'Sam' the Cat

London is full of statues of monarchs, politicians, generals, soldiers, horses, wild animals and lots more. The ones that I love discovering, though, are the smaller, lesser known ones... such as this one.

This statue depicts a cat poised to jump from a brick wall, possibly to land on an unsuspecting bird or mouse. Sam was a real cat and he was commissioned to recognise his owner, Patricia Penn. 

Brunei Gallery and Japanese Roof Garden

A piece of Japan in the heart of Bloomsbury.

Having only recently discovered that there was a Japanese Roof Garden, on top of the Brunei Gallery, I decided that I should pay it a visit.

The SOAS Brunei Gallery is situated in the heart of the University of London, Bloomsbury, but is fairly easy to locate. 

Avoiding the throng of students, who were making their way to classes in the myriad buildings that make up the campus, I headed along a path through the centre of the University, until I reached the Brunei Gallery SOAS.

Japanese Officials, Nagasaki, circa 1862.

After climbing the few steps at the entrance of the gallery I found myself in a large foyer, where a security guard gave me a perfunctory glance, before I made my way through another set of doors and into the gallery itself.

Brass Gong, Brunei, 19th century.

The gallery has different exhibitions, throughout the year, and the current exhibitions are called 'Extraordinary Endeavours', which celebrates the bicentenary of the Society's involvement in the study of science, literature, religion and arts of Asia, since 1823., and 'Discovering the Artwork and Object Collection', allowing you to discover highlights from the Gallery's own collection.

Snakes and Ladders gouache on paper mounted on cloth, circa 1800.

There were pencil drawings, ink drawings, paintings, tapestries, photographs, books, manuscripts, weapons, religious artefacts and so much more, to see, spread across two floors.

Tibetan Thangka, 18th-19th century.

For a small gallery there was a lot to see and, as it was still morning, there was no one else there, allowing for a thorough exploration.

Wukong Java, 1811-1816.

Having meandered my way through across both floors I made my way to the roof, to see the Japanese Roof Garden. 

Rock Islands in a Sea of Gravel.

The garden itself is small but, considering where it is situated, a perfect place to relax. Rocks and planks are set in a gravel sea, bordered in a rectangle shape. Towards the south of the garden is a raised platform beneath an open canopy, while to the north is an obelisk, set among squares of alternating pebbles and moss.

Obelisk.

To the side are wooden benches, beneath climbing vines, that allow for quiet contemplation, high above the campus below.

Suitably relaxed I made way out of the garden, down the stairs and exited the gallery, ready to continue my walk.

British Museum

The Great Court, Entrance Hall and Glass Roof.

Thursday October 31, 2019.

With school half-term upon us, we decided to take the girls on a trip to London, for a few days. 

Our first stop, after lunch, was the British Museum. It was a museum that I had never visited, but had always been on my list of places to visit. As Erin (7) was learning about the Egyptians, at school, it seemed like the perfect time to visit. 

We entered from the Montague Place entrance, and headed directly into the Wellcome Trust Gallery, which had a display of 'Living and Dying'. From here went to the North America and then the Mexico collection. 

From here we entered the Great Court, now enclosed in a wonderful glass roof, where stone artefacts from Egypt and China could be seen. A cafe and gift shop, surrounding the Reading Room, were busy with customers, so we continued into the Egyptian Room. Stone tablets, bearing hieroglyphs, adorned the walls, while stone statues stood in silent majesty, gazing back at the throng of visitors. Sculptures, temples, pillars as a Sarcophagus were also easily accessible.

We then headed to the Middle East, beginning with Assyrian sculptures and Balawat Gates, before travelling through Ancient Greece. From the Minoans and Mycenaeans to the Lycia. From Alexander the Great to the Romans. Vases, sculptures, Mausoleums, monuments and the Parthenon were all on show, in all of their awe-inspiring beauty. 

Back into the Great Court, we caught a lift to the third floor, where we crossed the bridge, from the Great Court Restaurant, and entered the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Galleries, which showcased more of the Middle East. From South Arabia to Anatolia and Uratu and on to Mesopotamia and Levant, there was a lot to take in.

Then we were on to the highlight, for us, of the visit. Ancient Egypt.

Sarcophagi, mummies, burial offerings and much more were all on show. This gallery reached, if not surpassed, my expectations. Erin was busy taking photos and was completely immersed in the experience, while Keilyn was happy to wander around and look at everything, with an innocents mind.

We then headed up to the Mitsubishi Corporation Galleries, where an amazing amount of Japanese culture was on display. The collection dated from around 13,500 Bc right up to the present day. From pots to figures of Buddhist deities. From Samurai armour and weapons to wooden models of animals. Chests and clothing led on to a collection from the indigenous people of Japan, the Ainu. Photography and glassware from the 20th century were also on display.

We then headed back downstairs and into the Sainsbury Galleries and its Africa exhibit. After a good look around at the various art, relics and weaponry, we were beginning to flag. But, with so much more still to see, we decided that we would return again, and so we made our way back to the Great Court and out of the museum. So we headed down Drury Lane, in search of coffee and ice cream, before continuing to our hotel and the adventure that we had planned for Halloween night.

Gallery