BEAUTY: Glass--Andy Paiko

I am completely blown away by the blown glass work of Andy Paiko. His Bell Jars series and his Reliquaries series are both literally breathtaking. As a maximalist and collector, I have always loved the idea of bell jars and cloches to keep and preserve special objects. Displaying them in such a way elevates them, calling attention to what makes them unique and precious. And what could be more precious than the idea of a reliquary. The shapes, scale, and detail of these glass objects recalls ancient glass blowing techniques from Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, where one can see very old examples of this type of glass art. But Paiko has an eye on the present as well, with a few designs that are angular, modernist. It is all stunning...

http://www.andypaikoglass.com/

Whatever Happened To Liuquan?

The Drents Museum in The Netherlands recently sent one of their objects--a reliquary holding mummified remains--to the Meander Medical Center for a CT scan and endoscopy. They discovered the mummified remains of Liuquan, a Buddhist Master from the Chinese Meditation School, who died around 1100. And during the endoscopy, the medical staff who graciously donated their time to this project made another wonderful discovery: inside the body cavity where internal organs would have been were found scraps of paper with Chinese characters, presumably prayers to accompany Liuquan's spirit.

Photo by M. Elsevier Stokmans; Boeddhamummie (Drents Museum)

Photo by Jan van Esch, Meander Medical Center, NL

Photo by Jan van Esch, Meander Medical Center, NL

Photo by Jan van Esch, Meander Medical Center, NL

http://www.drentsmuseum.nl/