I even developed a thirty-degree fever after we ran back to our apartment in the rain and storm following dinner at a restaurant, and I was lying flat for two days!
Of course, it wasn’t all bad; we also enjoyed some sunshine, especially on my birthday. The great gods, Zeus, Poseidon, or Boreas (the god of the cold north wind and winter), protected us and allowed the sun to shine while the wind rested.
As usual, we wandered around, exploring different sites, including cathedrals, even though there were only a few in the small village of Westkapelle.
Finally, I must admit that it wouldn’t have been possible without a bike tour! And, as you might notice, I’ve lost some hair from the wind!
Wishing everyone a fantastic time! Take care of yourselves, and remember there’s a whole world beyond the internet waiting to be explored. Enjoy your treats, but be mindful not to overdo it!
The dynamic principle of fantasy is play, a characteristic also of the child, and as such, it appears inconsistent with the principle of serious work. But without this playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable. It is, therefore, short-sighted to treat fantasy, on account of its risky or unacceptable nature, as a thing of little worth. ~Carl Jung; Psychological Types Ch. 1; Page 82. Fantasy is the creative function—the living form is a result of fantasy. Fantasy is a pre-stage of the symbol, but it is an essential characteristic of the symbol that it is not mere fantasy. ~Carl Jung, 1925 Seminar, Page 11 Source: Carl Jung Depth Psychology
Continuing from the first part of my blog, I recall the days when Al and I created our own worlds, feeling utterly disconnected from the outside world. My childhood was filled with dreams and wishes, driven by my imagination and a touch of fantasy. Perhaps it was my name that ignited my desire to make my wishes come true, with a hint of magic.
On the other hand, I didn’t want to be treated like a child. I don’t know what the issue was; maybe it was because I’d been isolated at that age. I mean, there we were, a group of five boys, Al and me, including three cousins, all nearly the same age. One of the cousins, Ham, who was around Al’s age, about two years older than me, and the other two were roughly two years younger than me, and I was stuck in the middle.
Dream Catcher by Michael Cheval
As I remember, one evening in Mashhad, when we were visiting our aunt, we were playing hide and seek — a game like ‘catch me if you can find me!’ I was so engrossed in the game that I didn’t notice Al and Ham were missing. At first, when I caught my breath from running around to find a hiding spot, I thought, ‘What’s going on with me?’ and scolded myself for acting like a child. But then I got angry when I found out Al and Ham weren’t playing with us – they were off to see a movie, and I wanted to be there with them so badly! In the evening, when we gathered again, Al and Ham began by making a reference and a joke about the movie, which I remember was called Madame. This made me feel jealous and sad. It was so obvious that my mother recognised it and tried to comfort me, but to me, her effort was like giving milk to a crying infant! So I felt even more alone and forsaken.
In Ann Yeoman’s book, we can read: …In terms of personality traits, a strong emotional attachment to what we may call the mother-realm manifests on the one hand in a certain preciousness, a sense of specialness and difference, a fictional example of which we see in James Joice’s young hero Stephen, who is always “on the fringe,” a little apart from his fellows, an isolate. On the other hand, when out of the province of the mother and, metaphorically, the reach of the mother’s watchful eye, the mother’s son experiences an incapacity to stand on his own and embrace the risks, challenges and unpredictable fullness of life, or realise the courage “to live, to err, to fall, to triumph, to recreate life out of life,”> to cite Joice once again>(A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Amn, p. 172). As a result, the puer remains dissociated from his feelings. In order to shield himself unconsciously from suffering, he protects himself from the possibility of abandonment, rejection and disappointment with an array of defences which prevent him from fully committing himself to life in the first place. Jung describes the neurosis of such a “mother’s boy” in terms of a “secret conspiracy between mother and so…. [in which] each helps the other to betray life” He continues:
Where does the guilt lie? With the mother, or with the son? Probably with both. The unsatisfied longing of the son for life and the world ought to be taken seriously. There is in him a desire to touch reality, to embrace the earth and fructify the field of the world. But he makes no more than a series of fitful starts, for his initiative as well as his staying power are crippled by the secret memory that the world and happiness may be had as a gift from the mother. The fragment of the world which he, like every man, must encounter again and again is never quite the right one, since it does not fall into his lap, does not meet him halfway, but remains resistant, has to be conquered, and submits only to force. It makes demands on the masculinity of a man, on his ardour, above all on his courage and resolution when it comes to throwing his whole being into the scales. For this, he would need a faithless Eros, one capable of forgetting his mother and undergoing the pain of relinquishing the first love of his life. ~Carl Jung, The Syzygy, Anima & Animus, Aion, CW 9ii, par. 20-21
I may laugh at that event now, but as I recall every detail, it seems it left a particular impression on me. I know I wanted to be noticed and taken seriously. However, my mother, as she always had, saw me as her lost daughter. That’s why, when I finally found my solitude, it was mostly when I woke early in the morning in my bed and looked out of the window into the street, where the summer breeze made the leaves of the poplar tree dance. I immersed myself in my fantasy world and let my imagination run freely.
It’s a lovely day today, and it feels like summer is making one last bid to say goodbye. I was out in the garden, but not sunbathing – I had to mow the lawn! As tenants, these sorts of tasks are our responsibility. And now, after giving the flat a good vacuum, I thought it was a good time to write a post.
Tomorrow is Leonard Cohen‘s birthday, and I thought it would be a great chance to celebrate with a poem by Pablo Neruda as a tribute. The theme is human curiosity (the ‘Whys!’), how little we know, and, as Leonard Cohen suggests, why not stand on your own two feet and be your own individual?
There’s no doubt that they’re still alive, truly in our hearts, thanks to their lasting arts and wisdom.
Through a closed mouth, the flies enter by Pablo Neruda:
Why, with those red flames at hand, Are rubies so ready to burn?
Why does the heart of the topaz reveal a yellow honeycomb? Why does the rose amuse itself by hanging the colour of its dreams? Why does the emerald shiver like a drowned submarine?
Why does the sky grow pale under the June stars? Where does the lizard’s tail Get its fresh supply of paint? Where is the underground fire That revives the carnations?
Where does the salt acquire The transparency of its glance? Where did the coal sleep That it awoke so dark? And where, where does the tiger buy Its stripes of mourning, its stripes of gold?
When did the jungle begin to breathe its own perfume? When did the pine tree realise its own sweet-smelling consequence? When did the lemons learn The same laws as the sun?
When did smoke learn to fly? When do roots converse? What is water like in the stars? Why is the scorpion poisonous? Is the elephant benign?
What is the tortoise brooding on? Where does shade withdraw to? What song does the rain repeat? When are the birds going to die? And why should leaves be green?
What we know is so little, and what we presume so much, So slowly do we learn that we ask questions, then die. Better for us to keep our pride for the city of the dead on the day of the departed, And there, when the wind blows through the holes in your skull, It will unveil to you such mysteries, whispering the truth to you through the spaces that were your ears.
I shall forever remember those days when Al and I closed many doors one after another to society, and by listening to Cohen’s songs, we immersed ourselves in our solitude.
Does fantasy lead to escape, or to the embracing of a new perspective? In other words, does it support psychic growth or impede it? That distinction is often complicated by paradox, but it helps to ask ourselves, “Is concentrating on this fantasy or daydream opening my creative possibilities, or is this sapping my ego strength in the real world?” ~Marion Woodman
This excerpt begins Marion Woodman‘s foreword from Ann Yeoman’s book, Now or Neverland, which I read some time ago, thanks to Deborah Gregory‘s recommendation, and I am very grateful for it.
Frankly, when I began reading this book, I felt at home; I saw myself as a puer aeternus, struggling to stay balanced on life’s rollercoaster.
Traditionally, the term ‘puer aeternus’ (Latin for ‘eternal boy’) is used to describe a child-god who remains eternally young. In Carl Jung’s psychology, it refers to an older person whose emotional life remains stuck in adolescence, often referred to as the “Peter Pan syndrome”. Jung suggests that the puer lives a “provisional life” due to a fear of being trapped. They seek independence, resist boundaries, and find restrictions intolerable. In Greek mythology, the term ‘puer aeternus’ originates from the Metamorphoses, an epic poem by Roman poet Ovid (43 BC – c. 17 AD) that explores Greek and Roman myths. Ovid refers to the child-god Iacchus as “puer aeternus” and praises his role in the Eleusinian mysteries. Iacchus is linked to Dionysus and Eros. The puer represents a deity of vegetation, resurrection, and divine youth, similar to Tammuz, Attis, and Adonis.
Senex is a Latin term that literally means “old man.” It can also be used to describe: a wise, elderly person, an archetype. The wise older person (also known as senex, sage, or sophos) is an archetype outlined by Carl Jung, as well as a familiar literary figure, often portrayed as a stock character. Such a figure can be a profound philosopher renowned for wisdom and sound judgment.
Marie-Louise Von Franz summarised her view of the puer as follows: None of his reactions are particularly personal or special. He becomes a type—the type of the puer aeternus. He becomes an archetype, and if you become that, you are not at all original… He is merely the archetype of the eternal-youth god, and, therefore, he has all the features of the god: he has a nostalgic longing for death, he thinks of himself as being something special, and he is the one sensitive being among all the other tough sheep. He will have a problem with an aggressive, destructive shadow that he will not want to live with and generally projects. There is nothing special whatsoever. The worse the identification with the youthful god, the less individual the person, although he himself feels so special. (Puer Aeternus, pp. 121f) Another type of puer that does not display the charm of eternal youth, nor does the archetype of the divine youth shine through him. On the contrary, he lives in a continual sleepy daze, and that, too, is a typical adolescent characteristic… The sleepy daze is only an outer aspect, however, and if you can penetrate it, you will find that a lively fantasy life is being cherished within. (Puer Aeternus, p.2)
Reflecting on my childhood, after my father passed away and my mother kept it a secret from my brother Al and me, I became very introverted. Once I learned the truth, I simply didn’t want to grow up. Al and I drew closer because of our mother’s lie, and over time, during our youth, we swapped roles as eternal children. Initially, I wanted to remain a child forever, while Al, aware of our father’s death almost from the moment it happened, tried to act as a mature older brother to look after me.
As we entered puberty, our roles underwent significant changes. I developed a strong sexual desire much earlier and believed I had to act like a man to attract girls, while Al began creating his own solitary world. For many years, this condition persisted. Although I was accepted into Al’s world and was part of it, I was the one who had to maintain contact with the outside world. As a result, I assumed the role of the senex, but I longed for my puer aeternus and tried to keep it concealed yet protected.
Let’s conclude this now, and I look forward to discussing this topic further in the next part. 🖖🙏
These earrings are the most striking of the four pairs found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. The ducks with outstretched wings create a circular shape, and their feet hold the shen symbol. The head is made of translucent blue glass, while the wing is crafted in cloisonné.
Hanging below the duck are gold and blue glass beads, each featuring five uraei (rearing cobras). The earrings show a high level of aesthetic sophistication, and the duck held a particular erotic significance.
Let’s appreciate and enjoy Marie Grillot‘s vivid portrayal of this captivating divine gem.
(It’s clear I am not happy about naming a character in this article, but I am committed to getting the translation right; just to mention!)
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485
These “bluebird earrings,” as Christiane Desroches Noblecourt aptly called them, and these “gold-encrusted earrings in the shape of an ousekh necklace with a blue glass falcon,” as Zahi Hawass describes them, are one of five pairs found in Tutankhamun’s treasure.
The “Blue Bird” Earrings – gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty In the rectangular box 269a, placed in chest 269 From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation The Howard Carter Archives – Photographs by Harry Burton
They had all been deposited in a rectangular box (number 269a) placed in a charming wooden chest (number 269). Shaped like a cartouche, it is topped with a flat lid, decorated with the king’s birth name written in delicate colored hieroglyphs. It can be identified, “in situ”, in the photos taken by Harry Burton in the “Treasury Room” whose “official opening” took place on February 17, 1923.
With a height of 12.1 cm and a width of 4.4 cm, these earrings are made of “gold, glass paste, translucent blue glass and pale orange-white-blue melted glass” for Christiane Desroches Noblecourt. At the same time, Zahi Hawass sees, instead, in the gold inlays, besides the glass, quartz, travertine and earthenware…
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a Published here in the exhibition catalogue “Tutankhamun and His Time” (1963)
Their heavy and imposing suspension system consists of two tubes, one sliding inside the other, which are passed through the lobe involving an extensive “perforation”. These two elements “are decorated on both sides: at the rear, a hemispherical boss (0.85 cm, diam.) of translucent quartz lined with pigment; at the front, a hemispherical boss (0.95 cm, diam.) of translucent quartz supported by a pigment, forming a solar disk, with two uraei” specify Howard Carter and Alfred Lucas.
The central element consists of a bird with outstretched wings curved inwards, which makes them meet almost forming a circle. They are, like the body, worked according to the cloisonné method… For Zahi Hawass: “The wings of the falcon, and the details at the place where they meet, form a large collar called usekh”.
