The Ashmolean Museum

 In lieu of a classroom lecture this morning, Dr. Snyder opted to take us on a field trip to the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum!  The museum was the world's first university museum, opening its doors in the mid-17th century.Today it houses a world-class collection with exhibits covering the pre-historical period, Ancient Egypt and the Middle East, Classical Greece and Rome, European History, Far-Eastern art, musical instruments, painting, and sculpture.

We began in the newly opened Ancient Egypt exhibit.  Dr. Snyder discussed J.R.R. Tolkien's influences for Lord of the Rings including that of ancient Egyptian headgear in his depiction of the Gondorians and Númenorians.  We also saw the Scorpion Macehead, a highly-decorated ceremonial mace so named because of the scorpion glyph which proceeds every appearance of the pharaoh.

Dr. Snyder leads the discussion.

 Next we passed through the Classical Greece and Rome section, stopping to admire the pottery and sculpture of the ancient artists.

 

The Ashmolean has a good collection of classical artifacts.

Zeus!!!

 

We then made our way upstairs, bypassing the Asian and Near-Eastern collections "which had nothing to do with Tolkien."  We'll certainly need to return later and see them. 

At last, Dr. Snyder found the Anglo-Saxon collection! Click here for Dr. Snyder's feelings on the matter.

While Dr. Snyder was discussing Anglo-Saxon sword and coin hordes, the rest of us were distracted by the shining artifact in the central case, the Alfred Jewel.

Everyone wants a photo of the Alfred Jewel

Close-up of the Alfred Jewel

 As we made our way over to the musical instruments collection, Maddy and I couldn't help but notice a familiar face amongst the tapestries.  The elusive Monster of Venneit Close!  We've had several sightings of a mysterious mammal near the Venneit Close apartments and railyard but have been unable to hit upon a matching description of any local creature after consulting with several residents of the neighborhood.  I'd like to think it's just a fox with a skin condition, but could it be a capybara?

Maddy finds the mysterious monster in a French tapestry.

  As a erstwhile guitarist and violist, I was quite at home in the musical instruments gallery.  Plenty of Strads and instruments by other makers to keep me satisfied! Unfortunately, no one is allowed to play Stradivari's Messiah violin, so named because a former owner often boasted about it to friends but never revealed it. It is in like-new condition and playing might damage it.

Stradivari's Messiah

Guitars by Stradivari, 1688 (l) and dos Santos, c. 1700 (r).

 In its current configuration, the Ashmolean now incorporates the University Art Collection containing numerous portraits and scenes.  The upper floors of the museum include a good selection of Pre-Raphialite art.  None of my photos of the paintings were any good due to the lighting, but here is a statue from the collection:

Close-up of Pia de' Tolomei and Nello della Peitra by Pio Fedi (1816-1892)

 A couple of hours racing around the Ashmolean had worked up quite an appetite, so we concluded our visit with a snack at the museum's rooftop cafe.  Caught a lucky break in the weather, too!

MSU Group at the Ashmolean's rooftop cafe.

Hannah and Maddy are looking forward to that coffee!

Hannah, Casey, Melissa, and Maddy

 Afterwards, several of us went to lunch at an unusual little restaurant in the University's 'Old Congregation House' next door to the Radcliffe Camera. The Vaults and Garden Cafe is actually located inside part of the University Church of St. Mary The Virgin.  We just caught the tail end of lunch service, and several people were disappointed that the cafe was out of their first choices.  I managed to secure a delicious soup and salad combo, however!

Lunch of tuna salad and tomato soup at The Vault, Oxford

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the Bodleian Library, researching and watching films for my Weimar-Era German Cinema tutorial.  The Gladstone Link has a good selection of film texts, and is relatively quiet, creating a very enjoyable atmosphere for film research.