Monday, July 17, 2006

Portals


Josephine posted some images of doors and columns the other day. They're intriguing things, are doors, although I doubt they know it. Portals to new lives.

The Chinese thought them important enough to give them their own door gods. The Romans, not given to minimalism, endowed them with not only the well-known two-faced Janus, but also other lesser dignitaries to perform specific functions. While the main man looked after doorways, gates, etc, Forculus attended to household doors, Cardea to hinges and Limentinus looked after the threshold. Pretty well covered all round.

Now if I was feeling a bit more wordy this evening, I could plough on about columns as well, but I won't. The Doric order unites both Josephine's picture of a building in the USA and mine of the Town Hall in Tewkesbury, England.

It's as simple as that.

4 comments:

Flea said...

Very interesting photo, the plough looked a bit out of place, but I'm sure it reflexs some history for the town, the pillars remind me of something Ceasar?

Pauline said...

It would be interesting to know what a door knows - all those comings and goings, all the hopes up that go through and the hopes dashed that come back, all those positions (closed, open, ajar, battered down, locked...).

Josephine said...

That mahogany colored wood (not sure if it's actually mahogony or not) looks almost exactly like the wood on the doors I posted Sunday.

Isn't it interesting how similar the styles are, given how far apart they are?

I wish we had such things as door gods here! That seems to be well worth the extravagence...

Canbush said...

Thank you, Hannelie, Pauline & Josephine.

I'm not sure what the significance of the plough is. Although it is a market town in a rural area, Tewkesbury is usually associated with milling and stocking making. Perhaps it was left to them in a will.

An interesting series of pictures in the making there, Pauline, I'll bear it in mind!

Nothing is as fleetingly satisfying as extravagance. Or as long lasting as guilt.