Winter Holiday in London - Conclusion

Day Three -
My last day in London was spent at the British Museum.  Again, there was so much to see that I barely skimmed the surface.  I made a bee line to the ancient gold jewelry of the Minoans and Mycenaeans, then through the sculptures of the Parthenon into ancient Assyria, Egypt and Mesopotamia.  Of course, this is where I always go, creature of habit that I am.  This time I took photos and notes.  There is a special energy in these rooms which I cannot explain but is definitely awe inspiring.  After browsing the antiquities, I had a fabulous lunch in the upper atrium cafe which included the most beautiful caesar salad I've even seen then off to browse the fabulous bookshop.  As I was leaving I walked quickly through a room filled with Native American antiquities as I was late for a meeting....Ohhhhhhhhh....had I known!  There are so many more treasures yet to see.  Maybe someday I will live in London for a time just so I can see every inch of this magnificent museum.  I ended the day with a visit to a  dear high school friend who is a full time resident in the UK and her delightful business partner and friend .... a great end to a lovely trip.

I took more photographs than I can share here but here are some highlights....

atrium at British museum

gold & carnelian necklace from Cyprus 1400BC

Minoan earring from Crete 1850-1550BC

Aphrodite 2nd cent. AD Roman

flying eagle necklace from Turkey 1400BC

goddess Hathor 1400BC Egypt

Nebamun, Hatshepsut & daughter hunting the marshes 1400BC

Egyptian limestone game "mehen" 2890BC

Egyptian faience necklace

Assyrian limestone letter and envelope 1850BC

funerary headdress & necklace from Ur 2500BC

Pheonician carnelian & gold necklace from Tarros Sardinia 500BC

Hellenistic oak wreath from Turkey 350BC

"If you are truthful you will have as much gold as you want."

~ Greek proverb ~

Workstatte Wonders

My class in metalsmithing three weeks ago at Precious Metal Arts in Santa Monica was really fantastic.  They have a great facility and the teachers, Peter and Nancy, are lovely.  Just getting a taste of basic metalsmithing (sawing/cutting sheet metal, soldering, polishing, hammering)  has me motivated to learn more.  And luckily there are more classes!

I am also inspired by the metalsmith artistry of early twentieth century artist Josef Hoffman from the Weiner Workstatte in Vienna.  I just had to share some images with you all.  The Weiner Worskstatte was born in 1913 out of the Arts and Crafts movement in England of the late 19th century by artists who were rebelling against the machines that displaced artisans during Industrial Revolution. The artistans wanted to show that a machine cannot produce the same beauty and quality in an item as a person can.  And they definitely proved their point!  

There is an interesting article about the Workstatte in the New York Times, called Rage Against the Machine with Artisans and Beauty.   

And, a book I've been dying to purchase, Weiner Workstatte Jewelry.

"Industry has operated against the artisan in favor of the idler, and also in favor of capital and against labor. Any mechanical invention whatsoever has been more harmful to humanity than a century of war."
~ Remy de Gourmont ~

Playing with Aura 22 Gold

The price of gold is at an all time high ... $1,855. today!  But, with the invention of Aura 22, I can still play with gold and not have heart palpitations if I make a little mistake!  My cousin commissioned me to create a necklace for her thirteen year old daughter, who saw the crystal druzy and fell in love but wanted my PK touch with it.  I finally found a moment to get my act together and finish it.  I made a few pieces, along with the custom order, so I could practice my guilding.  I made the extra tear drops in case the custom one didn't come out right... luckily they all came through with flying colors. 

The process is fairly easy. You make your fine silver metal clay piece, fire it like normal, then without touching it or polishing it, you paint several thin layers (I did four layers) of the liquid 22k gold clay paste.  The liquid gold has a small percentage of silver clay mixed in so it will fuse with the metal clay piece.  So, after applying the gold, it goes back in the kiln at only 850 degrees for 15 minutes (or you can fire it with a torch).  The first time I used it, I had a difficult time as the clay didn't want to stick to the silver after firing....  it flaked off while I burnished/polished it.  I read that it sticks better if you take it out of the kiln while still warm (but NOT hot) so I tried that approach. Seems to have worked!  Though from the first try, I learned not to polish with a polishing pad with any grit or it will rub the gold off. Best to use a burnisher.  I haven't tried the tumbler yet.

The first photo show the teardrop metal clay pendant without any oxidation. The whiter area is the silver without the gold overlay. The following photo shows the same teardrops as earring WITH oxidation.... a completely different look.  The last photo is a fine silver metal clay pendant with Aura 22 gold painted only on the granulation and floral detail, then oxidized.

GOLD 

 This symbolizes the purity of the spiritual aspect of "All That Is". It is symbolic of spiritual development in the realm of complete understanding, allowing one to both attain and maintain communion with the source of all being. It emits an energy to prompt one to allow beauty to come forth from the inner being as one travels through the world of experiences. It assists one to activate, to mobilize and to actualize the intrinsic potential of the self. The energy of gold can assist one in the elimination of ego conflicts and feelings of futility. It balances the heart chakra and amplifies thought forms. Gold has been used to open the third-eye and is an excellent mineral for purification of the physical body. 

"PURE GOLD DOES NOT FEAR FURNACE."

~ Chinese Proverb ~

Afghanistans Glorious Past

When most people think of Afghanistan, images of poverty, war, drought, dust, and destruction come to mind. But that wasn't always the case.  Kabul was once a vibrant thriving city ....not that long ago...and today, there are still many beautiful verdant valleys throughout the country. Recently, thousands of ancient antiquities that were hidden for many years from invaders and pillagers have come back out into the open.  My parents were fortunate to have been able to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last fall to see these amazing artifacts.  Here are a few of the items that were on display....

I saw Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, on Tuesday night at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara.  He spoke of the tens of thousands of children including girls throughout Afghanistan, with the help of the Central Asia Institute and other NGO's, that are now attending schools which was not even an option 10 years ago.  These young girls, who finally have the opportunity to go to school, are learning to read AND teaching their mothers to read.  Now, women are being empowered.... and are forming groups to empower each other.  I believe positive change is inevitable.


I pray that Afghanistan, with so many strong and courageous people, will regain her past glory during my lifetime.

"Educate a boy, and your educate and individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community"

~ An African proverb told by Greg Mortenson ~