Armorial dish Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee essay

Armorial dish Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee essay Armorial dish: Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee essay Armorial dish: Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee essayArmorial dish: Supper at the House of Simon the PhariseeTin-glaze decoration pottery presents an amazing world of paints, ornaments and forms. Although several centuries have passed since maiolica gained popularity among the Italian artisans, the entire collection goes on fascinating and inspiring today’s visitors of the exhibition. Here, mythological and biblical subjects are met side by side, and together this thematic direction is known as ‘istoriato’ style. It goes without saying that historiated imagery is rather helpful and informative. On the one hand, it is a significant cultural and historical source because it reflects important events and facts of the past. On the other hand, most of the dishes fulfilled not only a decorative role, but were also used in household. In this way, maiolica also reflects the household realities and tableware nuances typical for Italy of the 16th century. Joined to gether with aesthetic significance, the facts listed above make this exclusive type of decorated pottery extremely attractive for both specialists and common people. This study is intended to analyze the attractiveness of Italian maiolica by the example of one of the most extraordinary works in the collection, Armorial dish: Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee made by maestro Giorgio Andreoli in 1528.The subject of Armorial dish: Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee is devoted to one of the Biblical scenes, conventionally known as the story of Jesus’ feet anointed in the house of a Pharisee. Jesus’ visit to Simon the Pharisee is described in the Gospel according to St. Luke (New Jerusalem Bible, Luke 7.36-50). To be more specific, the plate presents a scene of a feast. One of the guests is Jesus sitting on a divan. Together with a woman by His feet, He makes up a critical segment of the work. They are not placed in the center of the composition, still the fo cus is deliberately made on them. The dish is a traditionally round plate, and the Biblical subject is placed at the main part of it. The round shape of the plate creates an illusion of a peeped scene, as if the viewer looks at it through a round opening. Such an illusion fills the artwork with a mysterious allure and grabs the viewer’s attention the same moment he or she comes in touch with it.The rim of the plate is, meanwhile, decorated with an exquisite ornament. The ornament includes elaborately produced grotesques, arabesques, and strapworks. The elements of the ornament do not have a direct connection with the subject, but they edge the composition making it look completed and add the sense of relief to it.As it has been already mentioned, the literary source for the subject is the Gospel according to St. Luke. It is written that Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to his house despite the common attitude of this sect to Him. Jesus could not decline the invitation because it was His rule to communicate with all the estates. Simon was probably driven by curiosity or had a will to assert himself through the act of condescending patronage to a poor man. What is more, he probably wanted to test Jesus and get an evidence of His fraud. As a result, however, he received an evidence of his own delusion. For Simon the Pharisee, Jesus was not among the respected guests, so he did not care to provide Him with traditional honors, such as washing the feet and anointing the head with oil. While rest of the guests were surrounded by slaves’ care and provided with comfort, there suddenly appeared a woman to eliminate the injustice. In that town, the woman was famous for her sins. Driven by sincere emotions, Mary came to Jesus, washed His feet with tears, dried them with her hair and anointed with an expensive ointment from an alabaster cruse. While Simon omitted all the traditional courtesies, Mary did more than the most respected guest could expect: â€Å" I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment† (New Jerusalem Bible, Luke 7.44-46). It is this moment that is fixed at the dish made by maestro Giorgio Andreoli. Still, the full sense of the scene can be understood only if to read the chapter further. Simon the Pharisee is naturally struck by the event, but even more is he struck by Jesus’ reaction of not pushing the sinful woman from Him. According to Simon’s logic, Jesus tended to be a prophet, and being a prophet, should have seen who the woman was and should defend Himself from her mud. Simon made a conclusion that Jesus could not understand who the woman was and this fact proved to him that Jesus was a pretender. However, Jesus could easily read the thoughts of Simon the Pharisee and, in response, told him a parable about debtors who could not pay a debt to their creditor. God is a mighty creditor for all the people on earth and all of them have a lot of debts to pay and know chance to do it. But Jesus explains that the debts will be forgiven for love, and such people as Mary are the first to be forgiven because of their sincere repentance and strong faith. This subject provides essential material for thinking about vanity and arrogance personified by Simon the Pharisee on the one hand and obedience and humility personified by Mary on the other hand.As the dish is rather big (18 5/16 inches in diameter), it is enough to carry such a complex narrative composition and is also rather convenient in studying the image. The author of the dish borrowed the composition from Marcantonio Raimondi’s engraving of the same subject. It is worth of noting that Marcantonio Raimondi’s engravings were rather popular as a source for maiolica artisans, but the armorial dish under consideration is considered to be one of the most extraordinary works of that time. The scene is draped with dark-blue curtains that correlate with the clothes of Jesus and Mary of the same color. There are two painted pieces on the wall, and they seem to be the two parts of the same painting because their contents supplement each other. The dishes are on the table, and a little slave brings some more for the guests. The scene would be conventional if the woman did not do such an unprecedented honor to the least honored guest of the house. Therefore, the overall impression of the dish can become rather strong if a viewer finds strength and wish to go deeper into its sense. One can even suppose that the curtains framing the story are meant for the viewer to go to the backstage hidden in the book of the New Testament of the Bible.Since the work is entitled as an armorial dish, it apparently means that the dish did not have a utilitar ian meaning, but was an important component of the patron’s coats of arms (heraldry). It seems not to be used in household, but to have a great decorative meaning for its master and further owner. On the other hand, the subject of the product includes a scene of mealtime and being evaluated by its surface could easily accompany a grand dinner or a ceremonial feast. The more obvious the association between the mealtime and the conventional purpose of a dish, the stronger the contrast between first impression and the true meaning of the subject.All in all, Armorial dish: Supper at the House of Simon the Pharisee is an eloquent example of how painting on pottery can make a profound impact on a viewer. No manufacture can be compared with craft production of decorative arts like that presented in this collection. Maybe golden and silver tableware could be more expensive and respectful, but this kind of production has shown its own bonuses. It could be either utilitarian or decorat ive, but more often majolica played both of the roles, so it makes the collection of tin-glaze decorated pottery meaningful and informative.

