Millefiori glass bowl

We're all atwitter over the new find in London, a Roman millefiore bowl of impressive size, and unfortunately just-lost color.  (This contemporary bowl using the same technique, is for sale, here.  It's not as big as the lovely one just found, only 11cm dia x 3 cm height.  But I'd be happy with it.  If it was red.) I had not known that millefiore – fabulous glasswork now associated with the island of Murano, in Venice, called "thousand flowers" – was so old.  I'm very glad, as I've loved it since I first spent more than I ought on some … Continue reading Millefiori glass bowl

Nalbinding

My mother is gravitating towards SCAdian participation.  She mostly wants to tag along after me, having no time to do her own research.  So we're plunging into the Dark together.  (I have promised that I will garb her.)  Since she's a knitter, I suggested that she also check out nalbinding. Nalbinding is cool because: It's earlier than knitting.  Knitted structures seem to follow the historical ability to make knitting needles – dowels or rods consistent in size.  See Richard Rutt's History on Knitting for a dedicated amateur's Brit-centric introduction. It's unusual.  I do know several people who can do it, … Continue reading Nalbinding

Book Review – Early Christian Mosaics, The Bog People, Archeologia

I had some time to burn before catching a flight recently, and found myself in an academic rare/used bookstore.  Today I picked up the package of books I asked Alcuin Books to send back. Can I say how lovely it is to walk into a bookstore, be asked "can I help you", say "I'm looking for 6thc archeology, particularly Kent, or Anglo-Saxon textiles, but also the Mediterranean" and be handed a folding chair and pointed to three places?  Just smashing. In the box for me were: (St. Agnes – I love how her over dress is hiked up to show … Continue reading Book Review – Early Christian Mosaics, The Bog People, Archeologia