03 March 2017
The topic of who discovered what and when has long been debated by historians whom may never come to a singular agreement. One thing is certain: humans have continually dreamt of faraway lands and set sail to voyage to the edges of the earth and beyond. As with all things in human history, people have left records of their voyages and discoveries. From the earliest maps that were mere lines a...
24 February 2017
It’s hard to imagine a grown man listening intently and carrying on a dialogue with a stuffed pig, unless the pig represents the inner child of his best friend, companion, and partner Claudia, also known as Scout. The pig was a gift from a family friend years ago, and in no time she was a principal member of our family.The pig is a beautiful shade of pink, with brown button eyes, and much...
20 January 2017
Looking at Buddha’s face and head can also give an indication of whether you are seeing Gautama Buddha or a different Buddhist figure entirely. The original Buddha’s facial expression is typically serene and his mouth is usually shown smiling slightly. His earlobes are usually shown long where they were once weighed by his heavy jewelry as a prince. Later, the long earlobes bec...
13 January 2017
Who is to say that the things we see – all the colors, shapes and textures of the world – are viewed the same way through every eye? Is the green you see the same as the green I see? Recent research has suggested it's not, and further, that the perception of color is actually derived from experience. Needless to say, no two people have identical experiences, even identical twin...
05 January 2017
By Glen Joffe Various types of headdresses are used throughout Ladakh. Most are plain; typically put together from pieces of dark fabric or leather. However, other types of spectacularly ornamented headgear also exist. The most well known is called the Perak, an unusual piece of finery covered in long rows of turquoise stitched onto the surface. Many aficionados and experts claim the Perak...
30 December 2016
The day started with breakfast in the coffee shop. The first thing I noticed was plates of candy everywhere. Even the hostess offered me some as she placed silverware on the table and announced “Happy New Year.” Around me, people ate noodles. I felt like I had made a mistake by ordering eggs.I am more self-conscious here than when I first arrived in New York City. The language barri...
23 December 2016
Even the smallest of objects can sing loudly when placed in a chorus with like objects. For example, consider miniature bronze figures from Africa and India. Invariably, they were cast using the lost wax process. Lost wax casting insures a piece is one-of-a-kind since the original wax sculpture and the mold are destroyed in the creation of the finished sculpture. In other words, no two pieces a...
16 December 2016
In the past several decades, a new movement has surfaced in the interior design world; eclecticism. This style combines the fashions and designs of multiple periods, from ancient to contemporary and East to West, for example. The popularity of eclecticism has risen as people – especially interior design professionals - discovered a vast array of objects, art and furniture can be united t...
09 December 2016
In a world where everything is in motion, nothing can remain unchanged. Civilizations rise and fall, religions flourish and wane, and leaders emerge and fade. Yet, in comparison it seems some basic human characteristics have hardly changed over the vast expanse of time. One such characteristic is our ability to feel and express complex emotions. Another is our capacity for imagination and...
25 November 2016
In the 2,500 years since the historical Buddha lived, his story has been told countless times and his teachings became the basis for one of the world’s great religions – Buddhism. Although there is general agreement among historians that Buddha was an actual person, the actual times of his birth and death are uncertain as are many details of his life. There are simply too many conf...