Faith · Art · Observations

Saint Iphigenia and the Theories of Her Origin, from Axum to Crimea and Colchis

In the photograph with Iphigenia, the Ethiopian king's daughter from the Martyrdom of St Matthew, there are two young saints: Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi, a Carmelite nun of the 16th and 17th centuries who recorded in her diary mystical apparitions of the Mother of God and of

NB! · Books · Society · Society Pages

Intellectual Club 418 celebrated its seventh birthday in great style with an evening of poetry by contemporary authors

Art · Monarchies · Observations · Humour

Portrait of the deposed King Charles IV of Spain by Juan Bauzil, 1818

And who is this pockmarked fellow with the playful ringlets? Charles IV, King of Spain, deposed in 1808, bears a resemblance to Trump, especially, as you can see, from behind. Why the Spaniard Juan Boisil painted such a portrait is unclear. Still, given the year of its creation, 1818, one

In the Press · Observations · Humour

The author studies readers' Yandex Zen search queries, from Maximilian to the Parthenon

Some would call it a chore, but to me it is a rather entertaining pastime: getting to know my readers and studying the search queries that lead to my Yandex.Zen. What I mean to say is that it is very pleasant to bring together people who would like to

A white stone pillar bears a Fire exit sign, an arrow and a drawing of a figure jumping into water. A green door and old armchair stand at right; a gondola with books floats below on the can

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Fire exit onto a canal in a bookshop, with a gondola full of books

Architecture · Books · Observations

Libreria Acqua Alta bookshop in Venice keeps its books in boats and bathtubs

How about a gondola full of books? Just such a gondola may be seen in one of the most unusual bookshops in the world, Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice. Here the books await their buyers not only inside gondolas but in other kinds of boats too, even canoes. The shop

A coin showing a Megalosaurus, inscribed Buckland 1824, stands on its edge against a rock.

NB! · London · Palaeontology · Humour

British dinosaurs to appear on UK coins for the first time

At last, the native inhabitants of the planet will be shown the respect they deserve. British dinosaurs are to appear on the currency of the empire grrrrrr

Archaeology · Faith · Art · Humour

Anyone spending Valentine's Day alone will be under the patronage of the Lion-Headed Goddess, who is also standing alone at this party in the sanctuary of Thinissut, glass in hand, though wrapped in the hem of a sumptuous dress of feathers from some marve

Anyone spending Valentine's Day alone will be under the patronage of the Lion-Headed Goddess, who is also standing alone at this party in the sanctuary of Thinissut, glass in hand, though wrapped in the hem of a sumptuous dress of feathers from some marvellous bird, and is

Computer rendering of Place de la Concorde from above: an obelisk at the centre, two fountains, tree-planted lawns on the paved square, an avenue at left and a garden at right.

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Aerial rendering of Place de la Concorde in Paris with obelisk, fountains and gardens

Architecture · Observations · Heritage · Paris

The aesthetics of paving every habitable corner of the earth in granite has reached Paris too

The aesthetics of paving every habitable corner of the earth in granite has reached Paris too. The Pavillon de l'Arsenal in Paris is showing a project to reconstruct the Champs-Élysées by the architect Philippe Chiambaretta and his agency, painfully reminiscent of Moscow's Muzeon park and

Pair of gold sandals made of thin sheet metal on a grey background: soles with concentric lines, a rosette at the heel, a wide curved strap and a toe post.

NB! · Archive

Pair of gold sandals with engraved decoration

A pair of gold sandals and gold finger stalls laid out in rows on a grey background, with a caption below.

NB! · Archaeology · Museums · New York · Humour

Gold sandals and finger stalls from the tomb of three foreign wives of Thutmose III

If one must stroll the afterlife in sandals, then with closed toes. Sandals and toe stalls of sheet gold, found in the tomb of the three foreign wives of Pharaoh Thutmose III: Menhet, Menwi and Merti. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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