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a
The bird’s head, which does not resemble that of a falcon, cannot but raise questions, just as it raised questions for Howard Carter: “It is interesting to note that the sun falcon, Herakhtes, has, for some inexplicable reason, the head of a mallard (Anas boscas) in semi-translucent blue glass”…
The bird’s legs are almost horizontal and the talons enclose a shen sign, a symbol of eternity…
The “Blue Bird” Earrings – gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty – at the time of their discovery from the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) ref.: carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation The Howard Carter Archives – Photographs by Harry Burton
Under its tail, a slightly curved gold plate, decorated with pellets, serves as a hook for the lower part of the loops. It is composed of curious “flexible hanging appendages, composed of openwork plates with a geometric pattern interlaced by five rows of blue and gold cylindrical beads, ending in five uraei heads” (“Tutankhamun and his era”)… When discovered, as Harry Burton’s photos show, these “tassels” were fragmentary and in poor condition… A successful restoration has restored them to their original appearance.
Howard Carter noted that these ear ornaments had signs of wear, indicating that they had been worn, most likely until adolescence, by the young king… He did note, during the examination of Tutankhamun’s mummy, that his earlobes were pierced. In “The Tomb of Tutankhamun – The Annexe and Treasury”, he adds this interesting detail: “The gold mask that covered his head also had pierced earlobes, but the holes had been carefully filled with small discs of thin gold leaf, suggesting a desire to conceal this fact”…
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation The Howard Carter Archives – Photographs by Harry Burton
This pair of earrings, Carter 269a(1), has been transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where it was recorded in the Journal of Entries under the reference JE 61969. Its new reference at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza is GEM 485-a.
It should be noted that one of the earrings was featured in the exhibition “Tutankhamun, the Pharaoh’s Treasure”, whose initial worldwide tour, which began in 2018, was reduced to Los Angeles, Paris, and London due to the pandemic.
The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation – The Howard Carter Archives – Description in Murray-Nuttall Handlist – Pair of ear-rings – JE 61969; Card/Transcription No.: 269a1-1 http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/269a(1)-c269a1-1.html http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/269a(1)-p1471.html Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, Life and Death of a Pharaoh, Hachette, 1963 Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, Tutankhamun and His Time, Petit Palais, Paris, 17 February-July 1967, Ministry of State for Cultural Affairs, 1967 Cyril Aldred, Jewels of the Pharaohs, ed. Thames & Hudson Ltd., London, 1978 Nicholas Reeves, Tutankhamun: Life, Death, and Discovery of a Pharaoh, Editions Errance, 2003 Howard Carter, The Tomb of Tutankhamun, Volume 3: The Annexe and Treasury, Bloomsbury, London, 2014 Marc Gabolde, Tutankhamun: Pygmalion, 2015 Zahi Hawass, Exhibition Catalogue “Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh,” IMG Melcher Media, 2018
The first layer we encounter in the unconscious is what Jung called the shadow, usually those parts of ourselves we don’t like, don’t know, or don’t want to know. The shadow can be repressed within us, like a cancer, or projected outward onto others as qualities we dislike most in a person or group. The negative shadow can present us with a shortcoming to be overcome. The positive can show us a meaningful part of ourselves that we should recognise and live out.
~Carl Jung, Wounded Healer of the Soul, Claire Dunne
Honestly, I hadn’t intended to post today, but lately I feel like a stranger in the visual world, whether among Iranians and their struggles for freedom or here, among friends. This isn’t because of feelings of abandonment or being unwelcome; it’s simply due to the constant activity by you and others, which I observe every day, and I can’t keep up! Certainly, I’m referring to those who post every hour, and I wonder how they manage their real lives. I’d love to hear some tips on that.😉 Anyway, while feeling like a stranger, I was inspired to find a beautiful poem by Bella Grim (even though I am not particularly poetic!), and I thought I would share it with you, along with a masterful song by Leonard Cohen. I hope you will enjoy it.
Feeling like a Stranger
By Bella Grim
When I’m me. I’m right here. It’s quiet, unless I do something about it. It’s boring, unless I fill the air. It’s humiliating if I let it be. It’s complicated. Unless I solve the problem
When they see Non believe It’s loud unless I share But they frown around
It’s me. Just me to do something about Just a little way above
It’s fun when I’m me It’s like flying in the sea It’s freeing if I want it It’s exciting if I let it be.
lampmagician 
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