At the time of summer solstice goat’s beard was put on windows and doors in Slovenia, people believed the magic of the plant would protect them against evil. Who knows how it worked, but we shouldn’t stop believing in magic, anyway. So here is a piece of magic -A Midsummer Night’s Dream and some pictures of Aruncus diocus, having similar name as midsummer night in Slovene language, which I find magical…
By Wayne Kett
Whenever we accession new objects into our collection we take a great deal of care to record as much detail as possible. If information is missed at this early stage it might prove difficult to obtain later.
Norwich museums have been collecting objects since 1825, as such our collection is extremely diverse, but it’s also huge in volume. This means that inevitably from time to time we encounter objects that don’t have full records. In some cases by undertaking research it is possible to fill in any gaps in our knowledge, but other times the best we can attempt is an educated guess.
To illustrate this issue I have the perfect object! Whilst auditing box 19 (10 down 14 boxes to go!!) I found this decoupage screen. Decoupage is taken from the French word decouper and simply means to cut things out.
The screen is on a wooden…
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So, what is a putto?
It was in the middle of winter when Nigel (Old school garden ) was asking me about historical gardens in my country. Dear Nigel, I have not forgotten I only haven’t found the right one My Botanical Garden could present-till now! But this one is just perfect, listen to the story:
A.D. 1763
Count Lanthieri enters his room, with handful of first cherries from the valley. Crop is good this year, God knows how will the wine be. Anno Domini 1762 was a good year. Extensive family vineyards, dominating the valley, gave exquisite wine, it was sold to Venice, Rome, Vienna, Luwigana. And the palace was renovated, garden was redesigned, all in baroque manner. Count opens the window overlooking the garden, his glance slowly glides along the long garden axis. He is expecting guests from Luwigana today. Before they come, he will have a walk down in the garden…
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Trying to choose a topic to write my blog about is sometimes challenging, but at other times it’s a handed to me on a plate….or should I say in a crate! (Bad pun I know…)
Last week we opened crate 22 (number 8 to have been opened)… and we were greeted by lots of cots and commodes! A few weeks ago we also found some pall bearers and a coffin template …which I think neatly encapsulates the cycle of life…and death… and as you can see gave me the idea for this week’s blog title!
After opening the crate and some initial record checking we found that some of the cots and commodes had previously belonged to the workhouse at Pulham Market in Norfolk. Being based in the grounds of Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse (built in 1775), we at the superstore found this is particularly relevant and poignant.
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Bufo bufo is part of a species complex, a group of closely related species which cannot be clearly demarcated.[1] Several modern species are believed to form an ancient group of related taxa from preglacial times. These are the spiny toad (Bufo spinosus), the Caucasian toad (Bufo verrucosissimus) and the Japanese common toad (Bufo japonicus). The European common toad (Bufo bufo) seems to have arisen more recently.[6] It is believed that the range of the ancestral form extended into Asia but that isolation between an eastern and western type occurred as a result of greater aridity and desertification in the Middle East during the Middle Miocene.[12]The exact taxonomic relationships between these species remains unclear.
Mr. Toad Esq. is one of the main characters in the children’s novel The Wind in the Willows, byKenneth Grahame
from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_toad
Veiled in this fragile filigree of wax is the essence of sunshine, golden and limpid, tasting of grassy meadows, mountain wild-flowers lavishly blooming orange trees, or scrubby desert weeds. Honey, even more than wine, is a reflection of place. If the process of grape to glass is alchemy, then the trail from blossom to bottle is one of reflection. The nectar collected by the bee is the spirit and sap of the plant, its sweetest juice. Honey is the flower transmuted, its scent and beauty transformed into aroma and taste.
~ Stephanie Rosenbaum
In terms of heritage, it is all happening in Littleport! Recently, I reported on the now completed HLF-funded project which resulted in the documentation of the remarkably well-preserved Family Adams shop in Littleport – see here for the previous blog post on this.
The shop window at the old Family Adams shop currently displays images, artefacts and information for a new local project: ‘The Horseman’s Word’, which aims to research the golden age of the Fenland Heavy Horse. Recently, the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant to the Field Theatre Group in Littleport to carry out this project.
The Field Theatre Group’s project ‘The Horseman’s Word’ will bring together a range of people, researchers, archivists, historians, film makers, curators, photographers and heavy horse experts. In this, the Field Theatre Group will work closely with ADeC over the next 18 months to deliver this exciting new project. ADeC is also a key partner in…
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Nigel Boldero aka 'Old School Gardener'
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