Becky Wallower

@bwallower.bsky.social

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archaeology, history, environment, quirky stuff -- love London, arts, travel -- writer, organiser, modest activist/stirrer 🏺

Painting on black wall has thin white and wider dark red border. On the left one siren atop a cliff of rocks plays a lyre, and on the right are two others, one on higher rocks with twin pipes, the lower one singing. There are skeletons and bones around the sirens on the right. Between the rocks is a ship on the sea, with an elaborate figurehead on the bow, a mass of oarsmen along the side and Odysseus/Ulysses tied to the mast.
A long thin glass perfume bottle with orange, black and light blue trails, tapering to a bulbous bottom. It has a cylindrical neck topped with a flat rim disk with orange edge.
Two small panels that once would have decorated a church in the City of London - rare survivors as 1666 fire wiped out most of the churches there. One panel has a single angel, wings outstretched, the other has similar angel and evidence of other carvings, perhaps a tree and another figure. Both have decorative carved band on top edge.
The Pisa Cathedral bell tower - the leaning tower - is shown across a quiet lawned garden with trees and planters. The cathedral itself is behind the tower, its south transept under scaffolding. The sky is bright, partly cloudy, and a warm afternoon light shines on the left side of the tower and casts long shadows across the lawn.
Head and shoulders of Dionysus with three flowers protruding from curly hair. One (?) glass eye remains in place.
View along long axis of large rectangular hall, originally created 1540s, with wooden floor, deep green walls hung with many paintings, a fireplace on the left, a door in far left corner, a glazed leaded window at the far end, a glazed niche in the far right corner and a grand piano, looking quite small due to the size of the hall. The plasterwork ceiling has elaborate interlaced patterns, mainly white with some coloured panels, mostly with arms, or armorial symbols.
A tan terracotta flask in the shape of a sitting goose, with head raised high to the left. A spout is attached to the back, and the rest of the body, neck and head of the goose are elegantly represented with black stylistically painted feathers, wings, eyes and beak.
Corner of a room with a white glass panelled door at the back and a long marble shelf on the right. This is supported by 3 iron cow's legs painted white. The brackets on top of them supporting the shelf have small panels with cows' heads on them. Above this fixture, and to the left of the door is tiling of green leaves on brown vines on white background.
An orangey red terracotta pig, with simple pointed legs, ears up, blue glass eyes, chipped nose, broken tail, and a ridge along its back. Also decorated on its back with swirls of barbotine clay decoration with added pieces of blue glass. On a plain background at BM.
A complex mosaic in warm shades of brown, red, tan, red. One corner of a large floor is shown with a ribbon lotus band around the periphery within thin tan, black, and white borders. On the corner is a medallion with an image of summer with ears of wheat in their hair. From the roundel toward the centre is a feature with leaves pointed outwards and forward, becoming narrower as it progresses away. Either side of that are round swirls of flowery designs decreasing in size from corner of mosaic to centre.
Tops of two drinking horns - one upside down, one laid sideways - with copper alloy rims featuring interlacing animals. Beneath each rim is a row of copper alloy triangles that would have draped over remains of horns. The horns are considered to be of (now extinct) aurochs because of their large size. Site discovered in 2003 at Prittlewell during MOLA excavation prior to roadworks.
A selection of small bone objects are set out on a neutral display board, all with hole for hanging as pendant. They include figures of animals eg fish and rabbit, a small Aphrodite, anatomical parts, and a diamond shape.
A large selection of small objects is displayed. These include human figures; various body parts including phalluses and a ?liver; mini amphorae; numerous rings and discs; bones and teeth; shells and beads. They are displayed as an array around four pieces on a metal plaque.
A wooden door is set in a rounded arch in the corner of a church. It has long ironwork strap hinges and latch, and is studded all over the surface. The surface shows water staining, cracks and holes and evidence of ironwork having been refixed.
A painting by Van Gogh of Langlois Bridge near Arles, France. A wooden framed bridge rests on two stone-built piers, and has a horse and cart crossing over in the centre. The canal is a bright blue, reflecting an equally blue sky. on the bank to the left a group of women are washing clothes in the river. There is also a small boat on the shore, and a strip of reeds/grass in the foreground.
The rebuilt Langlois Bridge near Arles, France. The photo shows the two halves of the bridge lifted so that small boats can pass through on the river beneath. On the far shore is a white stone built house with a red tiled roof. The sky is a light blue with soft clouds in the distance. The shores of the river are behind stone walls, and topped with a grassy verge, worn away nearest the river.
