I don't think I have ever been to so many museums in a span of 3 weeks as much as I did during my summer trip! In London alone we went to 5 different museums. I'm glad that I did that, because my kids loved it and were exposed to so many cultures and historical fun facts, which I'm hoping they'll all be saved in their long term memory. Anyhow, in this post I'll be sharing with you the highlights of my museum trips in London. The post misses mentions of two significant museums which we have been to but I only managed to snapchat them at that time, which were: The Science Museum and the London Motor Museum. In no particular order, here are my highlights of museuming in London...
I have taken this picture of this amazing skirt displayed at The British Museum. Cloths several meters in length were layered and gathered around the waist to create the full skirts of Hawaiian Women. This skirt (from 1800's) has evidence of stiching along one long edge, which would have secured plain layers of cloth underneath. I still can't get over the fact that this is from the 1800's! It looks so modern, like something designed by Marni or Dries Van Noten! Beautiful!
A necklace from ancient egypt worn by Pharos. Spotted at The British Museum
Spotted there scarlet boots (1900 - 30) at the Shoes: Pleasure and Pain exhibition which is currently being held at the Victoria & Albert Museum. These boots are elaborately worked with gilded appliqué decoration. Ornately decorated boots like these are seen in journals in the 1920s and also appeared in stage performances. Burlesque and music hall artists showed them off while dancing.
Emerald in its natural form. Beyond pretty!
The Medusa, a group of naturally occurring crystals is regarded as one of the world's finest mineral specimens. Discovered in Zambia in 2009. It's a variety of emerald and quartz crystals. Gorgeous! Spotted at The Natural History Museum.
I can't believe that these are genuine jewelry from the prehistoric egyptian civilization! They look so modern and well-made. I spotted them at the British Museum, in the permenant galley dedicated for Ancient Egypt.
From the 1860, shorter skirts led to a greater emphasis on the stockings and shoes. The barrette, or sandal-boots, as seen here, daringly revealed colored stockings through the bands or cut-outs on the leg and instep. This was not always approved of. The contemporary boots create the same effect, framing the flesh of the leg. They have the addition of a killer sharp heel. This is also part of the Shoes: Pleasure and Pain exhibition which is currently being held at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Spotted at The British Museum, these small pottery, cloth and metal Falasha people and figures are from the 20th century, often depicting mothers carrying infants. They are made by Falasha women mainly for sale to tourists. The Falasha are Ethiopian Jews whose origins are steeped in legend. Isolated from other jewish communities, they have developed a uniquely Ethiopian form of Judaism.
Silver footwear was often given as a wedding gift to Indian brides. The epitome of luxury, these ornately worked toe-knob sandals, known as paduka, were one of the many often extravagant presents a bride might receive. Such shoes often became heirlooms, passed down to successive female family members. The Height of the sandals made the bride stand out, so that she was easily spotted and admired in the crowd. This is also part of the Shoes: Pleasure and Pain exhibition which is currently being held at the Victoria & Albert Museum
This beautiful large feather leaves bowl is by Japanese artist Hosono Hitomi. It;s not an old piece as it was made in 2013, but its details and craftsmanship makes it a museum-worthy piece. I spotted it at The British Museum. Hosono Hitomi worked in her London studio for over six months to create this bowl. She created the basic form on a wheel and then painstakingly attached each of the thousand leaves to give the impression that they are gently rustling in the wind.
at Shoes: Pleasure and Pain exhibition which is currently being held at the Victoria & Albert Museum
A dish with arabic inscription from eastern Iran or Uzbekistan 900 -1000
The text on the small dish was carefully executed in thick, black slip. It offers good wishes for the owner. The spiky inscription on the large dish probably has a similar meaning, but it is more ornament than text. The decoration on the inner walls of the bowl is also based on an inscription, but it has been turned into a purely decorative design.
Imperial topaz from Brazil from in 1833 and 1889. This golden crustal was found in 1832 in one of the earliest topaz mines in Brazil. The color, known as imperial topaz, is typical of the southeastern Ouro Preto region and is most sought after. The cut of the gem highlights its warm sherry glow. It is exceptionally rare to find a crystal of this size and clarity, making it in the words of its previous owner "the finest yellow topaz known".
This perfect-for-Ramadan caftan-like piece is called Mughal Costume. It is actually worn by men at the Mughal court. The costume is based on the Jama, a tailored gown tied at the side, and the Paijama, tapering trousers which were loose at the top and close-fitting at the lower leg. Fine muslin was the most favored material, often embroidered with silk and gold threads.
Loved this display called Aurora pyramid of hope, which I took its photo at The Natural History Museum. It is a private collection. This stunning array of 296 naturally colored diamonds took 25 years to collect. It shows the full range of colors in which diamonds can be found.
Kaleidoscopic colors!! Heart! These opal stones were found in Australia in 1949 (first from left), and 1993. The opal and gold necklace was made in 1958, would be amazing to own such piece! Tonnes of rock may be processed before a single fine opal is found. At the back you can see a rock that has split open to reveal the shimmering opal inside. It is rare to find two opals that are alike. Black opals like the one on the far left are considered the best by gemologists.
South Asian history at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Also another dazzling pair I spotted at Shoes: Pleasure and Pain exhibition which is currently being held at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. These are jeweled evening shoes from 1952-1954 designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior.
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