Kunstkammer

Hellenistic Gold Wreaths

In Ancient Greece, wreath crowns were given as prizes to the victors of athletic and artistic competitions. The wreaths were often made from the branches of Laurel, Myrtle, Oak, and Olive Trees. These trees in Ancient Greece were symbolic of various number of concepts such as wisdom, triumph, fertility, peace, and virtue. 

Gold wreaths were meant to imitate their natural counterparts.  However, due to their fragiler nature, they were only worn on very special occasions.  Many gold wreaths were dedicated as temple offerings and serves as funerary goods for royalty and the wealthy elite. The vast majority of gold wreaths date to the Hellenistic Period, after the conquests of Alexander the Great, although they have been known to have existed since the Classical era. They exemplify the exceptional skill of goldsmiths during the Hellenistic period.

Images: 1) Gold Laurel Wreath from Cyprus, 4th-3rd Century BCE.  Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Germany.

2) Gold Wreath of Oak Leaves from the Royal Tombs of Aigai. 4th Century BCE. The Louvre.  

3) Gold Myrtle Wreath. 4th-3rd Century BCE. The Benaki Museum, Athens.

4) Gold Wreath of Oak Leaves and Flowers from Attica. 2nd-1st Century BCE. Canadian Museum of History, Quebec. 

5) Gold Wreath of Oak Leaves and Acorns. 4th Century BCE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The author tells Man of the World magazine he’s going to “geek the fuck out” and create his own fantasy series, kicking off with a book called Black Leopard, Red Wolf, which he describes as “an African Game of Thrones.”

As James puts it, "I realized how sick and tired I was of arguing about whether there should be a black hobbit in Lord of the Rings. African folklore is just as rich, and just as perverse as that shit. We have witches, we have demons, we have goblins, and mad kings. We have stories of royal succession that would put Wolf Hall to shame. We beat the Tudors two times over.“

if i had to pick a disney villain to give a redemption story to, however????  easy pick, come on

dr facilier 

listen, dr facilier is one of the greatest disney villains with his charisma and showmanship.   but seriously, you can already argue he’s not even the movie’s reaaaal villain.  unlike other ‘bad guy’ songs that loudly boast of the villain’s schemes and character,  his song is called ‘friends on the other side’ and he credits all his supposed darkness to them. everything truly sinister he seeks to achieve is because he’s promised his ‘friends on the other side’ that he will procure power over new orleans - only to relinquish it to them.  he, however, has no seeming interest in power.  the only thing dr facilier is ever shown to desire is wealth.   “big daddy labeouf” (a wealthy white sugar baron) and his fortune is a particular fixation (and frustration).    

dr facilier is not wealthy, even remotely.  he makes pocket change and his living shadow taunts him about it.   

and speaking of the shadows that follow him, his ‘friends on the other side’?? he’s terrified of them.   how many other disney villains have multiple breakdowns and  “i’ll do it! i promise!” moments, long before the final confrontation?  and yet, even in the midst of this terror, he isn’t weak or pathetic or helpless.  at all.  facilier is talented and clever and strong.  his skill is renowned.  he made these deals in the first place.  he’s willing to do the work asked of him.  they call him the shadow man and his reputation is well earned. we can see what he’s capable of.   

but unlike a lot of disney villains, he is never once in a situation of real power.  whether you mean his place in broad society or the shadow realm.  the man is up to his neck in debt. the clock is ticking and he’s scared, and doing everything in his power to come through with his side of the bargain.  

he’s not all that different from tiana, with big dreams in a world that kept knocking them down.   facilier, however, seems to lack a support system and clearly walked himself into a situation he thought he could handle until it overwhelmed him and - well, come on, talk about one of the most terrifying villain deaths.  he’s sucked into the shadow realm, kicking and screaming and clawing all the way, promising he can pay back his devils  if they just give him a little more time.  

i just find it silly that im being sold maleficent 2 and other lacklustre adaptations when there’s potential for a story about dr facilier in a turn-of-the-century new orleans trying to do more than make a living but fulfill huge dreams, ending up in a world of magic and shadows and devils, and uncovering his own inner darkness in the process.  

i remember my selfies on 35mm film back in 1999 - def levelled up since the digital boom tbh. seeya never 2K15