Free Essays on What Is The Difference Between Socialism And Communism

Marx’s theory of history is an account of the different stages of government through history. His analysis describes capitalism as the first stage followed by socialism and finally communism. Marx believed that socialism is where workers recognized their interests and became â€Å"class conscious†. This is where people would be aided, on the basis of social needs. The final goal, Communism is based on a class-less society that will be profitable for the vast majority. Communism and Socialism are united together in their battle against Capitalism. What is the difference between Socialism and Communism? Socialism and Communism are systems of production for use based on public ownership of the means of production and centralized planning. Socialist and Communist believe that the inequalities that exist in our society are unjust and the minority of the population should not own the vast majority of the wealth. However, they differ on ways by which this change is to transpire. Some believe the change should be gradual, achieved through parliament, (socialists), while others believe that the change should be rapid, brought about through a revolution. Before the differences between the two ideologies can be explained we must first understand the principles from which they stem from: Capitalism. Socialism cultivates directly out of capitalism where communism is a further development of socialism. In fact, Communism evolved as mutations of socialism. Capitalism leads to high unemployment, separation (what Marx’s called ali enation), and poverty. Communism in practice leads to political control, the suppression of free speech, and the suppression of religion. Socialism is the in between of the two extremes. Capitalism is a political system where privately owned factories exist in order to create profit for the owners. From this political theory comes the economic principle, the law of supply and demand. Prices of goods and services f... Free Essays on What Is The Difference Between Socialism And Communism Free Essays on What Is The Difference Between Socialism And Communism Marx’s theory of history is an account of the different stages of government through history. His analysis describes capitalism as the first stage followed by socialism and finally communism. Marx believed that socialism is where workers recognized their interests and became â€Å"class conscious†. This is where people would be aided, on the basis of social needs. The final goal, Communism is based on a class-less society that will be profitable for the vast majority. Communism and Socialism are united together in their battle against Capitalism. What is the difference between Socialism and Communism? Socialism and Communism are systems of production for use based on public ownership of the means of production and centralized planning. Socialist and Communist believe that the inequalities that exist in our society are unjust and the minority of the population should not own the vast majority of the wealth. However, they differ on ways by which this change is to transpire. Some believe the change should be gradual, achieved through parliament, (socialists), while others believe that the change should be rapid, brought about through a revolution. Before the differences between the two ideologies can be explained we must first understand the principles from which they stem from: Capitalism. Socialism cultivates directly out of capitalism where communism is a further development of socialism. In fact, Communism evolved as mutations of socialism. Capitalism leads to high unemployment, separation (what Marx’s called ali enation), and poverty. Communism in practice leads to political control, the suppression of free speech, and the suppression of religion. Socialism is the in between of the two extremes. Capitalism is a political system where privately owned factories exist in order to create profit for the owners. From this political theory comes the economic principle, the law of supply and demand. Prices of goods and services f...

