🎀timeless-treasures🎀

For several years now I have been digitally archiving various historical pieces across several countries and hundreds of years of history!

I thought it would be fun to share these beautiful objects with you all, but with a little twist!

Send me a link to your profile and I’ll find an object, be that a painting, article of clothing, piece of furniture, etc, that I think fits you, alongside a brief analysis!

Additionally, I will be posting my own historical musings, as well as links to videos and resources and pictures of any thing I find particularly beautiful or interesting!

Much of this blog will focus on American and European history from 1500-1920, as that is what I am most interested in. That said, I will do my best to feature a broad range of cultures and time periods!

All I ask is that everything stay sfw!

𐙚 𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𐙚

Most people know, and indeed love the art of Doctor Seuss. His children’s books taught many of us how to read and we fondly recall looking through his stories or, if you were like me, singing his books aloud!

His art, in my opinion, with its bright colors and wacky sense of imagination, is the main thing that made reading his books so special!

But most people don’t know about his art ventures outside of his stories. He made many paintings during his free time that weren’t meant for the public’s scrutiny or for the delight of his readers. He referred to these often darker, more surreal works as the Midnight Paintings, which he created both for pleasure and to vent his personal frustrations. These works were only to be unveiled after his death in 1991.

These are some of my favorites!

Carnival Cat in West Venice

Every Girl Should Have a Unicorn

The Economic Situation Clarified

Freebird

Alley Cat for a Very Long Alley

Pink-Tufted Small Beast in a Night Landscape

Venetian Cat Singing Oh Solo Meow

These works, and others, can be viewed at https://www.drseussart.com/secret-archive-works-description

Gouty Chair. ca. 1800. British. Mahogany, horsehair, brass, upholstery.

Historically known as gouty chairs or invalid chairs, wheelchairs have been in use since at least the 6th century BCE.

The first modern wheelchair was created for King Phillip II of Spain, but was not self propelled, and had to be pushed by an attendant.

This wheelchair however, was self propelled, and was operated by twisting handles located on the ends of the arms.

Similar designs were first created by John Joseph Merlin a few decades prior.

This piece can be found in the V & A archives.

Sword guard (tsuba). 18th century. Japanese. Iron and copper.

A tsuba is a traditional Japanese sword guard, placed between the sword’s hilt and blade and was designed to give the user a place to rest their hands and prevent the weapon from slipping. Originally meant for practical purposes, tsubas became highly ornate over the centuries.

You seem like someone who’d appreciate a nice sword! This one is embellished with a spider pattern.

This piece can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Guitar. 1697. French. Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Voboam.

This guitar has a spruce body and sides overlaid with tortoiseshell, ebony and ivory in a chevron pattern.

Originally made to be strung with five strings, it was later converted to hold six.

This piece is currently on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hat. Autumn of 1938. Pagan collection. Elsa Schiaparelli.

A simple, woven grass hat, with a beige ribbon and small, sporadically placed insects.

This piece highlights Schiap’s fascination with bugs, and the theme of metamorphosis, which commonly appeared in her work, heavily featuring in the 1938 Pagan Collection.

This piece is currently on display in the Schiaparelli exhibit in the V & A Museum.