British Museum

5-Nov-2010 (Friday), first day in London. We landed via British Airways at Heathrow Airport at around 5am, got ourselves an Oyster card each (GBP 15 per card, or SGD 30), and took the underground tube via Piccadilly Line to Russell Square where our cheap hotel was at. Couldn't check in till 2pm. So we left our bags with the hotel, and went for breakfast before headed to the British Museum, which was around 800meter from our hotel County Hotel, London.

The great thing about London is, the museums are FREE! And you could spend the whole day there. It's a total information overload. The British Museum was a good introduction to the history and culture of the country we were visiting. But I was there for the folk lore, so here's some photos taken of divination tools used in the past! Top part are a set of old Tarot cards, just 4 out of a full deck of 78. Nice drawing huh? I wonder if I could replicate the tarot cards I have at home and make them into art pieces! That would be so cool. Bottom are a set of divination stick used to make prediction, and I think they are made of ivory.

I also like the miniature carving of religious (mainly Christians) blocks of wood and/or ivory. It's amazing the details they put into those items, and the time and devotion in making one of these. Somehow, arts in the past looks a lot more pain staking then modern arts today. I'm also wondering whether I can replicate these....

And strange enough, anything from Egypt was extremely popular! I've never seen a real mummy before, and was excited to visit that section of the museum. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was amazed at the numbers of mummies they have! But at the back of my mind I was thinking, if all these mummies are laying here, are there any left in Egypt? Still, it was an amazing collection.Was it scary looking at wrapped up dead bodies from centuries ago? I guess so, cause they look quite fleshy, especially those wrapped up ones. But those in bones I'm totally comfortable with.

 

Lastly, just for old time sake, a photo of  the Lewis Chessmen carved from walrus ivory! What a beau!

 

Ref
British Museum
Tarot Cards
Lewis Chessmen 
Heathrow Airport

Oyster Card
County Hotel London

Credit: All photos taken here are from Jaxon's camera, except the Tarot Cards.