At present, with extended walking both painful and difficult, I carefully weigh the effort involved in any activity against the anticipated gain. Although I came home exhausted after the trip, a recent visit and day spent at The Metropolitan Museum in New York provided enough beauty and excitement to make up for all the discomfort.
If you are planning a Christmas trip into the city, skip a few store windows and spend time with several current treasures, now on view at the museum. First, for lovers of breathtaking fabrics and textiles, “Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500–1800” is a feast for the eyes of fabrics, embroideries, textiles, woven, dyed and printed, from all over the world. From wall hangings to garments and quilts, tapestries and capes, kimonos and religious vestments, the collection is almost overwhelming in scope and beauty.
It is interesting to see how, as trade with the Far East evolved and wealthy Europeans sought out exotic fabrics for their homes and personal wardrobes, artisans in China, India and Japan adapted their skills to Western tastes. The exhibit runs through Jan. 5.
A second, much smaller, but also delightful exhibit, features objects from one of the world’s longest-running dynasties (57 B.C-.935 A.D.), dominating the Korean peninsula, “Silla”, Korea’s golden kingdom, is something most of us have never heard about; until now, there had been no major exhibit of this kingdom’s art in the West.
Excavated from royal tombs, glittering gold jewelry and pottery is dazzling. A queen’s crown in the form of a gold headband with attached, branch-like elements made of thin, gold sheets encrusted with small oval pieces of jade, is a stunner. Two remarkable bodhisattva are featured; one a 3-foot high sculpture in gilded bronze is serenely beautiful, the other toward the end of the exhibit, is in a room of its own, a massive cast-iron Buddha, that surprises you with its size and power.
The Silla exhibit is on view until Feb. 2. As I walked through the museum after lunch, I spied several workers on movable, electric conveyances, putting up the famous Christmas tree. I never knew that it comes in labeled sections, like a crossword puzzle. The tree features more than 200 elaborate Neapolitan creche figures.
After resting on one of the infrequent benches, I made a final stop before departing for Grand Central Station at a delightful exhibit of Venetian glass on the ground floor. Featuring more than 300 works by Carlo Scarpa, a young Venetian architect who created designs for the Venini Co., using innovative new techniques, the exhibit includes large colorful pieces as well as small works of cobweb-like delicacy.
There was not enough time to revisit the outstanding new, Islamic galleries (which I have previously visited twice). I can’t seem to get my fill of this beautiful collection; and if you have not previously seen these galleries, you absolutely must include them.
Arriving home after the lengthy train trip, I literally fell into bed, a worn out sightseer, but with enough beautiful memory pictures to keep me happy for some time.
Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 49 Rose St., Apt. 510, Branford, 06405.
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