Part of relief of a figure, in his right hand a flail (two pieces of wood loosely attached to facilitate swinging round to beat wheat to separate out grain). He is under an arch supported by two marble columns, the left in green, the right in white. On the floor in the lower right is a neatly placed stack of wheat sheaves. Above the arch on the left is a woman in a circular marble plaque with 'Virgo' engraved above. On the right in a rectangle is a lion, with 'Leo' above. The figures are part of a two series under the portico of Lucca's Cattedrale di San Martino, set in pink and green marble backgrounds, alongside many other relief and inlay decorations.
Decorated whitish grey Portland stone tomb with gabled ends and standing on four pillars with rounded capitals. The copper roof tinged in green has scalloped overlapping design, like decorative roof tiles. The tomb is placed within iron railings with decorative lily tops. A gabled end is visible covered with elaborately, naturally intertwining stems with flowers and leaves. The long side visible at an angle has floral designs in natural leafy circles, six each above and below the dedicatory panel that extends the whole length.
Ceramic tile decorated in light and dark blue, and yellow. Dark blue and yellow bands around border frame a bell - a symbol of the saint. It is decorated in yellow and light blue stripes and dark blue dashes. It has yellow strands/ropes extending at the bottom from within the bell. At top either side of the bell is an 'S' on the left and a 'B'on the right in dark blue. Bells were central in observations set out in the Rule of St Benedict that governed the lives of monks.
Granite 'wheel-headed' cross covered in lichen. It has a thick rounded shaft, with a slightly broader, flatter, circular head containing a cross. It sits at the corner of the church of St Bartholomew in Warleggan, Cornwall, alongside the path that goes around the west end, through the grassy lawn of the churchyard, dotted with wildflowers. It was brought from Bodmin Moor in the 19th C.
Beyond the arch of a smallish chapel, three stained glass windows curve round under a domed, frescoed ceiling. The windows are predominantly blue, set in arched stonework; each of the three has four long lights and tracery at the top. Figures emerge in a swirl of shades of blue, depicting St Thomas kneeling before risen Christ in centre, while the side windows are based on Psalm 148, with all creation praising God.
In situ and partly opened, imprints of two tall panelled doors provide details of original opening to portico where view to sea could be seen in a luxurious villa nr Pompeii. The doors are very similar to modern panelled versions. The Villa, in the process of renovations at the time, was damaged and buried in Vesuvian eruption, and preserved in excavation.
Interior of a medieval barn with solidly executed roof structure, mostly original. Historic England's description is here: the interior of the barn is divided into eight bays by the roof structure of raised cruck trusses with arch-braced collars, the crucks supported on dressed stone blocks. There are two purlins on each pitch, with windbraces between the lower purlins and the wallplates. The east wing has two raised cruck trusses with arch-braced collars and windbraces, and one purlin to each pitch. The wing has iron rods at tie-beam level. Some of the timbers have carpenter's marks, and some have apotropaic protection symbols. The floor of the barn is of beaten earth.
The remaining corner of a once imposing building is shown against a blue sky. Ahead is a wall, 2 storeys high, with the tracery of a broad window at the top, with 8 lights. To right of that are the remains of a circular tower, and then a complex wall with perhaps a fireplace and further windows. This is partly hidden behind a tree to the right, roses growing up the wall and some shrubbery before it in a garden bed. A lawn is planted before that. This is in the romantically conceived 'Ruins Garden' of the castle.
Huge woolly mammoth model, alongside skeletal models and features of other aspects of natural history in gallery of The Box in Plymouth.
A red brick facade of a London yellow brick building with a long, 2 storey high green door, which was used for shifting theatre sets in and out. Two green painted windows on the facade and further doors and window on the right side are also visible, along a narrow alleyway. At the top of the facade is a pedimented gable, supported by very short stone columns. On the roof behind this is another floor with a pointed gable, all painted white: providing space for lifting and shifting the sets. A further element of the building is just visible beyond, down the alleyway. On the left approach is an area with iron fencing and a gas light style light post. To the right is another building.
In rough stone wall is a window within a pointed arch with two vertical lights and a quatrefoil above. To the right and slightly higher is a round-headed arch, blocked, but with the upper part still recessed at the top to the area where glazing once was.
A beautifully sculpted resting lion, carved from Carrara marble, but darkened by atmosphere/pollution to a grey colour. In 3/4 view, he is lying with his head on front paws and eyes closed with a realistically tousled mane. His tail is curved around his hind leg. He lies on top of the tomb of George Wombwell who bred him. The deep greenery of Highgate Cemetery is behind.
A rectangular mosaic floor in red black and white. Two pairs of geometrical designs placed diagonally opposite one other are surrounded by guilloche borders, all of which are bounded by white, black and red borders. The mosaic is mounted on a white wall.
