| Wood restorer masters what could be
Niall Bourke has an odd way of taking a seat. He faces it and places his right knee in the middle of the chair, then puts one hand on the arm and the other on the back. Gently, he rocks his body to and fro. If the chair wobbles, it will need to be re-glued and clamped. If not, he'll look more closely to determine when and where it was built, what wood was used and how the piece was crafted.
Bourke knows his stuff. He studied carpentry in school in Limerick, Ireland, and then in the mid-'80s moved to Greenwich, England, where he learned to restore wood paneling in the homes of aristocrats. Today, in a Culver City, Calif., workshop, he restores antiques, builds custom designs with aged lumber and specializes in applying a high-gloss French polish technique to furniture for dealers, decorators and customers with family heirlooms.
Loaning Iranian artifacts criticized
LONDON, February 8 (IranMania) - The practice of giving certain Iranian artifacts on loan to exhibits abroad has been both approved and criticized at home, reported ISNA. A member of the Committee for Devising Registration Plans for Movable Historical Works said that one of the obvious examples of this took place in 2005 when seven invaluable items were given on loan for display in an exhibit in England. Reza Mousavi told ISNA that the issue was raised in a meeting in 2002 and was approved in 2005, despite the objection of a number of experts from the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization. The objects were transferred to England to be showcased in an exhibition titled 7,000 Years of Iranian Art for seven years, he noted, adding that this is while other countries participate in international exhibits with replicas of original works.
Joseon Queen
How can I eat such noble foods with my lowly mouth? said the queens father, lying on his face, stepping backward when his daughter handed him light refreshments. Three collections of works written by a Joseon Queen in Hangeul are attracting the academic worlds attention. On February 8, Ewha Womans University Korean Literature professor Jeong Ha-yeong announced that he had verified the three collections of works written by the 3rd Queen of King Sukjong, 19th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. He acquired them through Lee Byeong-chang, an antique seller, last May. Jeong explained, At first, I thought they were transcripts, but upon close inspection of the form of binding, the elegant layering, and the tidy handwriting, I was able to confirm that they were written by the queen herself.
Struggle erupts over ancient church
A medieval Kyiv church decorated with priceless murals is at the center of an escalating dispute between museum administrators and a local church subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate. For the last decade or so, the 12th century Church of St. Cyril of Alexandria has been functioning as both a place of worship under the administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate (UOCMP) and as a state historical museum open to visitors. Now museum officials say that daily religious practices, such as the burning of candles and incense, are damaging the murals. According to a report issued last October by the National Research Restoration Center of Ukraine, St. Cyrils fragile artworks, dating back to Kyivan Rus years, need a proper microclimate to survive.
Unique vintage western store opens south of town
Who would believe that a 30-year-old western shirt would be a collector's item and worth a lot of money? Now the Wickenburg area enjoys a unique store built around western collectables and clothing at Cowgirl Salvage, five miles south of Wickenburg on Highway 60.Julie Malcolm and her husband Tim have been taking their two daughters to horseshows for the past 10 years and have discovered the fashion statement made by vintage western wear. Julie was successful selling shirts and other collectables from a trailer at the shows and now has opened her retail store on the north side of the highway just below the Malcolm Cabinet Shop. .
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