Language Beliefs Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Beliefs Paper - Essay Example f adult learning and literacy are more expected to be providing an appropriate framework for second language learning compared to those concerned with child development. Linguistic-oriented theories of language learning tend to highlight genetic mechanisms, which are the so-called "universal grammars" in explaining language acquisition. Behavioral theories dispute that association, reinforcement, and imitation are the primary factors in the acquisition of language. Cognitive theories put forward that schema, rule structures, and meaning are the distinctive characteristic of language learning. Memory processes have been singled out as the basis for language intellectual capacity. There are a number of principles, which are related, with second language acquisition of children but in the following paragraphs, only the most imperative ones are stated. The first principle states that bilingualism is an asset hence it must be promoted at all levels. The topic of the use of language for bilingual children has now been a debate for the last so many years and there are no simple and definite answer. At times, parents as well as members of a community start feeling pretty strongly about their children who could not speak English in school. At other points of time, it has been witnessed that there is a robust attitude attached with the strengthening of the home language, while at the same time teaching English. The decision as to how to introduce English to children who come to school with limited proficiency in English should be left to local discretion of the parents as well as at times, to the children themselves, the latter being the case when they have serious p roblems understanding the second language or have trouble speaking and/or writing or both. If we talk about acquiring English, the child might come into sight as having some degree of know-how and adeptness in both the languages, thus signifying it as a transitional chapter for the duration of which requirement

Mitigating Climate Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mitigating Climate Change - Assignment Example ssion research is underway and it is believed that the goal of generating electricity by the help of fission power with much lesser carbon emission will be achieved in future. Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is considered to be the goal of producing products and services with minimum usage of energy. For example, insulated houses require much lesser cooling and heating energy and help in maintaining a comfortable temperature. No-till Farming: It is considered to be the way of growing crops each year without disturbing the characteristics of soil through tillage. No-till also have carbon sequestration potential, as they stores the organic matter in the soil of the crop field. Forest and Carbon Sequestration: It is considered to be the way of removing the carbon present in the environment and depositing it in some sort of reservoir. Forest sequestration takes into account restoration of the area by planting new trees, etc. Carbon Capture and Storage: It is considered to be the process of capturing excess or waste CO2 from some large point sources such as from fossil fuel power plants and depositing it somewhere, where it will not enter the environment again. In my opinion fuel switching, energy conservation and nuclear fission are the three most effective activities that would help in mitigating climate change. It is certain that CO2 emission can be reduced by using natural gases instead of coal for producing energy. By using natural gas as fuel in vehicles will help in reducing the emission of carbon dioxide and methane to a great extent, imposing minimum negative effect on the environment. Energy conservation takes into account the change in human behavior in order to save energy (Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change, 2014). For example some people prefer walking instead of using vehicles for covering short distance which saves energy, and switching off lights and air conditions when not in use also saves an enormous amount of energy each