The ceiling of a small chapel is shown: it has elaborate fan vaulting set on a background of bright light sky blue, with gold decorative work around where all the semi-circular or quarter-circular tops of the vaults meet the ceiling. Bosses with gold and red are fitted in the spaces left where four circles almost touch. The unglazed window arches at the left side have floral shaped tracery at the tops, and there is further elaborate stonework over the end where a shrine would have been fitted beneath.
Reddish stone of volcanic origin was used to carve the large sarcophagus. Its lid has the form of a pitched roof, with heavy tubular ridge and side beams, with antefixes in the ends. A sphinx sits at each end of the roof and knotted snakes writhe in the centre. Female heads decorate the triangular pediments. Along the long side visible is a narrow panel with scroll design. Two inturning figures are at either end, the one on the left holds a mallet and snake, and represents Charon. The other is a warrior.
A view of Roman shoes/sandals displayed on a wall in a case at museum of Vindolanda site on Hadrian's Wall. All are leather, in various shades of brown/tan; some are complete shoes, and most have cut-out uppers in various patterns, like sandals.
Three fragments of painted wood. The largest on right has double line of yellow ochre divided into small rectangles each with a dot inside, with a wider red ochre brush stroke top right of that, and a bit of thin white outline below below right of the border. One of the smaller pieces has a wide yellow line, the other has brushstrokes in red and yellow.
A section of a row of reliefs showing labours of the month and Zodiac sighs around the portico of Lucca's cathedral. Here, for June, a farmer wears a dark red coloured tunic, and holds a bunch of wheat stalks in his left hand and a sickle in his right. He stands under an arch supported by Corinthian columns. In the space over the right hand column between his arch and the next one is a crab in a disk, with 'CANCER' written above it. The background and right column are in green marble, the rest in white marble.
BM's image of scene from Bayeux Tapestry
Terracotta tiles decorated in yellowish slip. Segments in various shapes are designed to fit together to show two circles with borders set in highly decorated swirly background. Richard Lionheart on horseback with lance facing right, and Saladin on horseback facing left. The circles are formed of 4 quarters. The quarter on the top left on the Saladin panel is plain as the original is missing.
Fine micro mosaic floor panel (emblema) with various types of fish, a large lobster shown head down from the top, an octopus with long trailing arms and a spotty eel. The background is black, with a dark brownish red border.
A large chunk of limestone carved with head of snake emerging from coiled body, forming a knot.
Internal view of amphitheatre with seating installed over the ancient remains. It extends up to the second level of arches.
External view of substantial white stone amphitheatre with arches of three storeys visible with a substantial tower with 2 arches on 1st and 2nd levels - these held cisterns for spraying water on audience. There is also a lower level visible, without arches. The roadway outside has a few cars and trees alongside the building.
Stained glass window by David Hockney in the north transept with two panes in bright colours of blue, aqua, yellow, red, green and pink. The design is abstract suggesting driving through a country scene through hawthorn blossom in Yorkshire, with features representing a tree, branches and other natural features.
Iron blue Roman blown glass jar with a rim folded outwards and downwards, and an ovoid body. Decorated with applied spots of opaque yellow and opaque green glass.
A grinning wood carving of a forest imp, with mouth wide open, a ruffly headdress, curly ears and leaf-like sideburns and beard. It's set on the panel of a warm caramel coloured wooden door.
Remains of perpendicular gothic style windows from Greyfriars medieval friary, along what would have been one of the two naves of the church. Three pointed arches (and a small portion of another) with internal panes are visible, two of which are blocked up. Panels below the windows show medieval/Tudor stonework and some blocks of rendered walls that are partly plastered and painted. The remains are open to the sky. After the dissolution, the church was bought by a local alderman who built a mansion in part of the remains. In Civil War, the site was badly damaged by Royalist cannon fire, and was eventually used as framework for c. 5 houses / workshops. Remains stabilised in 19th C as a roofless ruin around the early 19th C Greyfriars House. Archaeological excavations were undertaken in 1967 and 1974–5 and details of medieval and Tudor building recorded.
Image shows a entry way with a black and white mosaic floor featuring two athletic bare handed men engaged in a type of fighting. Beyond is a large room with walls covered in colourful frescos, and a column base.
