A Hundred Ancient Muses

Standard of Ur, c.2700BC, Mesopotamia

In the ancient world, they were called muses; heavenly creatures who blessed mortals with divine inspiration to create beautiful things. Sadly however, having traded wisdom for knowledge, and knowledge for information (to crudely paraphrase T.S. Eliot), we of the modern world must seek for more prosaic sources of inspiration.

Hit the jump for more >>>

My latest source of creative recharge has been to listen to a series of radio programmes produced by BBC4, called A History of the World in 100 Objects. In each programme, Neil MacGregor of the British Museum selects and discusses one of a 100 objects held in the British Museum collection, ranging from a 1.8 million year old Olduvai Gorge Chopping Tool, to a modern day Credit Card.

Each programme is finely crafted, giving the listener a feel for the objects, and a sense of the time in which the object was created and used. What astonishes me most is how very  early in our history we developed a sense of the aesthetic. In a way, this series is an exploration of the evolution of art, inextricable from the evolution of humankind through the ages.

You can explore the 100 objects, and download all the programmes here. And tell me what you think – leave a comment below!

Enjoy!

—–

Visit my portfolio – here!