Rondels, medallions and history of textiles

Yesterday the Hajii Baba rug club presented scholar Dr. Mariachiara Gasparini with a wonderful survey of the rondel, aka medallion, motif in early silk textiles and carving.

She showed slides of work from the third century up to about the tenth. At that period, Islamic art became more dominant and the medallions with the circular form and depiction of animals and people were overtaken by geometric forms.

Mostly silk, and often intended for nomad tents, these were beautiful, functional art. Typically the silk traveled west from China, and wool and cotton traveled east to China, on the silk road. 

You'll see metal medallions below, intended for the corners of nomadic tents, to reinforce them.

Her slides were so well labeled that you don't need my help seeing what's what. Weavers among us might enjoy her slides of the weaving structure often used in these weft faced works. And the looms used. Also the knotting style of nonwoven pieces.

One thing that was not in the scope of her talk was something you'll know from art history, that the rondel form is common in medieval and later western art and architecture.

She does point out that the form has cultural and spiritual significance in the countries she covered, from China, Tibet and what we now call the Middle East. And you'll see the carved sleeping Buddha with a pillow decorated with rondels.

Okay, onward to the pix.

Ki

The duck is a favorite motif, showing up all over the place. 

Enjoy the images, and if you make mandalas, circular patterned art forms, you'll know a bit more about the history. India has a mandala tradition, but that wasn't in the scope of this terrific presentation.

The morning after, but doing better

So yesterday was the Mohs surgery on my face, right near my eye, causing complications. Among other things, doctor and staff alarmed at my extremely high bp, way beyond dangerous, way out of my normal rather high range.

She concluded it was the extreme anxiety of the procedure. We went ahead, took four+hours, and I'm operating out of one eye today, other one swollen shut. Very dramatic.

Back next week to remove the very complex stitches needed, location being key.

And today I'm icing, monitoring bp, which is falling gradually, and following this morning's doctor's orders to take it easy. That had been my plan, but Handsome Son was on standby in case I needed an Rx run. I can't drive until I can see out of both eyes.

So this that was exciting, very good doctor, specialist in this surgery, which is why my derma referred me. I have hopes that scarring won't be a thing.

Meanwhile one of the displacement activities of the day before was to make a pizza.

Hot sausage and mushroom, extra tomatoes, thin crust. I had some, and left some for handsome Son to reheat for lunch yesterday, just as well, he was on hold for me till nearly 3pm. He very much approved of it. 

I didn't didn't make the crust for once, from Misfits market, and really good. 

Today primary doctor's instructions on hearing bp adventures are to take it easy today, exactly what I planned. And thank you, friends who have been so supportive and helpful through the weeks of this soul-trying gig.

Meanwhile if you're knitting at warp speed for Christmas, Maggie Rudy's got your number.

Cheers folks! 

Surprise

 I was watering plants yesterday, and the one that had had potatoes in it long ago before its present occupant, suddenly had some new growth.

I pulled it out and found it was a couple of potatoes

Which became part of last night's supper. I did plant a slice which was sprouting in the fingerling pot.

That's the pot in which I've planted peelings from fingerlings, so this gives me hope of an indoor crop there, too. 

You never know.

Another blogiversary and other diversions

Today's the 11th anniversary of my art blog, Art, the Beautiful Metaphor, which I folded recently into Field and Fen. This is why you're seeing more art content in here.

Here's a couple of watercolor and chalk paintings I showed in the first post on Beautiful Metaphor. 

The title of the blog is a joke on Soccer, the Beautiful Game. Only soccer fans ever caught that, but oh well. It's also a musing on how art is a metaphor for life. And vice versa, even more interesting.

Then, back to now, there's Lucy Worsley and royal history which I watched yesterday, noting how very little has changed in politics since Tudor times. 

On one of the programs, there's an episode on the Russian revolution, with surprising revelations contradicting what most of us thought happened then. A lot of what we think was in fact publicity spin. Nothing new there. 

Did you know, I didn't, that the Russian revolution was started by thousands of women textile workers massing in St Petersburg, on International women's Day? February 1917. They marched on factories urging men to down tools and join them. Even coopted the police ahead of time, so when the Czar inevitably ordered a crackdown, the police failed to open fire. 

That was in February, Lenin in Switzerland, nothing to do with him, despite his later claims. Then the October revolution, billed by the men running it as the real one, erased the role of the women while taking advantage of the gains they'd made. Sounds so familiar.

Anyway I accompanied this with a decadent dessert, defiantly.

One of those almond pastry shells, remember them? filled with yogurt mixed with maple syrup, topped with an apricot and a chocolate chip. Spooned out the contents then ate the container.

And 

And my current go-to rapid supper, fingerling potatoes, scallions, roasted then oven off, longhorn cheese on top to melt.

Oh, the molded paper piece looks promising. 

Here it is, released from the pumpkin stems, and now waiting for more in order to make a shadow box artwork. It suggests a few scene ideas.

Happy Sunday, everyone. I woke quite sure it was Monday, so I got an extra day.