M.J. Rose

Imagine you are busy building a railway, and suddenly the ground beneath your feet collapses…to reveal THIS.

Daniela Duranti, one of the team in charge of restoring stucco figures on the walls of the pre-Christian, 1st century, underground basilica of Porta Maggiore

From The Telegraph,

Secret pagan basilica in Rome emerges from the shadows after 2,000 years

An underground chamber that was a place of worship for a mysterious cult 2,000 years ago has opened to the public for the first time

“A mysterious Roman basilica built for the worship of an esoteric pagan cult and now lying hidden more than 40ft below street level has opened to the public for the first time.

The basilica, the only one of its kind in the world, was excavated from solid tufa volcanic rock on the outskirts of the imperial capital in the first century AD.

Lavishly decorated with stucco reliefs of gods, goddesses, panthers, winged cherubs and pygmies, it was discovered by accident in 1917 during the construction of a railway line from Rome to Cassino, a town to the south. An underground passageway caved in, revealing the entrance to the hidden chamber…”

For the rest, click here.

Tis the season for ornamentation and decking halls. This glorious book seems to fit right in…

Minaggio 116: A male Kestrel sits above a Siskin. In the background, a soldiers stands guard on a road leading to a church.

From Atlas Obscura,

See a 400-Year-Old Book Made Entirely from Feathers

“In 1618, Dionisio Minaggio, Chief Gardener of the State of Milan, created a series of pictures. They were images of birds and scenes from the era: hunters, tradesmen, musicians and actors from the Commedia Dell’Arte. The difference was that these pictures were made of feathers, along with some supplementary bird parts: skin, beak and feet. In total, there were 156 images, which were bound into a book: The Feather Book, or Il Bestario Barocco (The Baroque Bestiary).

While the book mostly shows the birds of the Lombardy region, some of the scenes are familiar to us today: one depicts a bloody patient enduring a 17^th-century dentist. Another shows a man waiting patiently for his dog to finish pooping. It’s not clear what prompted Minaggio to create the feather book; some have speculated that it was to occupy his staff during winter and use up the feathers from the kitchen. Others say the regional governor may have commissioned it…”

For the rest, and many photos, click here.

Suspenseful, stunning, and somehow extremely compelling to watch…

Pure emotion?

Incredible Ballerina Performs En Pointe with Knife Shoes

(from My Modern Met)

“En Puntas is a video installation by artist Javier Pérez featuring ballerina Amélie Ségarra performing an incredible dance atop a grand piano, entirely en pointe, wearing a customized set of pointe shoes that extend beyond the toe box with a pair of sharp kitchen knives. As if dancing on the tips of your toes for an extended period of time isn’t enough, Ségarra has the added pressure of balancing on a thinner platform, from an even greater height.

The thought of someone even managing to stand on the potentially dangerous footwear is absolutely astounding. The fact that Ségarra maintains her balance and even leaves her mark as she purposely scrapes the sharp-edged blades across the piano is both exhilarating and frightening to watch. The intense performance is made all the more gripping as the elegant dancer tiptoes closer to the edge, making it difficult to avert one’s eyes….”

For the rest, click here. The film is below…

(The artist’s website is here.)

Javier Pérez – EN PUNTAS (extracts) from Javier Pérez on Vimeo.