Tribalism and the Nation in the African Continent Essay

Tribalism and the Nation in the African Continent - Essay Example This often accompanies accusations of primitiveness that are leveled against institutions that have their origin in tribal collectives. Tribalism in its jingoistic form is harmful for the unity of a nation and its overall development. This paper shall argue against tribalism and the effects that it has upon the modern state. It shall not however, argue for the modern state in its present form which is a creation of European culture and has been imposed on the African cultures that they once had colonized. One of the main reasons as to why certain states are unable to achieve a certain kind of unity is the persistence of tribalism. This tribalism then leads to the establishment of the tyranny of a certain tribe over the other despite the existence of democratic procedures that are established with the intention of ensuring the equal distribution of power (Jason). Over the past few decades, one has witnessed an alarming rise in the number of governments that are dictatorships in Africa. This has a lot to do with tribalism as it actively promotes tribal loyalties during elections and this then takes precedence over issues of development. This then results in most parties feeling a certain kind of disillusionment regarding the very process of elections, something that would then further tip the balance of power in favor of the ruling tribes. Tribalism thus represents a conglomeration of forces that seek to topple the forces of democracy that seek to provide for a country certain forms of development. Such incidents have happened as late as in 2008 during the Kenyan elections. Such incidents are often violent and further mar the social fabric of the nation (Africa: Talking about "Tribe"). They then cause great economic and social damage that needs to be rectified through great efforts on the part of the state. This then sets the process of development back by many years. This backward step is then taken not just at the level of the economy but also at the level of the social relations that exist between the different tribes living within the same country. Writers like Ngugi wa Thiongo identify tribalism as the problem that plagues Africa. He advocates the establishment of a single collective that would then have a more or less homogenous identity. This identity would be created following an elaborate process of decolonization that would result in the establishment of a more authentic identity (Thiongo). Even within such a framework, development is envisaged in a rath er Western framework. This is not to say that there is no African framework of development but to demonstrate the woeful lack of research in this area. If one is to posit arguments against such a thesis of nationalism against tribalism. Writers like Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni attempt to complicate the problem by introducing pre-colonial and colonial perspectives that then serve to absolve tribalism of the guilt that it would have to shoulder as far as the lack of development is concerned. Ndlovu-Gatsheni looks at the different factors that affect development in areas that are affected by tribalism and ascribes the underdeveloped states of these areas as products of history (167-9). Such analyses fail to locate the root of the problem and consequently only manage to create a sense of the inevitable as far as the existence of the problem is concerned. The historical angle of the problem, while it needs to be argued, also needs to be looked upon as something that leads to a solution and not just presenting an analysis of the situation as it arrived. It is

