As promised, the “Goshawk & Claret”, on its cover letter from Michael Simon back in 2000 [I had put 1990, meant to type 1999, and it was actually 2000!]The reason for the Khyber Pass falconer- with- Gos in “Teaser”, below, is that Michael spent a good bit of his youth in Afghanistan before war tore …
Tag: Art
Teaser
Michael Simon’s “Bodio’s Gos & Claret” fly surrounded by Bodio & Gos in Bozeman ca 1999, and (clockwise) Khyber Pass Gos by Catherine Lassez (70’s), Afghan Lapis snuff bottle, Pakistani bell. And remember one of Michael’s old ID’s was “Afghan Trout”…
Battle Rugs & Endless Connections
I have posted a pic of my Soviet- war era Afghan battle rug before. It is a prized possession, drenched in haunted history and metaphorical blood. I got it from fellow fly fisher and double gun nut (and fine artist and rug fancier) Michael Simon, then of Livingston Montana. Daniela, who, like many of us …
Tazi Stamp & Desert Windhounds Reboot
Jess of Desert Windhounds, the forthright defender of genetic diversity and our right to breed the dogs that please us, is back, under the equally forthright title of Bitter CynoAnarchist* here, still fighting the good fight (I may steal one of her images to pontificate on later). She also had some nice pics of tazis …
Science, Art, Helicoprion, Ray Troll, more…
Dr H at Diary of a Mad Natural Historian just published a piece on Helicoprion, the impossible fossil shark that appears to have a circular saw in its mouth, and mentions artist Ray Troll. All natural history buffs mad or not should buy and read Troll (or wear him– he does T shirts, and pins …
NSFW Rifle?
…so first, MaryAnn sends me this pic from her recent safari, of amorous lions…I am of course reminded of this Rigby double rifle with the same “theme” on the plates (click to enlarge; plain vanilla version, slightly used, on sale for a not-ridiculous- these- days $59,500, below it). Jonathan Hanson sent the last words on …
Two Links
Vadim Gorbatov has his own website at last! It is in Russian but just click around– you don’t need language to appreciate a great painter. Click the second button (“Novosti”) for not only tigers battling bears but great sketches and images including ones on this Samurai falconer.You can buy his prints from Al Gates– links …
Renaissance Saluki
An image from the 1500’s, oldest western one I know of, by Federico Zuccaro, courtesy of Jess. Anyone have any info on the artist?
Tamgaly Rock Art
Whether because of (quite plausible) shared ancestry or (more I would think) the “Darwinian” demands of environment, climate, and materials, both rock art and vernacular architecture resemble each other in central Asia and the dry west. Compare Reid’s images below to these from Tamgaly, in the dry steppes a couple of hours north of Almaty …
Fat Horses
Large- mammal and Pleistocene maven Valerius Geist thinks more is going on with the spotted horse cave paintings below than just realism– be cites their exaggerated fatness as well: “Horses in top condition thus have a large gut-fill, expanded further by storage fat about intestines and omentum. Consequently, the belly bulges downward. Simultaneously, the fat …