ATM: Art, Tiles, Mosaics... an adventure in creativity

Terra Cotta and Shiny Rocks
Saturday five of us invaded the Bowers Museum to view the Terra Cotta Warriors, the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army ever seen outside of China. I had previously seen photos of the thousands of soldiers lined up in the trenches, discovered by farmers in the 1970s, but I didn't know what to expect from the exhibit. The Bowers, as usual, has done an outstanding job. KL had seen the original excavation in China but was suitably impressed by the presentation. I was amazed by the completeness of the statues as many had been pieced together from shattered remains. Like the marble statues of the Roman Empire, these terra cotta soldiers were brightly painted, but apparently as soon as they hit the air the paint disappeared and we see only the color of the clay. So although there are possibly thousands more of these statues waiting to be uncovered, they will remain buried until technology is able to save the paint colors. The exhibit is well attended (at least at the weekend) and the lines were long for people without tickets.
And now for something completely different, the other worthwhile exhibit at the Bowers, is GEMS! Colors of Light and Stone. To quote the website "the most important private gem collection in the United States, with few rivals in the world outside of the royal families, the Michael Scott Collection is back at Bowers Museum and features even more luxurious pieces." I wouldn't know a diamond from a piece of cut glass, but this exhibit is fascinating. I particularly liked the rocks in their uncut state compared to the finished piece. And the largest cut gem in the world was on display, a huge hunk of 500,000 carats... you gotta see it in all its glory...
The Terra Cotta Warriors are a must see (even if you've already seen them in their raw state in China) and if you visit before August 24 you'll have the added treat of the gem collection. And I never tire of seeing the museum's collection of plein air paintings, California, The GoldenYears.