Black Elk Speaks Essay Example for Free

Black Elk Speaks Essay In the article, Black Elk Speaks with Forked Tongue, Couser is giving his opinion on how he thinks that Neihardt was in actuality suppressing the Lakota way of life and Black Elk’s story. His opinion is backed by some good points from the text and as well as other scholars who have the same opinion as himself. Couser does believe that Black Elk Speaks is a well written book and he even respects and commends Neihardt in his attempt to honor Black Elk, â€Å"before detailing the short comings of Black Elk Speaks I would like to acknowledge the considerable efforts Neihardt made to honor Black Elk’s narrative† (Couser). Couser then dives into the idea that this book as an autobiography should be a thing of the past. I think Couser then gets carried away with an opinion about how Black Elk was being censored and the truths were kept secret. Couser’s argument is good but his tactic and tangent near the end could have been left out; it does not hurt the argument but it also is too absurd to help the argument as well. Couser states that one of the problems with Neihardt is just the sheer fact of the language barrier; he uses DeMallie as an example of a person who thought the same thing. While there is good translation at times there are horrific and even completely made up parts in the book; this goes back to Couser’s argument that the book is not qualified to be called a Native American Biography. Neihardt had Black Elk’s son translate while Neighardt’s daughter would take notes; this action alone makes it inevitable that there will be some miscommunication and misinterpretation. It was then Neihardt who, in order to fill in the loss in translation, put in his own creativity and somehow turn a story into a piece of literary work. Due to the language barrier it was inevitable from the very beginning that Neihardt would have to change things around for literary purposes. Couser seems to only point out the bad parts of the book and never goes into depth about any of the good things, for instance: had Neihardt gone verbatim what Black Elk said he would have gotten factual information wrong, â€Å"After we had danced, she spoke to us. She said something like this: ‘I am sixty-seven years old. (Neihardt 177); this is just one example where Neihardt saw a mistake and corrected it just as any good editor would do. A literal translation of every word Black Elk spoke is not plausible due to a difference in culture as well as language. As a writer it was Neihardt’s job to put it in a form that is readable. It was his job to try to convey the emotions Black Elk was portraying in the telling of the story. Seeing what Neihardt put in and left out did not make much of a difference and it seemed to be well done for as big of a barrier he faced. Couser also argues that Neihardt’s free translation, not just language barrier but also that Neihardt could fill in things with his own creativeness, debunks the argument that Black Elk Speaks is a true Native American Autobiography. He believes that Neihardt’s attempts to change and convey emotion are merely Neihardt using his own opinion and creativeness. The text in the book is not verbatim and therefore Neihardt did his own thing. Couser later argues that Neihardt creating much of the story is still a kind of suppression and is conveying a dominant power. Neihardt used creativity just as any other writer would have done. â€Å"There were many lies, but we could not eat them. The forked tongue made promises† (Neihardt 172); that sentence is Neihardt’s and it may not be what Black Elk said but it could have been something that Neihardt could see Black Elk saying. Just because something is creative does not mean that it is an absurd thought. He used creativity to convey what he was seeing from Black Elk himself. Had Neihardt only gone by words I think more would have been lost in translation; not only is there language that has to be translated but also an emotional language. Neihardt took it upon himself to convey the emotion and had someone else transcribe the notes. Even though the translation was not word for word I think he portrayed the emotion quite well in the text. Couser then starts his tangent about how in this â€Å"autobiography† the white man is still suppressing the Native American Indian. He discusses little things like how Neihardt should not have addressed Black Elk as Black Elk. He also accuses Neihardt of trying to make the book too Indian like. He criticizes Neihardt’s writing of Black Elk. Couser then argues that the reason that Neihardt did not mention as many rituals or customs in the text is due to a dominant culture trying to eradicate and hide another culture, the Native American Indian culture. All in the same argument Couser suggest that the book is a sign of cultural imperialism; he says that the books was meant to escape cultural imperialism but in the end the book seems to be all about cultural imperialism I believe that Neihardt wrote the book and went off, as closely as possible, Black Elk. Neihardt approached Black Elk, not vice versa; had Black Elk approached Neihardt the book would probably be totally different then what it is today. Neihardt had every right to do what he did in the book due to his poetic license. It should be a given that Neihardt was going to do some of his own things; however, that does not mean that the book is a cultural imperialist book or a historical fiction. For some reason Neihardt changed his intentions for the interview; they were going to go towards his poetry but for some purpose he turned to a novel. I believe Neihardt was doing the story telling in a way that had never been done before, in a literary way. Black Elk told the story in an oral and story form and Neihardt then transformed the story into a literary work. Couser did have a strong argument and I do agree with what he said about how the book should not be taken as a Lakota bible or a Native American Biography; I do not agree with his argument that the book is a form of suppression upon the Native Americans. The flaws in the book are minute enough that it can still give a considerable amount of history and background on the Lakota people. However, it should not be taken as a bible for the Lakota people, after all not everything of what was said about the tribe and rituals is in the book and one must do more research than just read and study Black Elk Speaks. All Neihardt was expected to do was his best and I think he did accomplish his goal of creating a fairly accurate portrayal of the Lakota people and the Indian life of Black Elk.

