As I mentioned in the first part of this post, in my visit to the Museum, I most definitely saved the best until last - the very last.
After inspecting Trajan and the other Roman statues, I went to see the display cases housing objects in everyday use in Roman Cádiz. and there are many wonderful, small objects to contemplate such as this collection of glassware. As the photograph was taken through the glass case, the angle is not the best that it could be, but to give you some idea of their delicacy, the small objects at the front of the display are insects carved out of rock crystal. The workmanship is superb and would grace anyone's home.The I turned to what I consider to be the Museum's most impressive, and surprisingly, given its size, the most intimate and moving object.
 |
| Alabaster Phonecian sarcophogi, found in different places in Cádiz at different times. |
 |
| Not a particularly good angle |
In my opinion, the female sarcophagus, unearthed in 1980 is an absolute masterpiece of the sculptor's art. The colour of the stone, the museum's magnificent lighting and the expressiveness of the sculptor who somehow manages to convey to us that the woman who was placed within was both a loving and dearly-loved person, makes the viewer stop in his/her tracks.
I have mentioned elsewhere my own definition of art and, in the modern parlance, this ticks all of the, ahem, boxes. I view of the fact that these pictures are not very good, here is a link to a (rather dizzying) virtual tour of the museum. We start outside in Plaza Mina If you want to go to the ground floor, where the sarcophagi are, click on Planta Baja. The sarcophagi are in room 2. All you have to do is click on the map.
It is remarkable when something as beautiful and moving as the objects you describe are discovered, especially when they date from ancient times.
ReplyDeleteMuch separates us from the Romans and the Phoenicians - language, culture, history, attitudes - yet much unites us, such as a shared reverence and love for the dear departed and a concept of what is beautiful. This perhaps expresses itself best in such objects as the insects carved in crystal that we would be happy to own and to handle ourselves in this our "modern" age.
I think that today, surrounded as we are by mass-produced objects of varying quality from the excellent to the downright dangerous, we all feel the need to possess something that was produced by another person. To possess an object fashioned by someone who strove for excellence through the use of eye and hand. In this way the object itself comes to be charged with a certain intangible (spiritual?) element not to be found in industrial products. I might possibly advance that Apple products such as the old iPods, iPhones etc. came close to this feeling as they were ultimately the product of the vision of one man - Steve Jobs, and not a committee.
ReplyDeleteTrue artisanship is a joy for both the creator and the possessor and, as we can see from this post, it is a joy that lasts throughout the centuries.