The large plaque is in three pieces, here placed in position. Archangel Gabrel stands on his left foot, his right toe touching ground behind. He has curly hair, large eyes and a cleft chin. Wings rise from his shoulders, and his right hand is poised in a blessing. Large stylised leafy plants extend from behind right foot and right wing. Mediterranean influence notable in draped garments, delicately feathered wings, and finely modelled hair. It was displayed in the British Museum's Silk Roads exhibition 2024. From Wikipedia: The Lichfield Angel was recovered from the inside of a burned structure within a larger stone-built Anglo-Saxon building. It had been broken into three pieces, the main two of which were found placed facedown on the rubble as a mark of respect. This helped to preserve the original pigments, which are unusually bright for a stone sculpture. The third fragment, of the angel's left leg, was found face up and was more badly worn than the other pieces, retaining less of the pigment The plaque was originally decorated with coloured pigments and the halo may have been gilded. The carving retains traces of the original pigments, which is rare for Anglo-Saxon painted stonework; the careful placement of the fragments in the ground has contributed to survival of the pigment. The panels may have been broken and buried as a result of Viking raids on Mercia in the mid-9th century. They are now shown alongside the near contemporary Lichfield Gospels.
A huge Roman arch in wall with bands of white stonework and red brick. Behind it is an rounded apse-like structure with one of the baths within and a visitor climbing steps for a view, and giving an idea of the vast space.
At the top, bands of red with continuous branch of leaves between. Below is a rider on horseback, wearing top with red border and cross design, with a long spear. The horse rides towards a larger lion leaping forward open mouthed, with curved back and tail, a heavy mane, plus hair standing up on his back. The uneven terrain is sketched out with a single line, and three trees, one of which has leaves of grey-green: with the horse's mane, and the spear, the only parts of the painting not in red.
A narrow iron cone is attached to the wall beside a doorway, at a slight angle outwards to aid insertion of a torch. Beneath it on the red and dark red brick wall is an oval plaque with a castle pictured, and 'Alliance' - the insurance company name - in a rectangular panel at the bottom. The doorway, painted in white, has very elaborate carving.
In dark wood, a misericord: a narrow wooden shelf on the underside of a hinged choir stall seat, which, when tipped up, was used to lean on by monks during hours of prayer. This like many is elaborately carved. Beneath the shelf here a lion with mane, on top, with head on the right bites the neck of a dragon with long ears and dots along its spine, who bites the lion's neck back. Their tails extend up along the underside of the seat. Beyond the centre carving at either side is a winged lion.
A section of the tall stone-built medieval wall of a monastery, with three huge pointed gothic style windows remaining. There is a small doorway to the left, and remains of four buttresses support the wall.
On left a red-coloured oinochoe with head of a grizzled, bearded male, with wide mouth, big bulging eyes, heavy eyelids and a lion skin worn on his head. On right a paler oinochoe with head of a female with fine features, and slightly open mouth, her hair swept back over the tops of her ears. She wears round decorated earrings and a hat decorated with cup-like rosettes. On each, the neck of the wine vessle remains, and handle fittings can just be seen around the back.
Shown is a band of 8 medieval floor tiles, part of border of a floor. 4 in centre make up diagonally placed eagle, with head top left, tail bottom right. On either side are 2 x fleur de lis in shields to left and 2 x pattern made of 4 leaf shapes from centre to corner. All have red background and gold-coloured figures/decoration.
Built against wall in several sections, all made of shells and small pebbles. Top to bottom: *Triangular pediment on top: blue/white triangle w pink shell outline *Pale blue band w row of darker blue + gold oval shapes *Inset semi-circular section with blue/pale blue/gold decoration in the niche, with an arched feature above; flat columns on either side in gold and blue *Rectangular panel with square in centre which has pale blue semicircles on the sides with acanthus designs, set in pale sandy coloured background *Plinth in stone
A stone sarcophagus is viewed from the narrow end. It has a slanted roof, split in the middle, that slides open. This view shows a decorated gable end, with leaf motif on the centre gable and at each side. Beyond are two cases, one holding a black-figured amphora the other a plain amphora. The coffin was excavated in 1959. Inside was the well-preserved skeleton of a man who died between 500 and 480 BC. In his left hand, he held an alabastron, a small ointment jar used by athletes. On top of the tomb were three amphorae and fragments of a fourth. They are Panathenaic amphorae – referring to the festival of the Great Panathenaea, which was celebrated in Athens every fourth year. They were given as prizes, and are illustrated with the relevant discipline. Careful analysis of the amphorae revealed that the athlete must have participated in the gruelling Pentathlon. The amphorae of the Athlete from Taranto depict the race with quadrigas, boxing scenes and two disciplines that are part of the pentathlon: long jump and discus throwing
Bronze pan pipes, formed of an almost square base decorated with two double bands containing two temples. Protruding from top right are 12 tubes - the pipes for making music.
A large blueish-green glass jar. Reassembled from broken pieces, the urn is simply designed with a characteristic series of strong, vertical lines, depressed all around its circumference, ending just short of the much smaller foot. Like many of its period, the urn was possibly crowned with a glass lid, which is now lost.