Reviewing The Novel No Name Woman English Literature Essay

Reviewing The Novel No Name Woman English Literature Essay Kingston and Tan, both of stereotypical immigrant background, use their memories of deceased mother to build credibility in their respective articles. In Tans Mother Tongue, major themes of language and identity throughout the essay revolves around how the mothers past lives in china affect their daughters lives in this country; just as the daughters childhood experiences effect their identities and adult lives. Likewise, Kingston uses a similar approach by introducing the mother character early on in the essay, with the narrators mother telling her a story which she must never repeat about the aunt she never knew. However, unlike Tans descriptive approach on mother-daughters daily lives, Kingston focuses on the clear parallel between her aunts tragedy and her own deprivations as the daughter of immigrants: the repression of sexuality, individuality, and generational shame. Despite their differences, the power of the spoken and written word is the common theme which gave birth to its relative themes in both respective articles. Being a talk-story meant to be kept silence, No Name Woman is written instead of spoken; Mother Tongue revolves around the narrator and her mothers spoken English, and again, is written instead of spoken. Stylistically, No Name Womans distinctive accomplishment lies within the cross boundaries between genres, dictions, styles, between fact and fiction. The narrator makes radical leaps in time and space, spanning over 100 years of Chinese-American history, combining Chinese myth, family history, and American individualism and rebelliousness. On the other hand, being a significant part of Tans childhood, the limitation in language of Tans mother has more or less influence over her writing style. She criticises her past attempt to create wittily crafted sentence that could prove her mastery over the English language, That was my mental quandary in its nascent state. A terrible line, which I can barely pronounce. This explains the lack of imaginative detail, metaphor and personal musings in Mother Tongue, in which was exerted strongly in Kingstons work. However, it is the simplicity of Tans language that evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth without the extr avagance of time leaping, non-linear talk-stories to reveal the same emotions, ideas or a simple truth both authors wish to impact on the readers themselves. It is clear that both Tan and Kingston are reaching out to other Chinese-Americans who share their feelings of displacement and frustration. So easy to read., a verdict given by Tans mother upon completion on readings of Tans work, highlights the purpose of Tans essay in increasing the awareness of language in family, home, peer, and work communities: allowing English literatures not only accessible to mainstream Americans, but also the minorities of limited English comprehension. Being a product of the sixties, No Name Woman contains traces of the civil right and womens liberation movements of that time, where Kingston proposes: Women in the old China did not choose. Some man had commanded her to lie with him and be his secret evil she obeyed him. However, it is her struggle to make sense of her mothers story according to her mothers traditional Chinese code of beliefs, that she shares her questions and concerns directly to Chinese-Americans: Chinese-Americans, when you try to unde rstand what things in you are Chinese, how do you separate what is peculiar to childhood, to poverty, insanities, one family, your mother who marked your growing with stories, from what is Chinese? What is Chinese tradition and what is the movies? Having to state that, as an immigrant story for a nation of immigrants, both Kingston and Tans work are nevertheless intended as well for a mainstream audience. The lives Kingston and Tan have to battle through are interesting ones. The opening words of The Woman Warrior set the tone for much of the rest of the memoir, You must not tell anyone, my mother said, what I am about to tell you In fact, after being silence all her life, Kingston becomes a rebellion of sorts by breaking the silence and asserts power over those who have held her back. Such form of rebellious nature is nevertheless expressed in Tans Mother Tongue as she breaks stereotypic cycle surrounding Asians, Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me. However, such depiction of unique experience in literature, as present in both Kingston and Tans work, can arguably be deemed reprehensible for its threat to distort Chinese-American reality. As the subject is forbidden, Kingston knows nothings about her aunt beyond the broad details of the story. This presents us with a dichotomy of the ambiguous nature of talk- story a blend of the real and fantasies. Similarly, Tan makes generalisation of the English spoken in other Asian-American families, not to mention her emphasise on math and science, in which Tan describes as what happened to me, not what happened to every Asian-American. The confusion and ambivalence they feel as the author, who were once the listeners, parallel ours. However, just as Kingston writes of No Name Woman: Unless I see her life branching into mine, she gives me no ancestral help, it enables readers to make allowances for Kingston and Tans reinterpretation of mothers word from their own American perspective, thereby encouraging readers too to alter ideas from each article according to their own perspectives. I believe that each of us was Amy Tan, or Maxine Hong Kingston, in some point of our lives. Whether it is through silence, or through talking, reading both authors pieces is like having a prophetic, riddle-like dream: one cannot help but to be drawn into its stories by their distinctive writing style, concepts of cultural language and identity, and its reflection on the readers themselves. With this comes an important point: sometimes we must be far away from home, or to be separated from our roots somehow, in order to realize and appreciate what we really have.