G.B. COLLECTION

George Borrow.
Travel writer. Dubious linguist. Iconoclast. Tumbleweed. Maverick!
Bible in Spain is actually a great read- I assume it to be a true account (other works are embellished) of his journey through spain- cavalier (literally and figuratively), crazy adventures, gets thrown in jail, etc!
My collection is getting there. ( 3 versions of Lavengro)
Hard gaps to fill:
The Zincali
Romano Lavo-lil ( english-romany dictionary)
Gypsy Luke
Songs of Scandinavia
Celebrated Trials
And (possibly fabulist(?) works he alludes to):
 Ab Gwilym Poems
 The Life and Adventures of Joseph Sell

Cows

A folded calf- made me think of a netsuke- all compact:

Rantei,  mid-19th century. Ivory. Length 4.5 cm!

via scholten

Kanae Yamamoto woodblock. Influenced by the Post-Impressionists, who were influenced by Japanese woodblocks- (a hall of mirrors!)

Comb your hair

Eyes Again

Eyes Cuff;  slightly different version...

Play Dough

E. made me some Dot Cake.

 

Me, a Gradient Coil Pot.
J. made a promising...Lump... With Cool Fork Marks, but then he started licking it, so its image has been duly omitted.

Nearly Stumped

I've been trying to square up this stump so that it stands vertical. I want to use it in my workshop.

The chainsaw was a little blunt and was just burning the wood, even the electric saw with new blade was having a hard time! 

I turned to the old hand saw and chisel, which did the job...slowly.

Its Australian Hardwood: "The clue is in the name" as my friend Jesse would say.

It is very hard. It should be called Veryhardwood.

Trivia: Australian carpenters would use green hardwood when making house frames, because once it has seasoned it is near impossible to drive nails into it by hand. The sap makes your hands go black too.

These days though, its all about air-driven nail-guns and pine.

Bikesickle

KR on the cover of Treadlie!
Nice steel steed.
*tips hat*

Grubby Gold

Surely by now you've heard of the Staffordshire Hoard?
( =treasure / largest hoard /Anglo-Saxon gold/ ever)
So, I was looking at pictures of the artefacts- and noticed how dirty it still is.
Not being a conservator, this strikes me as being very cautious conservatorial practice.
(Being of the "Peabody" school of conservation myself; eg, eg, eg)
I mean, they've cleaned up most of it, but not in the cloissons.
They must be worried that the inlay might fall out.

Or that the dirt holds vital clues.
Or that the dirt simply fills the losses. As a maker, I would be interested to see the empty cloisons, actually. I may send them a letter. "Dear Sirs, as a maker..." etc.
Or perhaps the dirt lends a kind ancient ambience to the artefacts that helps with public perception/fundraising; you know, "derelicte". (Who knew treasure needed fundraising?)

On further investigation, the conservation plan actually includes (heaven forbid!):

• Possible remedial reshaping for stability of vulnerable crumpled or damaged 

sheet gold, or for historical understanding of the object. 

• Reconstruction of silver foil with reversible adhesives. 

Next they'll be wearing it around the office!

I looked up "staffordshire hoard dirty"...

Theres actually a Facebook group; WASH THE STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD, with 20 members.
Because, as one of the members worries: "Who knows where its been?"

Pipes and Rods

Rust never sleeps at Cranbourne Botanical Gardens. ( yes they do have plants)