Pirie Scott Peacock

Chicago ~ April 23, 2005

I love the animal art on this building in downtown Chicago. If the plaque I photographed a few minutes later is attached the same building as is adorned by the peacock and gryphons, the information is this:

Chicago Landmark

Carson Pirie Scott & Company Building
Louis H. Sullivan, architect
1899, 1903-1904
1906 addition by D.H. Burnham & Co.

The Carson Pirie Scott store ranks as one of the most important structures in early modern architecture. An example of 19th century modular construction, it also clearly expresses the period's philosophy about an ornamental architecture.

Designated a Chicago Landmark on November 5, 1970,
by the City of Council of Chicago,
Richard J. Daley, Mayor

Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks

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Viewpoint

Rome ~ April 14, 2004

Near the Piazza del Popolo

See more Weekend Reflections

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Symbols

Banbury, England ~ February 15, 2010

OF YOUR CHARITY

PRAY

FOR THE SOUL OF

THE VERY REV. GEORGE ABRAHAM

BRABAZON V.P.

FOR 32 YEARS PRIEST OF THIS MISSION

WHO DIED JULY 15TH 1929

AGED 60 YEARS

If anyone knows about the interwoven "S" symbol, please give us a clue! It was on a number of the markers, or at least more than one.
February 28: Several of you found helpful information.
Renee said, "It's actually three letters: I, H and S. And it is Latin for "In hoc signo vince” or in English, “In this sign you shall conquer.”
Francisca sent this link: http://newenglandoddities.com/2008/06/02/headstone-symbols-in-hoc-signo-vince/
VP gave us this link: http://www.christiansymbols.net/
And Stan Hollenbeck sent a long, descriptive e-mail:
I am assuming that this was an Roman Catholic Church graveyard and believe the symbol to be a graphic representation of the christogram "In Hoc Signo".
Legend has it that the Emporer Constantine was marching with his army when he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "εν τούτῳ νίκα" ("by this, be victorious!", often rendered in Latin as In hoc signo vinces) and decided it meant he must convert to Christianity. In Hoc Signo (IHS) became a common symbol for Roman Catholics and remains so to this day. I've attached a jpeg of a simpler but similarly themed grave marker.
The ribbon-like details are a part of the clerical vestment known as the stole, called a epitrachilion in Orthodox churches, which is a long, narrow garment that is worn around the neck so that it hangs down in front of the wearer’s legs, ending below the knees. They came into the church, probably as a cloth that the celebrant could use to clean the Communion ware as part of the service, and for that reason, the stole became a Eucharistic garment.
The four interlaced stoles form an I-H-S and probably indicate that those who lie beneath the marker were clergy of the Roman Catholic faith.
Thanks to all of you - we've learned something!
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Pretty Mosaic on the Terminal Floor

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas ~ April 13, 2007

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

This unexpected mosaic was quite large, and made a complete circle on the floor.

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A Chain in Ice at Nancy P's

Bend, Oregon ~ December 30, 2009

The ice was beginning to melt as we left Nancy P's restaurant after having breakfast. You can see bubbles still trapped in the ice, as apparently the chain had warmed in the sun, and water was trickling down between the metal and its icy casing.

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Dolphin Rising

Miami, Florida ~ January 14, 2008

Plaster sculpture, Miami Seaquarium

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Serene Seine

Paris ~ October 17, 2008

Who was it that said a person has two homes, his own and Paris?

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The Dodo Carousel

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

The Dodo Carousel, Jardin des Plantes

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Cow at Portland International Airport

Portland, Oregon ~ February 12, 2010

Cow on a mobile sculpture near the ceiling

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Tall Buildings, Blue Sky

Seattle, Washington ~ c. 2004

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Caracol Pyramid

Caracol, Belize ~ February 5, 2005

Ruins of a Mayan Pyramid

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Palo de Sangre Jaguar from Colombia

Jaguar hand-carved in Colombia

"Palo de Sangre" is the type of red-colored wood used

I used to sell this type of wood carving in my Tapir and Friends online store; I imported them with the help of Sergio Sandoval of Bogota. I hope to do so again, but there are a few cost issues to overcome. The carvings themselves are not very expensive for their beauty and uniqueness, but (1) they are often damaged when being shipped through U.S. Customs. In each small shipment, a few are drilled, sometimes in the visible parts, to be sure there are no drugs inside, and they're "re-packed" in such a way that legs and tails are often broken when I get them. Another thing (2) is that each piece is unique, and I'm still looking for a cost-effective way to make them available to customers so that each piece can be seen and yet the prices aren't jacked sky-high because the process is labor-intensive. I love this native South American art, and hopefully will find a way to overcome the issues this year or next. I've heard that FedEx or UPS shipping may be safer through Customs than DHL, so I'll have to experiment.

You can read more about Palo de Sangre here, and you can see some of the carved pieces in this Picasa Web Album. I don't have a compliled album of all of the pieces that have come through here at this time, but I'll add it to my project list.

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Do Salmon Drink?

