Here's a picture of one of the items on exhibit from the earlier post about the Pierpont Morgan Library. The red piece is about as big as a thumb, and when rolled on soft clay, creates this beautiful drawing. Isn't it something?
March 30, 2011
Earliest Evidence of Writing
Here's a picture of one of the items on exhibit from the earlier post about the Pierpont Morgan Library. The red piece is about as big as a thumb, and when rolled on soft clay, creates this beautiful drawing. Isn't it something?
Tour of the Pierpont Morgan Library
Today I toured the Pierpont Morgan Library on 36th and Madison. My $15 admission included a headset and computerized audio tour of this awesome place. What an accumulation of wealth this guy had managed! The library houses thousands of ancient manuscripts, three original Gutenberg Bibles, original hand-written music by Beethoven and Brahms, etc.
My favorite items on display were the collection of "the earliest evidence of writing as manifested in ancient seals, tablets, and papyrus fragments from the Near East." Picture a piece of stone or marble the size of a wine stopper. Intricately engraved on to these pieces -- some as small as your little finger -- was artwork that, when pressed and rolled onto clay, made reliefs into the clay. The little clay tablets were used to identify personal belongings once they were dry. Here's a picture of one of my favorites.
On special display were a group of diaries from the collection -- all handwritten by famous and common people from as far back as the 1500s. Very interesting. I'm really glad I went.
My favorite items on display were the collection of "the earliest evidence of writing as manifested in ancient seals, tablets, and papyrus fragments from the Near East." Picture a piece of stone or marble the size of a wine stopper. Intricately engraved on to these pieces -- some as small as your little finger -- was artwork that, when pressed and rolled onto clay, made reliefs into the clay. The little clay tablets were used to identify personal belongings once they were dry. Here's a picture of one of my favorites.
On special display were a group of diaries from the collection -- all handwritten by famous and common people from as far back as the 1500s. Very interesting. I'm really glad I went.
What do you mean we can't catch a cab?
Two days ago I reserved tickets for my hubby and me to see one of the films featured at the MOMA for the New Films New Producers event. Paul agreed to take off a little early so we could catch a cab from his office and be there at 6 p.m.
When he met me outside his office building at 5:30 we started walking towards the venue and periodically looking back to try and wave down a cab. But at that time of day, there was no empty cab to be found. We kept walking. We ended up half-running from 43rd to 66th and when we got there and got our tickets, we were told the actual viewing was 20 blocks south.
So we decided our $28 dollars for the tickets was our contribution to the New York arts scene and headed to Paul's favorite place to have wine and pasta on 86th. For this trip we found a cab.
When he met me outside his office building at 5:30 we started walking towards the venue and periodically looking back to try and wave down a cab. But at that time of day, there was no empty cab to be found. We kept walking. We ended up half-running from 43rd to 66th and when we got there and got our tickets, we were told the actual viewing was 20 blocks south.
So we decided our $28 dollars for the tickets was our contribution to the New York arts scene and headed to Paul's favorite place to have wine and pasta on 86th. For this trip we found a cab.
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