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This sweet lady
is by Dutch artist, Sjannie Bouwman. The style is called Raku
and originates from a 16th century Japanese "Zen-culture"
technique.
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This oil painting
is by Dutch artist, Hannelieke van de Beek. She began with
a photo of a Jewish apartment building in (predominantly Muslim)
Yemen. We asked her to carve the words into the border, "Let
there be peace on earth," in Arabic, Hebrew and Greek,
believing that if the three primary religions of Islam, Judaism
and Christianity could find harmony, there could be peace
on earth.
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Another
painting by Hannelieke. Again, she began with a photo, this time
a mosque in Yemen. |
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These are
hand-painted tiles, which we carried back in bags from Tunisia.
Islamic art doesn't allow for the human body, so the focus is
on blossoms, birds and geometric shapes. |
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This is
"Nina," by Dutch artist Jean Marianne Bremers. (Her left
toe is actually off the ground, and only her right foot is providing
support.) |
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Holland
has a close relationship with Zimbabwe and sponsors many of its
artists, making their art available for purchase. This sculpture
is typical of the carving technique used my many of the artists.
The candle behind her is a gift from Krystle's family, who are
originally from Zimbabwe. |
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Another
sculpture from Zimbabwe. |
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These sculptures
are by Kosta Boda, Sweden's oldest glassworks, since 1742. |
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These plates
are from places we've visited: Portugal, Malta, Mexico, Tunisia
and Spain. |
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This is
one of the reliefs from the Fontaine des Innocents in Paris. |
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This is
the Pietà, which Ron's dad made while in a sanatorium, following
the three years he spent in concentration camps. Toine copied
artist Beuron's work from a 3"X5" prayer card. He never
completed it, left it in his closet for fifty-five years, and
then gave it to us. |
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This is
Salomé. The original, by Jules Desbois, is in Museé
d'Orsay in Paris. The Holy Family inlay behind her is from the
wood-carving village of Oberammergau, in Germany. We clustered
the two pieces with the Pietà, thinking that Salomé represents
the soul at its "worst," and Mary represents the soul at its "best," and we each have both within us
- and together, the two pieces represent the journey of the soul, which we're
all making. |
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This is
a French Comtoise clock - a provincial, weight-driven clock from
the late 19th century. Ron actually got it to work, but it's so
darn loud that it has to be still/silent. |
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This
papyrus is "The Judgment of the Dead," which we got in Cairo.The
heart of the deceased is weighed against the feather of truth
in the hall of Ma'at. If the heart is unburdened with sin and
corruption, it balances with the feather, and its owner gets to
go on to enjoy the eternal afterlife.
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