Astoria, Oregon ~ May 31, 2009

Tapiola Park

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Massachusetts Gothic

Cambridge, Massachusetts ~ May 5, 2006

Memorial Hall

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Lion Eyes

New York ~ May 6, 2009

By Henri Rousseau

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

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Attitude

Roman Forum ~ April 15, 2004

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A Glyptodont You Can Ride In

Jardin des Plantes, Paris ~ October 14, 2008

I love the realism of these extinct and endangered animals on the Dodo Carousel. There was a plaque next to the carousel explaining what each animal was and giving the scientific name. After all, the Jardin des Plantes is one of the homes of the science of zoology as we know it. The glyptodont is an extinct relative of the armadillo.

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Lamp in the Rain

New York ~ May 4, 2009

Near Grand Central Station

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Man with Fish Garden

Chicago ~ April 22, 2005

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Geology near Tucson

Near Tucson, Arizona ~ December 27, 2004

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Mysterious

The Louvre, Paris ~ May 4, 2004

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Alien Monster?

Manaus, Brazil ~ April 25, 2007

I couldn't tell you what this strange creature is other than some kind of imaginative or fantasy or mythological serpent. Note the teeth in the back of its neck. We saw this in the market square in Manaus, where I wanted to take home almost everything I saw, and fortunately (?) couldn't afford to and didn't have a big enough suitcase. Of course, it reminds me of the monster in Alien. Who knows? I don't even know what it's made of, other than it looks like modeling clay.

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Estate Sale Birds

Astoria, Oregon, July 26, 2007

Here are a couple more things I wish I had kept. These birds make me smile.

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Glass of St. Denis Basilica

St-Denis, France ~ October 15, 2008

At the end of the Metro line from Paris

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Near the Locks

Seattle, Washington ~ October 21, 2006

At The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder,

Ballard Locks

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A Good Horse

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris ~ October 15, 2008

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Desolate Angels

Portland, Oregon ~ January 2, 2010

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Egyptian Ducks?

The Art Institute of Chicago ~ April 21, 2005

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I Have No Idea

Manaus, Brazil ~ April 25, 2007

I sometimes hope that every animal image with a long nose is a tapir, but it's not. The teeth are clearly opossum-like. These two carved animal heads are masks. The ecru-colored fibrous fabric shrouds the wearer. The mask on the right is a crocodilian of some sort, and to the right of that are carved wood fish and a bird. The piranhas at the bottom are the real thing, just dried out.

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Alabaster

Paris ~ May 6, 2004

The Louvre

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Taurus

St-Denis Basilica, St-Denis, France ~

October 15, 2008

I don't know the vintage of the flooring in front of the high altar (it looks relatively new), but it seemed strange to me that it was filled with signs of the Zodiac, as I had never associated these signs with Christianity. But I hadn't paid enough attention. It seems that the constellations helped people of the Middle Ages follow the dictates of the seasons in their preparation of food, planting of crops, and other seasonal activities that their lives depended on, or that added to their quality of life. These called Labors of the Months, and are often depicted around church doors, in stained glass, carved misericords, illuminated manuscripts, and elsewhere. Now I'll be looking for them!

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Santi Cosma e Damiano

The Forum, Rome ~ April 15, 2004

Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano

in the Forum of Vespasian

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Tree Rings

Portland, Oregon ~ January 2, 2010

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Greeter at the Museum

Paleontology Museum, Jardin des Plantes, Paris ~

October 14, 2008

Fortunately this stegosaurus near the front entrance to the Paleontology Museum moves slowly and seems to have a good disposition. I love it that the plantings in this area are some of the most ancient plants still existing.

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Elegant

Seattle, Washington ~ October 21, 2006

Kate and Harish's Wedding

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Storm

Chicago ~ April 22, 2005

A storm on Lake Michigan

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Weather Crane?

New York ~ May 5, 2009

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Like a Bird

Ravello, Italy ~ April 20, 2004

The Amalfi Coast

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North

New York ~ May 8, 2009

Empire State Building

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Stretch

New York ~ May 6, 2009

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Ears

John Day Fossil Beds, Oregon ~ July 20, 2007

Museum at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

I'm not sure that this is properly "animal art," but what else are you going to call such creative genius applied to a working fossil lab?

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Mt. Auburn in Spring

Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Watertown/Cambridge, Massachusetts ~

May 8, 2006

We sought out this place on the map because I have a number of ancestors buried here. What I hadn't realized was how beautiful the place would be, or how historic.

January 3, 2012: I'm revisiting this post today to link it to the "Taphophile Tragics" meme. Check it out!

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A Salmon at the Fish Ladder

Seattle, Washington ~ October 21, 2008

The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder

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Top of the Trail

Lava Butte, near Bend, Oregon ~

February 4, 2009

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Double Take

Lion Country Safari ~ January 13, 2008

Near Miami, Florida

Giraffe on a vending trailer.

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Three

Musee d'Orsay, Paris ~ May 4, 2005

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. . . and Many More

Sayulita, Mexico ~ February 5, 2006

Cake in a Suitcase

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Ceramic Sea Life

Newport, Oregon ~ March 11, 2006

Women's Bathroom of the Oregon Coast Aquarium

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Peacock Bass with Lianas

Manaus, Brazil ~ April 25, 2007

We saw this hanging wood carving in the open-air market in Manaus. Note the spot on its tail; this is a peacock bass, a common fish in parts of Central and South America, and much prized for food. The man standing behind the carving is one of the team of IBAMA officials who were checking the market stalls for possible illegal items for sale. IBAMA stands for "Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente E Dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis" (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources).

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