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Wednesday I spent a perfectly lovely day with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
harpnfiddle going to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. We got a late start (my fault, and then we ran into traffic) so we didn't hit Grand Central until around 12:30, but we still made our appointment at the Ratti Textile Gallery at the Met on time.
While there we met some of her friends from a lace mailing list, she saw several pieces of lace and lacis that she's using as a basis for her work, and I got to see a really interesting little early 17th century quilted half circle. I call it a half-circle because, pace the Met, their catalog description of this piece as a cope is wrong.
First, it's only 39.5" long, which is about the right size for a cope if we're talking about General Tom Thumb. Second, I seriously question whether it's actually a garment at all because there are no, repeat no signs of wear along the front where a clasp, ties, or a pinned band would have gone. No pin marks, no buttonholes, no seams from a pair of ties - nothing. The technician at the Met agreed that I had a point, and believes that the work might have been cataloged incorrectly upon its accession by the Met in 1923, when textile scholarship was basically, well, nonexistent. I personally think it's a table cover of some sort...anyone know if early 17th century tables or sideboards were ever made in lunettes? :)
That aside, the piece itself was fascinating. It's 81" x 39.5", of cotton with a cotton backing and either no batting or a very thin cotton batt It's early Bengali export work and shows the typical mixture of European huntsmen in tall hats, doublets and trunk hose hunting gazelles, tigers, rabbits, lions, and what appear to be close kin to the Giant Rat of Sumatra. Servitors are in Indian costume, and some of the Europeans are riding elephants. It's in decent condition, although there are two matching stains that probably are the result of someone dumping a liquid on the piece when it was folded in half. I'm not sure if I can get a paper or presentation out of it, but I had blast looking at it.
After that we said good-bye toharpnfiddle's friends, had dinner at Nectar 82, a little Greek-style diner near the Met, and caught the 6:41 train back to New Haven. Great day, and the weather even cooperated for a change!&lj-cut>
Today was more mixed. Siren wasn't doing at all well this morning, so I delayed a trip to the mechanic to have my radiator checked and get an oil change. I even called the vet to make The Appointment because she wouldn't touch her food, ignored catnip, and was so listless I was convinced she was dying. Fortunately, Roomie talked me out of it.
She said that Siren had been fine yesterday, and had been in fine (and loud) voice. I therefore offered Siren a can of Fancy Feast as a last resort...
And damned if she didn't inhale every last crumb, groom herself, and limp over to the deck to bask in the sun.
I called the vet, cancelled the appointment, and was told that at this point, it's more important that she eat than that she eat a special kidney-friendly diet. The vet found the Best Resurrection Since Lazarus hilarious, said that old, sick cats can surprise you, and that if Siren wanted Fancy Feast or other commercial wet food, that's what she should have.
And that's what she'll get, plus all the love that Roomie and I can give her. She's a good old girl and she deserves every bit of pleasure she can get as her time in this little striped body winds down.
And so it goes...
harpnfiddle going to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. We got a late start (my fault, and then we ran into traffic) so we didn't hit Grand Central until around 12:30, but we still made our appointment at the Ratti Textile Gallery at the Met on time.While there we met some of her friends from a lace mailing list, she saw several pieces of lace and lacis that she's using as a basis for her work, and I got to see a really interesting little early 17th century quilted half circle. I call it a half-circle because, pace the Met, their catalog description of this piece as a cope is wrong.
First, it's only 39.5" long, which is about the right size for a cope if we're talking about General Tom Thumb. Second, I seriously question whether it's actually a garment at all because there are no, repeat no signs of wear along the front where a clasp, ties, or a pinned band would have gone. No pin marks, no buttonholes, no seams from a pair of ties - nothing. The technician at the Met agreed that I had a point, and believes that the work might have been cataloged incorrectly upon its accession by the Met in 1923, when textile scholarship was basically, well, nonexistent. I personally think it's a table cover of some sort...anyone know if early 17th century tables or sideboards were ever made in lunettes? :)
That aside, the piece itself was fascinating. It's 81" x 39.5", of cotton with a cotton backing and either no batting or a very thin cotton batt It's early Bengali export work and shows the typical mixture of European huntsmen in tall hats, doublets and trunk hose hunting gazelles, tigers, rabbits, lions, and what appear to be close kin to the Giant Rat of Sumatra. Servitors are in Indian costume, and some of the Europeans are riding elephants. It's in decent condition, although there are two matching stains that probably are the result of someone dumping a liquid on the piece when it was folded in half. I'm not sure if I can get a paper or presentation out of it, but I had blast looking at it.
After that we said good-bye to
harpnfiddle's friends, had dinner at Nectar 82, a little Greek-style diner near the Met, and caught the 6:41 train back to New Haven. Great day, and the weather even cooperated for a change!&lj-cut>Today was more mixed. Siren wasn't doing at all well this morning, so I delayed a trip to the mechanic to have my radiator checked and get an oil change. I even called the vet to make The Appointment because she wouldn't touch her food, ignored catnip, and was so listless I was convinced she was dying. Fortunately, Roomie talked me out of it.
She said that Siren had been fine yesterday, and had been in fine (and loud) voice. I therefore offered Siren a can of Fancy Feast as a last resort...
And damned if she didn't inhale every last crumb, groom herself, and limp over to the deck to bask in the sun.
I called the vet, cancelled the appointment, and was told that at this point, it's more important that she eat than that she eat a special kidney-friendly diet. The vet found the Best Resurrection Since Lazarus hilarious, said that old, sick cats can surprise you, and that if Siren wanted Fancy Feast or other commercial wet food, that's what she should have.
And that's what she'll get, plus all the love that Roomie and I can give her. She's a good old girl and she deserves every bit of pleasure she can get as her time in this little striped body winds down.
And so it goes...
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 12:43 am (UTC)From:http://www.periodoakantiques.co.uk/product.php?id=697
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 01:10 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 01:29 am (UTC)From:I hope you have more days of her basking in sunshine and that when it's her time, that it is quick and decisive.
Could the half circle be something ceremonial? not necessarily human clothes, but maybe something for an animal? Like an elephant or horse. Something used in conjunction with other trappings? I'm not all that in the know about animal gear, just throwing something else out there. I would be keen on reading a paper if you decide to write it.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 01:46 am (UTC)From:servantlover to do the same with a terminally ill kitty.As for the quilted item...it looked too clean to have been used on an animal, but it's always possible. I'll have to start digging :)
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 01:54 am (UTC)From:I'm wondering, if it even saw use on an animal. Given as a gift from a foreign diplomat, it may never have been used, but given as a ceremonial gift. My mum worked in governement and when members of her team went to Indonesia or to Gyana, they were given gifts, same as when other countries came here. Many of the cultures she dealt with offered gifts of clothing and ceremonial dolls and such, heavily on the textile side of things. I wonder if we may be looking at the 17thC version of that. Just a thought...
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 01:15 pm (UTC)From:Among the many things, we saw this piece and all thought of you:
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/asian_art/embroidered_patchwork//objectview.aspx?OID=60006738&collID=6&dd1=6
1997.380 Embroidered patchwork 13th c China