Here is a bonus item for #NationalLobsterDay that I found while searching the Met collection because I’m just loving this clever design: FYI: “A kozuka is a handle of a by-knife that is part of a sword mounting. It is kept in a slot on the reverse of a katana…
It’s National Lobster Day so I get to share one of my favorite Nazca ceramics! Such a unique piece infused with so much character…I mean just look at that face… ?
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Happy International Red Panda Day, celebrated annually on the 3rd Saturday of September! The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens, which roughly translates to “shining cat”), is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only extant species of the Ailuridae family, nestled within the “weasel…
Lidded Bowl with Iguanac. 600–1100 (Thermoluminescence date, 995–1395)Costa Rica, Southern Nicoya regionceramic, slipCleveland Museum of Art It is believed the iguana’s regional symbolism was linked to both rulership and the solar realm, and here we see the iguana is portrayed as if basking in the sun, but also with an…
The Vatican Loggia’s “Raphael Rooms” have long been noted for their immense variety of flora and fauna depicted, including many exotic species. Believed to have executed primarily by Rafael’s associate Giovanni da Udine (1487-1564) between 1517-1519, this artistic menagerie is thought to be an artistic catalog of the real-life menagerie…
Ustad Mansur (active 1590-1624) was a court artist for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605 – 1627). He specialized in natural history art and was responsible for recording the emperor’s rare and exotic specimens, including an important image of the now-extinct Dodo that was recorded from life and in color. The…
International Vulture Awareness Day is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of September. There are 23 extant species of “vultures” split between two distinct taxonomies: the “New World” Vultures, a monophyletic group comprised of 7 species from the Americas in the Cathartidae family, and the “Old World” Vultures, a polyphyletic…
Happy International Primate Day, celebrated on September 1st annually. Though now recognized as a Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), this work is also still known as Gorilla, based on an earlier misidentification. Apparently even Munch himself wasn’t sure what kind of primate it was, calling it an orangutan in notes found on another…
This is but one of several similar ancient Roman mosaics. It has been suggested that the signs were not to warn trespassers about a guard dog, but rather to warn visitors to not accidentally step on the wee house dog! (These were probably small Italian Greyhounds.) Here’s another cute example:…
For #WorldHoneybeeDay here is another piece from the Majolica Mania exhibition at the Walters Art Museum:
